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Diet-induced obese rats have higher iron requirements and are more vulnerable to iron deficiency

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Abstract

Purpose

Since obesity is associated with poorer iron status, the effects of diet-induced obesity on iron status and iron-regulatory pathways were examined.

Methods

Weanling male diet-induced obese sensitive (n = 12/diet group) and resistant (n = 12/diet group) rats were fed one of four high-fat, high-energy diets supplemented with 5 (5Fe, low), 15 (15Fe, marginal), 35 (35Fe, normal) or 70 (70Fe, high) mg iron/kg diet for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, rats in each diet group were categorised as obese (>19 %) or lean (<17 %) based on percentage body fat.

Results

Obese rats gained more weight, had larger total lean mass, consumed more food and showed greater feed efficiency compared with lean rats. Obese rats fed the 5Fe and 15Fe diets had poorer iron status than lean rats fed the same diet. Obese 5Fe rats had lower serum iron and more severe iron-deficiency anaemia. Obese 15Fe rats had lower mean corpuscular haemoglobin and liver iron concentrations. Hepcidin mRNA expression in liver and adipose tissue was similar for obese and lean rats. Iron concentration and content of the iron transporters divalent metal transporter 1 and ferroportin 1 in duodenal mucosa were also similar.

Conclusions

Obese rats that were larger, regardless of adiposity, had higher iron requirements compared with lean rats that appeared independent of hepcidin, inflammation and intestinal iron absorption. Higher iron requirements may have resulted from larger accretion of body mass and blood volume. Greater food consumption did not compensate for the higher iron needs, indicating increased susceptibility to iron deficiency.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dominique Patry for assistance with the haematological, serum iron and adipokine analyses. We are also grateful to Véronique Gagné, Michelle Lalande, Jocelyn Souligny and Rudi Mueller for care of the rats and assistance with the necropsies. This research was funded by the Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, Health Canada.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition Research Division, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, Sir Frederick G. Banting Research Centre, 251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway, PL 2203E, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada

    Jesse Bertinato, Cristina Aroche, Louise J. Plouffe, Megan Lee, Zehra Murtaza, Laura Kenney, Christopher Lavergne & Alfred Aziz

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  1. Jesse Bertinato
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Correspondence to Jesse Bertinato.

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Bertinato, J., Aroche, C., Plouffe, L.J. et al. Diet-induced obese rats have higher iron requirements and are more vulnerable to iron deficiency. Eur J Nutr 53, 885–895 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-013-0592-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-013-0592-9

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