Relations between iron and vanadium metabolism:In vivoincorporation of vanadium into iron proteins of the rat

Abstract

In vivo experiments with 48 V and 59 Fe radiotracers were performed to study the association of V with Fe proteins. Each male rat was injected i.p. with 10 .mu.g 48VO2+ and then with 1 .mu.g 59Fe3+ to label Fe-containing proteins. The radioactivities incorporated were measured in plasma transferrin, red blood cell Hb, liver ferritin, partially purified heart myoglobin, liver mitochondrial and microsomal cytochromes b and c and ferriporphyrin. Liver ferritin bound V in vivo similarly to plasma transferrin, as shown by gel filtration and immunoprecipitation. Negligible amounts of 48V were incorporated into Hb, partially purified myoglobin and cytochromes b and c. Nonenzymatic Fe-containing proteins may be involved in V metabolism.