Iron-enriched diet contributes to early onset of osteoporotic phenotype in a mouse model of hereditary hemochromatosis

PLoS One. 2018 Nov 14;13(11):e0207441. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207441. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Osteoporosis is associated with chronic iron overload secondary to hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), but the causative mechanisms are incompletely understood. The main objective of this study was to investigate the role of dietary iron on osteoporosis, using as biological model the Hfe-KO mice, which have a systemic iron overload. We showed that these mice show an increased susceptibility for developing a bone loss phenotype compared to WT mice, which can be exacerbated by an iron rich diet. The dietary iron overload caused an increase in inflammation and iron incorporation within the trabecular bone in both WT and Hfe-KO mice. However, the osteoporotic phenotype was only evident in Hfe-KO mice fed the iron-enriched diet. This appeared to result from an imbalance between bone formation and bone resorption driven by iron toxicity associated to Hfe-KO and confirmed by a decrease in bone microarchitecture parameters (identified by micro-CT) and osteoblast number. These findings were supported by the observed downregulation of bone metabolism markers and upregulation of ferritin heavy polypeptide 1 (Fth1) and transferrin receptor-1 (Tfrc), which are associated with iron toxicity and bone loss phenotype. In WT mice the iron rich diet was not enough to promote a bone loss phenotype, essentially due to the concomitant depression of bone resorption observed in those animals. In conclusion the dietary challenge influences the development of osteoporosis in the HH mice model thus suggesting that the iron content in the diet may influence the osteoporotic phenotype in systemic iron overload conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age of Onset
  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Ferritins / genetics
  • Hemochromatosis / complications
  • Hemochromatosis / diet therapy*
  • Hemochromatosis / genetics
  • Hemochromatosis / pathology
  • Hemochromatosis Protein / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Iron Overload / complications
  • Iron Overload / diet therapy
  • Iron Overload / genetics
  • Iron Overload / pathology
  • Iron, Dietary / administration & dosage*
  • Liver
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Osteoblasts / drug effects
  • Osteogenesis / drug effects
  • Osteogenesis / genetics
  • Osteoporosis / complications
  • Osteoporosis / diet therapy*
  • Osteoporosis / genetics
  • Osteoporosis / pathology
  • Phenotype
  • Receptors, Transferrin / genetics

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • CD71 antigen
  • Hemochromatosis Protein
  • Hfe protein, mouse
  • Iron, Dietary
  • Receptors, Transferrin
  • Tfrc protein, mouse
  • Ferritins

Grants and funding

This research was partially supported by National Funds through Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the project “CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013” and Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000012 –“Structured program on bioengineered therapies for infectious diseases and tissue regeneration”. M. Simão was supported by a PhD fellowship from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) with the reference SFRH/BD/77056/2011. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.