Heme Biosynthesis in Copper Deficient Swine

Signs of iron deficiency in copper-deficient rats are not affected by iron supplements administered by diet or by injection

“…Because the erythroid cells depend upon an adequate level of diferric Tf to acquire Fe [14,31], heme synthesis was depressed and anemia ensued. There were speculations in the past that Cu deficiency directly affected heme and/or Hgb synthesis [12,13,32]; however, recent studies have shown that Cu is not involved in the regulation of heme O or heme A synthesis in yeast and bacteria [10]. Whether this is true for mammalian heme in erythroid cells is yet to be determined.…”

Iron metabolism in copper-deficient swine

“…Defects in hemoglobin synthesis may be classified into three categories: (1) abnormalities in the biosynthesis of protoporphyrin and heme; (2) abnormalities in the metabolism of iron; and (3) abnormalities in the biosynthesis of globin. In an investigation recently reported from this laboratory (3), the pathways of porphyrin and heme synthesis in erythrocytes from copper-deficient swine were found to be intact.…”

“…Fixed tissue sections were stained for iron by the method of Gomori (6). Tissue iron concentration was determined after wet digestions with sulfuric, nitric, and perchloric acids (3), and the determined value was corrected for tissue hemoglobin concentration by the method of Andersen and Shoemaker (7).…”

Copper deficiency in Creole goat kids

“…The bioavailable copper must be in adequate levels for the formation of red cells. On the contrary, ceruloplasmin concentration is directly related to copper absorption and usefulness; therefore a decrease of ceruloplasmin induces anemia [13].…”