The aim of this study was to determine how folate and iron deficiency, and the subsequent supplementation of rats’ diet with these nutrients, affects Slc19a1and Tfr2 gene expression and the metabolism of folate and iron. After 28 days of iron–folate deficiency 150 female rats were randomized into five experimental groups receiving a diet deficient in folic acid (FA), an iron-supplemented diet (DFE), an iron-deficient diet supplemented with FA (DFOL), a diet supplemented with iron and FA (FEFOL), and a diet deficient in iron and FA (D); there was also a control group (C). Samples were collected on days 2, 10, and 21 of the experiment.

After two days of supplementation, Tfr2 mRNA level were 78 % lower in the DFE group than in the C group (p < 0.05); after 10 days, TfR2 levels in the FEFOL group were 82 % lower than in the C and the DFE group (p < 0.01). However, we did not find any differences at the protein level at any time-point. Hepcidin concentrations were higher in the DFE and the DFEFOL groups than in the D group after 21 days of supplementation (p < 0.01). Transcript and protein abundance of Slc19a1 gene did not differ between the groups at any time-point.

Iron metabolism was affected by iron and folate deficiency and subsequent supplementation with these micronutrients, but TFR2 protein was not involved in the regulatory mechanism. Hepcidin expression can be are upregulated after 21 days of supplementation with 150 mg of iron/ kg of diet.

本研究的目的是确定叶酸和铁缺乏以及随后用这些营养素补充大鼠饮食如何影响Slc19a1和Tfr2基因表达以及叶酸和铁的代谢。在缺铁 - 叶酸 28 天后，150 只雌性大鼠被随机分为五个实验组，分别接受缺乏叶酸 (FA) 的饮食、补充铁的饮食 (DFE)、补充有 FA 的缺铁饮食 (DFOL)、补充铁和 FA (FEFOL) 的饮食，以及缺乏铁和 FA (D) 的饮食；还有一个对照组（C）。在实验的第 2、10 和 21 天收集样品。

补充两天后，DFE 组的Tfr2 mRNA 水平比 C 组低 78%（p < 0.05）；10 天后，FEFOL 组的TfR2水平比 C 和 DFE 组低 82%（p < 0.01）。然而，我们在任何时间点都没有发现蛋白质水平的任何差异。补充 21 天后，DFE 和 DFEFOL 组的铁调素浓度高于 D 组（p < 0.01）。Slc19a1基因的转录本和蛋白质丰度在任何时间点组间均无差异。

铁代谢受到铁和叶酸缺乏以及随后补充这些微量营养素的影响，但 TFR2 蛋白不参与调节机制。铁调素表达可以在补充 150 毫克铁/公斤饮食 21 天后上调。