[Toxicity in rats fed diet containing iron lactate for 26 weeks]

In order to characterize the toxicity of iron lactate, a 26-week feeding study was performed in male and female F344 rats. Animals were divided into 2 groups, and given diet containing iron lactate at concentration of 0 or 2%. No animals died during the administration period. Body weight gain was suppressed in both sexes of the 2% group compared with the 0% group. Hematologically, anemia was observed in male of the 2% group. Serum alkaline phosphatase decreased in both sexes of the 2% group. The spleen weight of both sexes and kidney weight of females were higher in the 2% group than in the 0% group. Lipid peroxide increased not only in the liver and the kidney homogenates of treated males and females, but also in the serum of treated females. Histopathologically, iron deposition was observed in the liver, the kidney and the spleen of treated males and females, and in the intestine of treated females. The present results indicate that the iron lactate administration caused iron deposition in the liver and the other several organs, resulting in lipid peroxidation in these organs.