Abstract
In oder to evaluete the chronic toxicity of iron lactate, a food additive, rats consisting of ten male and ten female per group, were fed a powdered commercial diet containing 0%, 0.625%, 1.25%, 2.50% or 5.00% of iron lactate for 3 months. Main histopathologic changes were an accumulation of excess iron in the hepatocytes, renal tubular epithelial cells, macrophages in the reticuloendothelial system of liver, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. Hemosiderin-laden macrophages aggregated in the mucosal lamina propria of the stomach and the whole length of the intestinal tract, and formed small nodules without any degenerative changes in other mucosal tissue. The number of hemosiderin-laden macrophages also increased in the interstitial tissue of the testes, epididymis, and thyroid glands, but no degenerative changes were detected in cell components of these organs. A slight elevation of AST, ALT, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in the higher dosage group suggested the toxic effect of iron overload on the function of liver and kidneys which accumulated iron deposits in their parenchymal cells. However, apparent histopathologic changes suggesting tissue damage were not clear even in the liver and kidneys, as well as in many organs infiltrated with hemosiderin-laden macrophages in the interstitium. From these results, of damage is not dependent on the amount of iron deposition.
