Ceruloplasmin and regulation of transferrin iron during Neisseria meningitidis infection in mice.

AUTOR(ES)

Letendre, E D

RESUMO

The role of ceruloplasmin (ferroxidase I; EC 1.16.3.1) in iron metabolism during experimental Neisseria meningitidis infection was investigated. Plasma ceruloplasmin activity was found to increase greatly in mice during the convalescence phase of iron-controlled infection and after a plasma hypoferremia had occurred. Ceruloplasmin activity-deficient animals became hypoferremic as a result of an impaired release of iron from the reticuloendothelial system as shown by impaired return of reticuloendothelial system-processed heme iron in these mice. Hypoferremia in ceruloplasmin activity-deficient mice was associated with an increased resistance to N. meningitidis infection, an effect reversed readily by ceruloplasmin supplementation or iron addition. This evidence implicated ceruloplasmin activity as an important component in the regulation of the plasma transferrin iron pool and suggested that an important role of additional ceruloplasmin as an acute-phase protein might be related to the requirement of additional transferrin iron. This study also provided further evidence of the importance of transferrin iron and host hypoferremia in bacterial infection.

Documentos Relacionados

• Turnover in the transferrin iron pool during the hypoferremic phase of experimental Neisseria meningitidis infection in mice.
• Iron-controlled infection with Neisseria meningitidis in mice.
• Enhancement of Neisseria meningitidis infection in mice by addition of iron bound to transferrin.
• Mechanism of impaired iron release by the reticuloendothelial system during the hypoferremic phase of experimental Neisseria meningitidis infection in mice.
• Comparison of the abilities of different protein sources of iron to enhance Neisseria meningitidis infection in mice.