Iron content is increased in enterocytes from sla and iron-overload mice and decreased in iron-deficient mice. (A) Nonheme iron concentration of enterocytes from sla mice fed control diet (sla) and C57BL/6J mice fed control (Ctrl), iron-deficient (Fe^–), or iron-overload (Fe⁺) diets for 6 months. Data are expressed as micrograms Fe/g dry weight basis and each bar represents the mean ± SD of 6 determinations. Bars with different symbols are significantly different at P < .05. Enterocyte nonheme iron was significantly changed in the different groups. The enterocytes in the sla group had higher nonheme iron than the Ctrl and Fe^– groups. The Fe^– group had the lowest nonheme iron level. (B) Ferritin levels in enterocytes. Enterocyte lysates were probed with an antiserum directed against ferritin H and L chains. Relative ferritin levels were quantified using NIH Image and represented as relative densitometric units (RDU). Data are means ± SD as percent control from 5 independent experiments. *P < .05 versus control.