In this study, the effects of chronically administered aluminum on iron metabolism-related parameters of liver and blood of mice were investigated. An additional purpose to determine how chronic aluminum administration together with vitamin E as an antioxidant to mice changed the parameters related to iron metabolism. For these purposes, we used 21 adult female Balb-c mice in this study. The animals were divided into three groups: one group with aluminum administered chronically, another group with aluminum plus vitamin E administered chronically, and the control group. Serum levels of hemoglobin, ferritin, iron, transferrin, hematocrit, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), as well as percentage of transferrin saturation were determined in all groups. In addition, the liver tissue levels of ferritin and iron were analyzed. Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels of the aluminum group and aluminum plus vitamin E group were significantly decreased compared to the control. In conclusion, no changes occurred in the serum iron related parameters although Al induced anemia in mice when Al administered chronically. There was an increase in the levels of liver iron and ferritin with Al, but Vit E had no effect on the changes of all blood and liver parameters caused by Al.
Aluminum/*pharmacology ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency/blood/*chemically induced/prevention & control ; Animals ; Antioxidants/pharmacology ; Female ; Ferritin/metabolism ; Hematocrit ; Hemoglobins ; Iron/*blood ; Liver/*drug effects/metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Vitamin E/pharmacology

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the relationship between serum bilirubin levels and metabolic syndrome (MetS), and the longitudinal effects of baseline serum bilirubin concentrations on MetS in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders undergoing atypical antipsychotics. METHODS: The sample of this study consisted of 131 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Waist circumference, blood pressure, and levels of triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose, and insulin were evaluated at baseline and at month six. Serum bilirubin levels were measured at baseline. Serum bilirubin levels of the patients with and without MetS criteria were compared. We also compared patients with high and low bilirubin levels (upper and lower 50th percentiles of serum bilirubin levels) in terms of MetS criteria, MetS frequency, and course of MetS. RESULTS: Serum direct bilirubin levels were more consistently related to MetS and MetS-related variables. The waist circumference and triglyceride criteria for MetS were significantly related to low serum direct bilirubin at baseline; waist circumference and fasting glucose criteria, and insulin resistance were associated with low serum direct bilirubin at follow-up. MetS diagnosis and the presence of the waist circumference criterion were more frequent at the baseline and the follow-up in low bilirubin group. At the end of the follow-up period, the rate of reverse MetS was significantly higher in the high bilirubin group. CONCLUSION: Our results have suggested that serum direct bilirubin levels showed a more reliable and stable relationship with abdominal obesity for MetS components.in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders using antipsychotics. Further studies are required.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Bilirubin* ; Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol ; Diagnosis ; Fasting ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Lipoproteins ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Schizophrenia* ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference