Relative Contribution of Parenchymal and Non‐parenchymal Cells to the Hepatic Distribution and Metabolism of Iron‐poly(sorbitol‐gluconic acid) Complex in the Rat

Abstract

The hepatic cellular distribution in rats of radioiron and radiocarbon after [14C-gluconic acid] -a n d Fe-labelled iron-poly(sorbito1-gluconic acid) complex, glusoferron (Ferastralc), has been investigated. Following administration of the "Fe-iron complex at a dose level corresponding to 10 mg of iron per kg bodyweight, the ratio of radioactivity per 10' cells in parenchymal (P) and non-parenchymal (NP) cell fractions, the P/NP ratio, was 3.0 after 24 hours and rose to 10.4 at day 14. After 100 mg/kg the ratio was 0.9, 10.5 and 5.7 at day 1,4 and 14, respectively. Radiocarbon content in the different cell compartments fell steadily throughout. Radioiron from 59Fe-iron-poly(sorbitol-gluconic acid) complex was shown to be incorporated into whole liver "Fe-ferritin. In vitro uptake studies with the different liver cells were also performed. Parenchymal cells were found to be more active than non-parenchymal cells with regard to cellular uptake of radiolabel from both iron complex and polymeric ligand without iron. 59Key-words: Iron-poly(sorbito1-gluconic acid)hepatocellular distributionin vitro cellular uptakerats.