Blood iron metabolism in fowl and rabbit

Abstract

Fe-59 plasma clearance, the turnover values and the reappearance in the red cells have been analysed on four lots of animals: 16 laying hens; 7 two month old pullets; 7 two month old cockerels; and 11 buck rabbits.

It has been observed that: a) plasma clearance is different between the lots and that the fowl always offer the existence of two rates for this phenomenon; />) the tur­ nover values in the fowl are superior to those of the rabbits, especially those deter­ mined during the laying period; c) the differences between fowl and rabbits are also apparent in the red cell reappearance of the Fe-59, with reference to the shape of the curve and the duration. In the fowl, fluctuations are observed which coincide with the life span of the red cells. Laying birds always show lower radioactivity levels; d) the distribution of the radioactivity in the eggs shows variations in intensity which are related with the variations of the blood Fe-59.

With these results to hand, the peculiar iron metabolism in fowls is also evident in in vivo studies, as a result of the egg laying which affects not only the transport me­ chanism in the plasma but, especially, the distribution and the use of the iron in the haemoglobin synthesis and in the egg production.