Abnormal Hepatic Iron Accumulation in LEC Rats

• Published in: Cancer science 1993-03, Vol.84 (3), p.219-222
• Main Authors: Kato, Junji, Kohgo, Yutaka, Sugawara, Naoki, Katsuki, Shinichi, Shintani, Naoaki, Fujikawa, Kohshi, Miyazaki, Etsu, Kobune, Masayoshi, Takeichi, Noritoshi, Niitsu, Yoshiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Factors; Animal tumors. Experimental tumors; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Western; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - etiology; Copper - metabolism; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Ferritin; Ferritins - analysis; Hepatitis; Hepatitis, Animal - complications; Hepatitis, Animal - metabolism; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Hepatolenticular Degeneration - complications; Hepatolenticular Degeneration - metabolism; Iron; Iron - metabolism; LEC rat; Liver - chemistry; Liver - metabolism; Liver Neoplasms - etiology; Male; Medical sciences; Rapid Communication; Rats; Rats, Mutant Strains; Spontaneous animal tumors; Transferrin; Transferrin - analysis; Tumors; Wilson's disease
• ISSN: 0910-5050; 1347-9032; 1349-7006; 1876-4673
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1993.tb02859.x

The LEC (Long‐Evans cinnamon) rat is a mutant strain displaying hereditary hepatitis and spontaneous hepatocellular carcinoma, and shows abnormal hepatic copper accumulation similar to that occurring in Wilson's disease. We evaluated the iron metabolism of LEC rats compared to LEA (Long‐Evans agouti) rats. Hepatic iron and ferritin concentrations were remarkably increased depending on age in LEC rats but not in LEA rats. Increased hepatic iron is normally associated with decreased serum transferrin and total iron binding capacity in hepatic iron overload. In LEC rats, however, both serum transferrin and total iron binding capacity increased with increasing hepatic iron. This increase of serum transferrin and hepatic iron may be an additional important factor contributing to liver injury in LEC rats.