鉄吸収に関する実験的研究

抄録

This communication will present results of the experiments undertaken in order to make clear the process of iron absorption in rabbits.
Large doses of stable iron or small doses of radioiron was instillated into stomach by tube, and then, the blood samples were taken concomitantly from the femoral artery and pancreaticoduodenal vein at the given time intervals.The blood samples were analyzed for ferritin by employing an immunolgic technics, and for radioactivity by well-Type Scintillation Counter.
The results obtained were as follow:
1) An oral admininistration of large amount of iron, which could some times provoke serious clinical symptoms and signs of iron intoxication, induceed ferritinemia, most markedly in the blood sample from pancreaticoduodenal vein.The blood samples collected from the vein coming from the pouched duodenum, into which a large doses of iron had been injected, revealed consistently positive for ferritin.
On the contrary, oral administration of a small amount of iron did not induce ferritinemia, except one case of five.
These facts suggest to us that oral administration of a large amount of iron can induce ferritinemia, especially in the blood of the portal vein, and that the ferritin detected in the blood seems most likely to be originated in the duodenal mucosal cells.
2) It has been generally accepted that rabbits, which were made anemic by venesection, made repeatedly hypoxic by placeing in a low pressure chamber, or injected with turpentine oil, show accelerating absorption of iron from the intestine.
In the rabbits pretreated in such ways as stated before, a small amount of radioiron was instillated into the stomach, and then the blood samples collected in the same ways as in the previous experiment were analyzed for both ferritin and radioactivity.
As compared with the control experiment using intact rabbits, it can be said that even a small amount of iron can provoke marked ferritinemia in rabbtis which are pretreated to accelerate iron absorption from the intestine.
On the basis of results stated above, it can be concluded that ferritin can migrate from the intestinal mucosal cells into the portal circulation, when a large amount of iron was ingested or even a small dose of iron under such condition as iron being viggorously absorbed.
Appearance of ferritin in the portal circulation associated with process of iron absorption through the intestine can be considered to be a tphysiological or unphysiological phenomena still needs further studies.