Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 March 2007
1. In vivo 59Fe absorption from intrinsically labelled Fe-containing fractions of liver and blood were measured in rats by intragastric dosing. All rats were fed on a low-Fe diet for 3 d before dosing in order to standardize the Fe status of the intestinal mucosal cells.
2. An increase in digestion time from 2 to 12 h increased 59Fe absorption (P < 0.01) from all fractions except ferritin.
3. Fe-deficient rats when compared with essentially Fe-replete rats showed decreased gastric retention for all fractions, but increased 59Fe absorption over 2 h only from ferritin. Ferritin showed several unusual absorption characteristics.
4. Dietary tungsten supplementation of Fe-deficient rats reduced the ferroxidase activity of intestinal mucosal xanthine oxidase. In addition, gastric retention and 59Fe absorption (P < 0.05) from all fractions were increased.