The Effects of Early-Life Iron Deficiency on Brain Energy Metabolism

Iron deficiency (ID) is one of the most prevalent nutritional deficiencies in the world. Iron deficiency in the late fetal and newborn period causes abnormal cognitive performance and emotional regulation, which can persist into adulthood despite iron repletion. Potential mechanisms contributing to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of experimental neuroscience 2020, Vol.15, p.2633105520935104-2633105520935104
Main Authors: Bastian, Thomas W, Rao, Raghavendra, Tran, Phu V, Georgieff, Michael K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Cognitive ability
Energy metabolism
Fetuses
Hippocampus
Iron
Iron deficiency
Metabolism
Mitochondria
Myelination
Neonates
Neuroplasticity
Neurotransmission
Nutrient deficiency
Review
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Summary:Iron deficiency (ID) is one of the most prevalent nutritional deficiencies in the world. Iron deficiency in the late fetal and newborn period causes abnormal cognitive performance and emotional regulation, which can persist into adulthood despite iron repletion. Potential mechanisms contributing to these impairments include deficits in brain energy metabolism, neurotransmission, and myelination. Here, we comprehensively review the existing data that demonstrate diminished brain energetic capacity as a mechanistic driver of impaired neurobehavioral development due to early-life (fetal-neonatal) ID. We further discuss a novel hypothesis that permanent metabolic reprogramming, which occurs during the period of ID, leads to chronically impaired neuronal energetics and mitochondrial capacity in adulthood, thus limiting adult neuroplasticity and neurobehavioral function. We conclude that early-life ID impairs energy metabolism in a brain region- and age-dependent manner, with particularly strong evidence for hippocampal neurons. Additional studies, focusing on other brain regions and cell types, are needed.
ISSN:2633-1055
2633-1055
1179-0695
DOI:10.1177/2633105520935104