QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

First published online November 24, 2003
Journal of Experimental Biology 207, 75-86 (2004)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2004
doi: 10.1242/jeb.00712

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Carriquiriborde, P. Articles by Davies, S. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Carriquiriborde, P. Articles by Davies, S. J.

Physiological modulation of iron metabolism in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed low and high iron diets

P. Carriquiriborde¹, R. D. Handy^2,* and S. J. Davies²

¹ Environmental Research Centre, National University of La Plata-CONICET, La Plata, Bs. As., Argentina
² School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: rhandy{at}plymouth.ac.uk)

Accepted 9 September 2003

Iron (Fe) is an essential element, but Fe metabolism is poorly described in fish and the role of ferrireductase and transferrin in iron regulation by teleosts is unknown. The aim of the present study was to provide an overview of the strategy for Fe handling in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Fish were fed Fe-deficient, normal and high-Fe diets (33, 175, 1975 mg Fe kg^-1 food, respectively) for 8 weeks. Diets were chosen so that no changes in growth, food conversion ratio, haematology, or significant oxidative stress (TBARS) were observed. Elevation of dietary Fe caused Fe accumulation particularly in the stomach, intestine, liver and blood. The increase in total serum Fe from 10 to 49 µmol l^-1 over 8 weeks was associated with elevated total Fe binding capacity and decreased unsaturated Fe binding capacity, so that in fish fed a high-Fe diet transferrin saturation increased from 15% at the start of the experiment to 37%. Fish on the high-Fe diet increased Fe accumulation in the liver, which was correlated with elevation of hepatic ferrireductase activity and serum transferrin saturation. Conversely, fish on the low-Fe diet did not show tissue Fe depletion compared with normal diet controls and did not change Fe binding to serum transferrin. Instead, these fish doubled intestinal ferrireductase activity which may have contributed to the maintenance of tissue Fe status. The absence of clear treatment-dependent changes in branchial Fe accumulation and ferrireductase activity indicated that the gills do not have a major role in Fe metabolism. Some transient changes in Cu, Zn and Mn status of tissues occurred.

Key words: rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, dietary iron, transferrin, ferrireductase, intestine

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Bucking and C. M. Wood Gastrointestinal processing of Na+, Cl-, and K+ during digestion: implications for homeostatic balance in freshwater rainbow trout Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, December 1, 2006; 291(6): R1764 - R1772. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Burke and R. D. Handy Sodium-sensitive and -insensitive copper accumulation by isolated intestinal cells of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss J. Exp. Biol., January 15, 2005; 208(2): 391 - 407. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]