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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 296/6/G1277    most recent 90257.2008v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Khomenko, T. Articles by McLaren, G. D. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Khomenko, T. Articles by McLaren, G. D.

MUCOSAL BIOLOGY

Role of iron in the pathogenesis of cysteamine-induced duodenal ulceration in rats

¹Diagnostic and Molecular Medicine and Medical Health Care Groups, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Long Beach, California and Departments of Pathology, Pharmacology and Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California; ²Iron Metabolism Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia

Submitted 26 March 2008 ; accepted in final form 27 March 2009

Cysteamine induces perforating duodenal ulcers in rats within 24–48 h. This reducing aminothiol generates hydrogen peroxide in the presence of transition metals (e.g., ferric iron), producing oxidative stress, which may contribute to organ-specific tissue damage. Since most intestinal iron absorption takes place in the proximal duodenum, we hypothesized that cysteamine may disrupt regulation of mucosal iron transport, and iron may facilitate cysteamine-induced duodenal ulceration. We show here that cysteamine-induced ulceration was aggravated by pretreatment of rats with Fe³⁺ or Fe²⁺ compounds, which elevated iron concentration in the duodenal mucosa. In contrast, feeding rats an iron-deficient diet was associated with a 4.6-fold decrease in ulcer formation, accompanied by a 34% decrease (P < 0.05) in the duodenal mucosal iron concentration. Administration of deferoxamine inhibited ulceration by 65%. We also observed that the antiulcer effect of H2 receptor antagonist cimetidine included a 35% decrease in iron concentration in the duodenal mucosa. Cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcers were also decreased in iron-deficient Belgrade rats (P < 0.05). In normal rats, cysteamine administration increased the iron concentration in the proximal duodenal mucosa by 33% in the preulcerogenic stage but at the same time decreased serum iron (P < 0.05). Cysteamine also enhanced activation of mucosal iron regulatory protein 1 and increased the expression of divalent metal transporter 1 mRNA and protein. Transferrin receptor 1 protein expression was also increased, although mucosal ferroportin and ferritin remained almost unchanged. These results indicate an expansion of the intracellular labile iron pool in the duodenal mucosa, increasing its susceptibility to oxidative stress, and suggest a role for iron in the pathogenesis of organ-specific tissue injury such as duodenal ulcers.