Excess of circulating apotransferrin enhances dietary iron absorption in mice.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT Intravenous injection of excess apotransferrin enhances dietary iron absorption in mice and triggers accumulation of plasma non-transferrin-bound iron. Injected fluorescent-labeled transferrin colocalizes with lamina propria macrophages, consistent with the recently proposed iron absorption checkpoint involving macrophage-mediated transferrin degradation.