Cytochrome oxidase activity in the gastric mucosa of patients with iron deficiency

Abstract

Cytochrome oxidase activity was assessed histochemically in gastric biopsies taken from 22 iron-deficient patients. Activity was strong only in parietal cells, and the total amount of activity appeared to be proportional to the number of parietal cells present in the sections. No evidence was found of diminished activity within parietal cells.

Utilization of Dietary Calcium by Iron-Deficient Rats

“…Since maximal acid output is related to the parietal cell mass in the gastric mucosa (4), one possible cause of this decreased acid secretion is a decrease in the number of acid-secreting parietal cells in the gastric mucosa of iron deficient human beings (2,28) and rats (9,15,29). Another possible cause for the decreased gastric acid secretion is a decreased enzyme activity of the gastric mucosa in iron deficiency (29,32). This is impor tant because acid conditions favor the absorption of calcium and phosphorus (17) by preventing the formation of insoluble tricalcium phosphate.…”