IRON UPTAKE BY ISOLATED HUMAN ENTEROCYTE SUSPENSIONS IN-VITRO IS DEPENDENT ON BODY IRON STORES AND INHIBITED BY OTHER METAL-CATIONS

The uptake of Fe-59 ascorbate by suspensions of human enterocytes prep ared from endoscopically derived duodenal biopsies was studied, with e ach subject's serum ferritin concentration determined at the time of e ndoscopy. Iron uptake was greatest at 37 degrees C. Uptake increased f rom pH 5.5 to 7.3, before being totally inhibited at pH 9.0. However, ferrous ion concentration, determined by 3-(2-Pyridyl)-5,6-bis(4-pheny l sulfonic acid)-1,2,4-triazine, was greatest at pH 5.5 and fell over this pH range. The rate of uptake was significantly greater by enteroc ytes isolated from individuals with a low serum ferritin (<22 ng/L) co mpared with those with normal serum ferritin (>22 ng/L). V-max +/- (SE M) was 78.7 +/- 8.5 pmol Fe/(mu g DNA . min) in the normal group (n = 12) and 141 +/- 17.2 pmol Fe/(mu g DNA . min) in the low ferritin grou p (n = 4, P < 0.008). Corresponding K-m values were 52.5 +/- 11.7 and 66.7 +/- 5.1 mu mol/L, respectively (P < 0.91). Zinc, lead, cobalt and manganese added to the incubation buffer significantly lowered iron u ptake into cells (unselected patients). The concentrations of each met al required to halve the uptake rate from 50 mu mol/L iron (IC50) were 85 +/- 5 mu mol/L (Zn), 570 +/- 170 mu mol/L (Pb), 1.1 +/- 0.1 mmol/L (Co), and 3.8 +/- 0.7 mmol/L (Mn). The results demonstrate that enter ocytes isolated by this method show the characteristics of iron uptake seen in animal studies. We suggest that these cells will be useful in the study of iron uptake in humans.