AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 237, Issue 5 297-R300, Copyright © 1979 by American Physiological Society
Catecholamine elevation in iron deficiency
E. Dillmann, D. G. Johnson, J. Martin, B. Mackler and C. Finch
Iron-deficient rats have increased blood and urinary catecholamines
regardless of whether anemia is or is not present. The catecholamine
response in both iron-deficient and control animals is largely temperature
dependent, showing little difference at the isothermic temperature of 30
degrees C but a two- to threefold increase in iron-deficient animals over
controls at lower temperatures. The iron-deficient rat is unable to
maintain body temperature at 4 degrees C and this is independent of anemia
or of food intake. When animals are run on the treadmill for 4 h, body
temperatures increase but the difference observed at 4 degrees C between
iron-deficient and control animals persists. The underlying abnormality in
temperature regulation and in catecholamine response disappeared after 6
days of iron therapy.
