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.