The effect of copper chelating drugs on liver iron mobilization in the adult rat.

To test the hypothesis that ferroxidase I (ceruloplasmin) activity is essential for iron mobilization, adult rats were fed a copper sufficient diet with or without the chelating drugs D-penicillamine and triethylenetetramine for 120 days. By day 6 of treatment and for the remainder of the experiment the drug-fed rats showed low plasma copper concentration and low ferroxidase I activity. Plasma ferroxidase II activity in the DPA and TETA groups tended to be slightly lower than that of controls. No animals became anemic. Therefore, persistent low plasma ferroxidase I does not necessarily cause anemia in the adult rat.