This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The proposed project is designed to detemine if hypoxia in the setting of obesity is associated with increased iron store. A syndrome of mild to moderate iron overload associated with obesity but not mutation in the HFE gene has been described (Moirand et al, 1997). Chronic hypoxia is a frequent medical complication of obesity (Pi-Sunyer, 1993). Hypoxia is associated with increased iron absorption on mice (Raja et al, 1990; Simpson et al, 1996). Hypoxia also serves to upregulate duodenal expression of ferroportin1 (McKiet et al, 2001), molecules important in iron absorption. We postualte that, in the setting of obesity, chronic hypoxia will lead to increased iron absorption and increased body iron stores. The objectives of this study are: 1. To examine oxygenation by 24-hour pulse ox monitoring and iron status by serum ferritin concentration in obese participants, and to test for an inverse relationship between these variable. 2. to examine expression of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) and ferroportin1 in peripheral blood monocytes from the same participants. This research will increase our knowledge of the medical complications of obesity, specifically hypoxia and increased iron stores, and may point to improved methods to treat the effects of obesity.
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