NON-TRANSFERRIN-BOUND IRON AND TUMOR-CELLS

The study of iron uptake fr om low molecular weight complexes by Ehrli ch carcinoma cells shows concentration-dependence, and ATP increases t he iron uptake from citrate and lactate complexes. Blood proteins can act as inhibitors, and deferoxamine chelation of cell-bound iron compl ex indicates that the percentage of iron penetrating the cell is about the same for a wide range of iron complex concentrations in the incub ation medium (about 5% for ferric lactate). Ascorbic acid increases ir on uptake and simultaneously decreases lipid peroxidation. Electrophor esis shows a very high iron transfer from ferric lactate to ATP, and t o a lesser extent to ADP and AMP. In the pathological evolution of iro n overload to a neoplasia, the probable involvement of an iron exchang e between iron complexes from non-transferrin-bound iron of plasma and ATP is discussed.