Abstract
The study assessed the effect of repeated blood withdrawals (w=once a week) and iron (Fe) on bone metabolism in male rats. The rats were fed either with standard laboratory diet (SLD) or with Fe diets (fe: 400mg/1kg SLD; FE+: 5g/1kg SLD). The animal groups:
1. SLD,
2. SLD-w,
3. fe,
4. fe-w,
5. FE+,
6. FE+w. Blood count, concentration of iron, ferritin, markers of bone metabolism: osteocalcin, PINP, CTX-I, BMD, calcium and iron content in bone and biomechanical properties of the femur were analyzed. Iron increased the concentration of hemoglobin (FE+ vs. fe, fe vs. SLD) and serum iron (FE+ vs. SLD, fe), content of iron and calcium in bone (FE+, fe vs. SLD) and decreased erythrocyte count (FE+, fe vs. SLD). Blood withdrawals decreased erythrocyte count and increased the content of calcium in bone (SLD-w vs. SLD). Leukocyte count and iron concentration were decreased in FE+w vs. FE+. BMD decreased in fe-w vs. fe. The repeated blood withdrawals and iron diet have no effect on bone tissue in rats.