Measurement of non-haem iron absorption in non-anaemic rats using59Fe: can the Fe content of duodenal mucosal cells cause lumen or mucosal radioisotope dilution, or both, thus resulting in the underestimation of Fe absorption?

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Abstract
Male Wistar rats (188 g) were fed on a semi-synthetic (SS) diet (38 mg iron/kg) ad lib. for 7 d and then meal-fed for 1 d. After a 21 h fast each rat was given one meal (10 g) of high-Fe SS (500 mg Fe/kg; high-Fe group) or control (38 mg Fe/kg; control group) diet. After 16 h 2 ml of an 59Fe-labelled ferrous sulphate solution (18 kBq 59Fe; 120 cold24 h interval suggested that, at the time of dosing, Fe retained in the mucosa from the previous meal had been incorporated into a non-exchangeable pool and as such would not dilute radioactive Fe entering the mucosa. It was concluded that whole-body 59Fe retention from a labelled source, given orally after an overnight fast, provided an accurate estimate of Fe absorption.