Time course of mean biliary iron excretion in normal rats after administration of DFO by SC injection and after administration of HBED by gavage or by SC injection. Both chelators were given at a dose of 150 μmol/kg body weight. The peak amounts of iron excreted with SC HBED (*) were more than twofold greater than the peak iron excretion after either SC DFO or HBED given by gavage (P < .05 at 3 hours and P < .01 at 6 hours).