HORMONE DEPENDENCY OF SPLENIC IRON STORES IN THE RAT - EFFECT OF ESTROGENS ON THE RECUPERATION OF RESERVES IN FERRODEFICIENT SUBJECTS

Splenic iron stores are negligible in prepuberal rats, increasing quic kly from the age of 2 months (at which moment sexual differences becom e apparent) and stabilizing around 3 months, when females show values approximately two-fold greater than males. Castration, adrenalectomy a nd hormone replacement: studies show that the amount of iron stored de pends directly on circulating oestrogens and is slightly but not signi ficantly decreased, in our experimental conditions, by testosterone. T he role of oestrogens is emphasized by the high correlation obtained, according to a hyperbolic regression model, between splenic iron value s and doses of hormone administered to ovariectomized females. In ferr odeficient females (chronic phlebotomy), oestradiol had a positive eff ect on the replenishment of the stores, superior to that of iron dextr an, and improved by combined treatment. However, iron levels found aft er a single dose were less than those found in non-phlebotomized anima ls.