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Iron translocation by free fatty acids.

M W Qian¹, J W Eaton

¹Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455.

The American Journal of Pathology

|December 1, 1991

Summary

Cigarette smoke contains fatty acids that move iron into cells, potentially increasing oxidative damage. This finding may explain tobacco

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Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Toxicology
Environmental Health

Background:

Organic extracts from tobacco smoke and uncombusted tobacco possess iron-translocating properties.
Previous research indicated these extracts could transfer iron from aqueous solutions to organic solvents and solvate iron in asbestos forms.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify the specific substances responsible for iron translocation in tobacco extracts.
To investigate the effect of these substances on iron transfer into red blood cells and subsequent cellular damage.

Main Methods:

Purification of iron-translocating substances from tobacco smoke extracts using mass spectroscopy.
Incubation of isolated red cell membranes and intact human erythrocytes with tobacco extracts and purified fatty acids.
Assessment of iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation in erythrocyte membranes.

Main Results:

Saturated fatty acids, primarily stearic and palmitic acids, were identified as the iron-translocating agents.
These fatty acids effectively transferred ferrous iron into red blood cell membranes and intact erythrocytes.
Iron accumulation in erythrocyte membranes correlated with increased peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Conclusions:

Free fatty acids, particularly stearic and palmitic acids found in tobacco smoke, mediate iron translocation into erythrocytes.
This iron accumulation may contribute to oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, potentially explaining the inflammatory effects of tobacco use.
Free fatty acids may function as broader mediators of metal translocation in both physiological and pathological contexts.

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