Mucosal iron transport by rat intestine.

Using highly sensitive 2-site immunoradiometric assays, we examined the relationship between iron absorption from closed intestinal loops and transferrin and ferritin concentrations in isolated duodenal mucosal cells. As in prior studies, mucosal ferritin correlates inversely with iron absorption and directly with body iron stores as measured by the concentration of nonheme iron in liver. Mucosal transferrin, on the other hand, varies directly with both the total mucosal uptake of radioiron and the proportion of this radioiron transferred from the mucosa to the carcass. The highest correlation with iron absorption was observed with the transferrin-ferritin ratio in isolated mucosal cells. These results suggest that there are two functionally distinct iron-binding compartments in the duodenal mucosa. One is a strong compartment, ferritin, and the other is a transport compartment, transferrin. Control of iron absorption by the intestinal mucosa is closely tied to the balance between these two intracellular iron compartments.