Hepcidin in acute iron toxicity

Toledano, Michal; Kozer, Eran; Goldstein, Lee H.; Abu-Kishk, Ibrahim; Bar-Haim, Adina; Siman-Tov, Yariv; Rechavi, Moshe; Rechavi, Gideon; Weizer-Stern, Orly; Berkovitch, Matitiahu

doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2008.06.003

« Previous Next »American Journal of Emergency Medicine
Volume 27, Issue 7 , Pages 761-764, September 2009

Hepcidin in acute iron toxicity

Michal Toledano, MPharm
- Pharmacy Department, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin 70300, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin 70300, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Eran Kozer, MD
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin 70300, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Lee H. Goldstein, MD
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin 70300, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Ibrahim Abu-Kishk, MD
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin 70300, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Adina Bar-Haim, PhD
- Biochemical Laboratory, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin 70300, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Yariv Siman-Tov, DVM
- Animal Care Laboratory, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin 70300, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Moshe Rechavi, PhD
- Pharmacology and Physiology Department, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Gideon Rechavi, MD
- Cancer Research Centre and Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Orly Weizer-Stern, MD
- Cancer Research Centre and Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, The Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Matitiahu Berkovitch, MD
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin 70300, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
- Corresponding author. Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin 70300, Israel. Tel.: +972 8 9779152; fax: +972 8 9779138.

Received 27 March 2008; received in revised form 29 May 2008; accepted 2 June 2008.

Abstract

Background

Hepcidin regulates extracellular iron concentration by inhibiting iron release from macrophages and preventing iron absorption in the intestine. Our objective was to evaluate the expression of hepcidin in the liver in acute iron poisoning in a rat model.

Methods

Male Wistar rats were assigned to group 1, who received 750 mg/kg elemental iron (LD₅₀) by gavage, and group 2 (control), who received distilled water. Iron concentrations and liver transaminases were measured in the serum. Hepcidin messenger RNA levels were measured in the liver.

Results

Mean serum iron levels, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and uric acid were significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2 (P < .0001, P = .01, P < .0001, and P = 0.0001, respectively). Hepcidin messenger RNA levels in the liver were significantly higher in the study group (P = .005).

Conclusions

In acute iron intoxication, hepcidin expression in the liver significantly increased. Further studies are needed to determine whether hepcidin levels correlate with the severity of the intoxication.