Comparison of blood iron between normal and castrated mammals

Abstract

Serum iron in man presents different values in both sexes. This difference could be attributed to an intervencion of the sexual hormones in the iron metabolism.

The studies about the iron metabolism in different mam­ mals show how these State a particular behaviour (8, 9) and we have confirmed that do not exist interspecific sexual differences in serum iron, meanwhile the corresponding valúes of total iron-binding capacity differs among the various species we have studied (3, 4).

We have studied the differences betwecn normal and castrated males in three species (bovine, equine, dónkey) on the serum iron and the total iron-binding capacity, using Ramsay’s techníƒiques (6, 7).

In the table I are expressed the average values of each lot, as well as the mean average in each specie. There are also indicated the coefficient’s values of saturation of the transferrin or siderophilin.Together with the average values one indicates equally errors and standard devitations, as well as the extreme values of each lot. The differences among the average valúes have been submitted to a test of stadistical significance (Student’s t).

There appears no signification in the difference of serum iron between normal and castrated males in any specie. Ourdates do not agree with PRADE and SchwEizer (5), which show a decrease of serum iron in the castrated horses. In other mammals, like rats (2), the castration does not effect the se­ rum iron in the males but its effect is marked in the females. According to the total iron-binding capacity, we have only found a significant difference in the bovine specie, meanwhile,the same as by the rats, we do not find it by the other species. The realized comparison among the species, with a higher number of specimens, has permitted to confirm former conclusions (3, 4) referring to the no specificity of the serum iron values opposed to the specific valúes of transferrin.