NADH-FMN oxidoreductase activity and iron content of organs from riboflavin and iron-deficient rats.

NADH-FMN oxidoreductase has been proposed as an enzyme involved in the release of iron from ferritin. The effects of riboflavin and/or iron deficiencies and of dietary allopurinol on the activities of this enzyme and on the iron contents of liver, kidney and duodenum were investigated. Allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, did not affect organ enzyme activities nor iron contents. Riboflavin-deficient rats and iron-deficient rats both had significantly lower organ enzyme activities and iron contrnts than controls. Organ enzyme activities and iron contents of rats fed a diet deficient in both iron and riboflavin were significantly lower than those of controls. After dietary iron and/or riboflavin repletion, organ enzyme activities and iron contents increased. Rats fed an irons-overload diet had enzyme activities similar to that of controls, but organ iron contents were significantly increased over those of controls. Effects of riboflavin and/or deficiencies in rats on NADH-FMN oxidoreductase activities and iron contents of liver, kidney and duodenum appeared to be reversible by riboflavin and/or iron supplementation. The data support the view that NADH-FMN oxidoreductase may be a controlling enxyme in iron release from ferritin.