Abstract
Iron deposition occurs in parenchymal cells of the liver in two major defects in human subjects (i) in primary iron overload (genetic haemochromatosis) and (ii) secondary to anaemias in which erythropolesis is increased (thalassaemia). Transfusional iron overload results in excessive storage primarily in cells of the reticule endothelial system. The storage patterns in these situations are quite characteristic. Excessive iron storage, particularly in parenchymal cells eventually results in fibrosis and cirrhosis. There is no animal model or iron overload which completely mimics genetics haemochromatosis but dietary iron loading with carbonyl iron or ferrocene does produce excessive parenchymal iron stores in the rat. Such models have been used to study iron toxicity and the action of iron chelators in the effective removal of excessive iron stores.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andrews SC, Brady MC, Treffry AM. et al. 1988 Studies on haemosiderin and ferritin from iron-loaded rat liver. Biol Met 1, 33–542.
Bacon BR, Britton RS. 1990 The pathology of hepatic iron overload: a free radical-mediated process? Hepatology 11, 127–137.
Bacon BR, Tavill AS, Recknagel RO, Brittenham CM. 1981 Evidence of subcellular localization of lipid peroxidation in experimental chronic iron overload. Hepatology 1, 493.
Bacon TR, Tavill AS, Brittenham GM, Parmeley CH, Recknagel RO. 1982 Hepatic lipid peroxidation in vivo in rats with chronic iron overload. J Clin Invest 71, 429–439.
Bassett ML, Halliday JW, Powell LW. 1986 Value of hepatic iron measurements in early hemochromatosis and determination of the critical iron level associated with fibrosis. Hepatology 6, 24–29.
Bradbear RA, Bain C, Siskind V, et al. 1985 Cohort study of internal malignancy in genetic haemochromatosis and other nonalcoholic liver diseases. J Natl Cancer Inst 75, 81–84.
Brittenham GM, Bacon BR, Park CH, Tavill AS. 1981 Iron overload: parenchymal iron deposition in a new animal model with dietary carbonyl iron. Blood 58, 24a (Proc Am J Hematol Soc).
Britton RS, O'Neill R, Bacon BR. 1990 Hepatic mitochondrial malondialdehyde metabolism in rats with chronic iron overload. Hepatology 11, 93–97.
Fletcher LM, Roberts FD, Irving MG, Powell LW. Halliday JW. 1989 Effects of iron loading on free radical scavenging enzymes and lipid peroxidation in rat liver. Gastroenterology 97, 1011–1018.
Halliday JW, Powell LW. 1992 Hemochromatosis and other diseases associated with iron overload. In: Lauffer RB ed. Iron and Human Disease. Baco Raton, FL: CRC Press; 131–160.
Leggett BS, Halliday JW, Brown N, Bryan S, Powell LW. 1990 Prevalence of haemochromatosis amongst asymptomatic Australians. Br J Haematol 74, 525–530.
Mann S, Wade VJ, Dickson DPE, Reid NMK, Ward RJ, O'Connell M, et al. 1988 Structural specificity of haemosiderin iron cores in iron-overload diseases. FEBS Lett 234, 69–72.
Niedcrau C, Fisher R, Sonnenberg A, Stremmel W, Trammpisch HJ, Strohmeyer G. 1985 Survival and causes of death in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients with primary hemochromatosis. N Engl J Med 313, 1256–1262.
O'Connell M. Ward RJ, Baum H, Treffry A, Peters TJ. 1988 Evidence of biosynthetic link between ferritin and haemosiderin. Biochem Soc Trans 16, 828 829.
O'Connell MJ, Ward RJ, Baum H, Peters TJ. 1989 Iron release from haemosiderin and ferritin by therapeutic and physiological chelators. Biochem J 260, 903–907.
Pietrangelo A, Rocchi E, Schiaffonati L, Ventura E, Cairo G. 1990 Liver gene expression during chronic dietary iron overload in rats. Hepatology 11, 798–804.
Powell LW, Summers KM, Halliday JW. 1992 Haemochromatosis. In Haubrich WS, Schaffner F, eds. Backus Gastroenterology, 5th edn. Philadelphia. PA: WB Saunders.
Sallie RW, Reed WD, Shilkin KB. 1991 Confirmation of the efficacy of hepatic tissue iron index in differentiating genetic hemochromatosis from alcoholic liver disease complicated by alcoholic haemosiderosis. Gut 32, 201–210.
Searle J, Kerr JFR, Halliday JW, Powell LW. 1994 In: McSween R, Anthony PP, Schuer PJ, Portmann BC, Burt AD, ds. Pathology of the Liver, 3rd edn. London: Churchill Livingstone.
Summers KM, Halliday JW, Powell LW. 1990 Identification of homozygous hemochromatosis subjects by measurement of hepatic iron index. Hepatology 12, 22–25.
Ward RJ, O'Connell MJ, Mann S, et al. 1988 Heterogeneity of the iron cores in hepatic haemosiderins from primary and secondary haemochromatosis. Biochem Soc Trans 16, 830–831.
Ward RJ, O'Connell MJ, Dickson DPE, et al. 1989 Biochemical studies of the iron cores and polypeptide shells of haemosiderin isolated from patients with primary or secondary haemo- chromatosis. Biochim Biophys Acta 993, 131–133.
Williams JM, Andrews SC, Treffry A, Harrison PM. 1986 The relationship between ferritin and haemosiderin. Hyperfine Interact 29, 1447–1450.