Abstract

Iron deficiency in infants is a significant health problem. Although the hematological indicators of iron deficiency can be normalized, neurological deficits persist. Our objective was to use two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to determine if there is a protein profile in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that distinguishes anemic animals. For this study, CSF specimens were obtained from 9 infant rhesus monkeys born and reared in the Harlow Primate Laboratory, University of Wisconsin. Healthy or iron deficient (ID) status was determined by screening for hematological criteria. Following weaning at 6 months of age, the ID resolved naturally by 8–12 months of age when the animals were fed solid chow. Three additional monkeys received oral iron supplements (3–6 mg/kg oral ferrous sulphate, 2x per week) for 4 months after weaning CSF was collected at 12 months of age for all groups and a proteomic profile was obtained. A total of 11 proteins changed from detectable to non-detectable expression; 10 were down-regulated in the formerly anemic group and one was upregulated. None of the most significantly altered proteins in the monkey CSF are traditional iron management proteins. The results show that differences in proteomic profiles persist in the CSF even when the hematologic parameters indicate that these animals were no longer iron deficient. Thus, CSF proteomic analysis may be a powerful mechanism to provide insights into how iron deficiency affects biochemical pathways in the brain.

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