DOES LIVER SUPPLY FACTORS IN ADDITION TO IRON AND COPPER FOR HEMOGLOBIN REGENERATION IN NUTRITIONAL ANEMIA?

Abstract

1. Our data indicate that the effectiveness of whole liver in the treatment of nutritional anemia in rats induced by a milk diet is directly proportional to its available iron and copper content. The other constituents in liver are not needed for maximum hemoglobin regeneration on a diet of milk, iron, copper, and manganese. 2. Commercial preparations of liver products with iron or iron and copper vary greatly in their hemoglobin-regenerating efficiency in rats with nutritional anemia. The variation is correlated directly with the iron and copper content of the preparation. When the copper-iron ratio was too wide hemoglobin regeneration was checked, although the iron supply was sufficient for optimum regeneration.