The Interfering Effect of Lanthanum on Intestinal Iron Uptake Using Everted Gut Sac (EGS) Method

Background: A dysregulated iron metabolism can lead to a wide range of diseases, and investigating this issue is vital for the development of therapeutics. Furthermore, trace elements such as lanthanum have been shown to interfere with iron uptake. Objectives: Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the intestinal uptake of lanthanum and its competition with iron uptake. Methods: This study was conducted using the everted gut sac method on freshly-prepared rat everted gut sacs, which were incubated in Earle's medium, including iron and lanthanum. The effects of ascorbic acid, glucose, and time intervals were investigated on lanthanum and iron intestinal uptake. In addition, the interfering effect of lanthanum on iron uptake was scrutinized. Results: The absorption of iron and lanthanum is saturated at 200 mg/L concentration. Using ascorbic acid (as a reducing agent) and glucose (as an energy source) increase the absorption of these elements (P < 0.05), and lanthanum reduces iron uptake by up to 19.3%. The results revealed that the highest uptake occurs in 30 minutes in which, the average uptakes for iron and lanthanum was 36.6 and 17.6 μg, respectively. Conclusions: According to the results, lanthanum reduces iron uptake because of competing with iron. Lanthanum could also interfere with iron metabolism and cause iron-related metabolic disorders. Further studies at the molecular and intracellular levels are required to understand this mechanism.