Chronic marginal iron intakes during early development in mice result in persistent changes in dopamine metabolism and myelin composition

Marginal iron (Fe) deficiency is prevalent in children worldwide, yet the b ehavioral and biochemical effects of chronic marginal Fe intakes during ear ly development are not well characterized. Using a murine model, previous w ork in our laboratory demonstrated persistent behavioral disturbances as a consequence of marginal Fe intakes during early development. In the present study, Swiss-Webster mice fed a control Fe diet (75 mug Fe/g diet, n = 13 litters) or marginal Fe diet (14 mug Fe/g diet, n = 16 litters) during gest ation and through postnatal day (PND) 75 were killed on PND 75 for assessme nt of tissue mineral concentrations, dopamine metabolism, myelin fatty acid composition, and c- and m-aconitase activities. In addition, these outcome s were assessed in a group of offspring (n = 13 litters) fed a marginal Fe diet during gestation and lactation and then fed a control diet from PND 21 -75. Marginal Fe mice demonstrated significant differences in brain iron co ncentrations, dopamine metabolism and myelin fatty acid composition relativ e to control mice; however, no difference in c- or m-aconitase activity was demonstrated in the brain. The postnatal consumption of Fe-adequate diets among marginal Fe offspring did not fully reverse all of the observed bioch emical disturbances. This study demonstrates that chronic marginal Fe intak es during early development can result in significant changes in brain bioc hemistry. The persistence of some of these biochemical changes after postna tal Fe supplementation suggests that they are an irreversible consequence o f developmental Fe restriction.