The Absorption of Nonferrous Metals in Iron Deficiency*

Abstract

Iron is unique among inorganic nutriments because body homostasis is maintained primarily by absorption, not excretion. The pathway for iron transport in the intestine is, however, not necessarily unique. The absorption of Cs+1, Mg+2, Hg+2, Zn+2, Ca+2, Cu+2, Mn+2, Co+2 and Fe+2 was tested in Fe deficient and normal rats by dosing them orally with 5 umoles and tracer amounts of a gamma emitting isotope of each cation. Absorption was measured by eviscerating the killed animal 6 hours after dosing and counting for the isotope remaining in the carcass. Co, Mn and Fe absorption were increased in Fe deficient rats. A shared pathway of transport is suggested, but competitive inhibition was not demonstrated when Co60 and Mn54 were given with 40 umoles of Fe. The possible significance of Co and Mn is the cirrhosis of hemo-chromatosis is suggested.