Anemia is associated with hypercholesterolemia in rats only when liver iron is elevated

The objective of this study was designed to answer the question whether ane mia per sc is a potential inducer of hyperlipidemia. For this purpose, two types of anemia were induced; copper-deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia. Seventy-two weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned randomly to 12 dietary groups differing in the levels of copper, iron, and the types of d ietary carbohydrates. The rats were fed either a copper-deficient (0.6 mug Cu/g) or adequate (6.0 mug Cu/g) diets containing either low (5), adequate (50), or high (500) mug Fe/g The diets also contained fructose or starch as the sole source of dietary carbohydrate. All iron-deficient rats became an emic. Copper-deficient rats developed anemia only when they consumed the di et containing fructose and when they consumed the high levels of dietary ir on. Anemia, per se, was not associated with elevated levels of blood choles terol or triglycerides unless the diet consumed was deficient in copper and was either high in iron or contained fructose. The most severe hypercholes terolemia developed in rats fed the copper-deficient diet, which contained high levels of iron. These rats also exhibited high levels of liver iron. T he highest degree of hypertriglyceridemia developed in copper deficient rat s fed the fructose-based diet. Data show that anemia per se was not associa ted with hypercholesterolemia. Similarly, excess liver iron by itself was n ot accompanied with hypercholesterolemia. The combination of anemia with ex cess liver iron was instrumental in raising blood cholesterol. J. Trace Ele m. Exp. Med. 14:81-87, 2001. Published 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.