Iron metabolism pathways in the rat hepatocyte.

A small to moderate inhibitory effect of iron uptake by isolated rat hepatocytes in short-term studies was seen with oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport inhibitors, and no inhibition by agents affecting pinocytosis. Intracellular transferrin was able to donate iron to the small-molecular weight iron pool, and the latter was able to transfer, by a process not requiring energy or movement of serum transferrin, iron to ferritin. Serum transferrin was not able to lose iron to any cytosol components. Reducing agents were not able to abstract iron from rat serum transferrin to any great extent. It is concluded that iron is taken up by the rat hepatocyte from serum transferrin by a process not requiring energy or movement of serum transferrin into the cell interior; and that intracellular transferrin is involved in acquiring iron from serum transferrin at the cell surface, with iron then being transferred to the small-molecular weight iron pool and hence to ferritin. It is also proposed that intracellular transferrins may have the general function of interacting with serum transferrin at cell surfaces.