Nutritional hepatic iron overload is not prevented by parenteral hepcidin substitution therapy in mice.

Abstract

We tested whether multiple doses of intraperitoneally administered hepcidin can prevent hepatic iron levels. Renatured synthetic hepcidin significantly decreased transferrin saturation but did not prevent hepatic Fe overload in mice fed the Fe-rich diet, nor did it affect hepatic Fe stores in mice fed the normal diet.

Keywords

• iron overload
• iron metabolism
• hepcidin
• hemochromatosis