Split Daily Oral Iron Dosing Enhances Correction of Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Rats

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Nutritional Science
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a global health issue, with oral iron supplementation being the primary treatment.
• Standard single daily oral iron dosing is often insufficient for effective anemia management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if dividing oral iron doses improves anemic parameters in a rat model.
• To compare the efficacy of single versus divided daily oral iron supplementation regimens.

Main Methods:

• Forty male Wistar rats were used, with anemia induced by phlebotomy over 4 weeks.
• Anemic rats received oral iron (7.1 mg/kg/day) as a single, twice, or thrice daily dose for 1 week.
• Anemia assessment included hemoglobin, hematocrit, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and serum iron, ferritin, and hepcidin levels.

Main Results:

• Divided oral iron dosing regimens (twice or thrice daily) significantly improved hemoglobin, hematocrit, and iron-related biomarkers compared to the single daily dose.
• The single daily iron dose showed less efficacy in restoring anemic parameters within the 1-week treatment period.

Conclusions:

• Dividing oral iron doses enhances iron bioavailability, leading to more efficient improvement in anemia parameters.
• Split-dose oral iron supplementation may be a superior short-term strategy for treating iron deficiency anemia, especially for patients with poor tolerance to large single doses.