Abstract

Iron deficiency in neonates and infants results in growth retardation and neurodevelopmental disorders that persist into later life; however, little is known about the mechanisms of intestinal iron absorption in neonates. Divalent metal‐ion transporter‐1 (DMT1) is a H+‐coupled iron transporter that is critical for iron absorption in the adult mammal but its role in neonates is untested. We tested the hypothesis that intestinal DMT1 is required for iron homeostasis in the suckling mammal by examining hematological variables and iron status in a conditional intestinal DMT1 knockout mouse model (DMT1int/int) at postnatal days 7, 14, and 21. We observed in DMT1int/int mice at day 21 a moderate frank iron‐deficiency anemia characterized by low hematocrit [33% (SD 5%) in male DMT1int/int mice (n = 18) cf. 46% (SD 3%) in wildtype (n = 13), P < 0.001], microcytosis, and depleted liver nonheme iron stores cf. wildtype. Female, but not male, DMT1int/int mice were also slightly hypochromic by day 21. Female DMT1int/int mice exhibited low serum iron at day 14 and 21 cf. wildtype. Our data reveal an important role for intestinal DMT1 in iron acquisition by the neonatal mouse. DK080047

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