Iron Content of Isolated Intestinal Epithelial Cells in relation to Iron Absorption

Abstract

THE iron content of the small intestinal epithelial cell plays an important part in the most probable explanation of the mechanism by which the intestinal mucosa regulates iron absorption^1–3. According to this concept: (1) a limited number of iron receptor sites is available within each intestinal epithelial cell; (2) these sites may be occupied by iron from the body or from the diet; (3) iron from the body is incorporated into epithelial cells as they are formed and remains with the cell throughout its life span; (4) the amount of iron absorbed depends on the degree of saturation of the iron receptor mechanism. In iron deficiency the iron receptor mechanism is thought to be relatively unsaturated with iron from the body so that absorption of dietary iron is increased, whereas in iron excess the converse is thought to occur.