Journal of Okayama Medical Association
Published by Okayama Medical Association

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Experimental Studies on the Iron Absorption Part 3. Histochemical Studies of Iron Absorption in the Stomach

Kubo, Toru
70_4365.pdf 2.06 MB
Published Date
1958-12-31
Abstract
In the previous reports the author revealed that the stomach has an active ability to absorb the iron, but this absorption ceases at a certain period with the elevated pH level of the stomach contents. In this paper the author presents the absorption process of iron by the mucosa cells of the stomach as revealed histochemically. After the operation as described in Part 1 the iron was introduced into the stomach in the form of ferric or ferrous iron, and the animals were sacrificed at fixed intervals and the mucosa cells from three different parts of stomach, pyrolus, fundus aud cardiac parts, were observed by both Perls' direct and Okamoto's indirect methods for the detection of iron. By Perls' method the iron can be seen in the content of the stomach covering the mucous membrane first and then it enters gradually into the canaliculi of the mucous membrane reaching almost the bottom of the canaliculi 6 hours after the iron introduction, but by this method no iron can be detected in the cells. By Okamoto's method the iron taken into the mncosa cells can be detected. During the first 2 hours iron can not be seen in the cell but after 3 hours the cells situated near the inner surface show the positive reaction, and after 6 hours all the cells including those lying at the bottom of the canaliculi give a positive reaction. The iron can be detected as the fine granules in the cytoplasm. Nuclei also give a positive reaction but this will be an artefact. Therefore, the positive iron reaction of the mucosa cells becomes marked when the increase of the iron level in blood actually stops. From these observations the author concludes that at the stage of absorption the iron can easily go through the mucosa cells immigrating from the stomach to blood rapidly without causing any retention of iron in the mucosa cell, but when the serum is saturated with iron then the iron is retained in the mucosa cells giving the positive reaction of iron. These facts will show that the absorption of iron in stomach can be regulated by two ways, the pH level of the stomach contents and the iron-binding capacity of serum.
ISSN
0030-1558
NCID
AN00032489