Digital gene expression profiling analysis of duodenum transcriptomes in SD rats administered ferrous sulfate or ferrous glycine chelate by gavage

The absorption of different iron sources is a trending research topic. Many studies have revealed that organic iron exhibits better bioavailability than inorganic iron, but the concrete underlying mechanism is still unclear. In the present study, we examined the differences in bioavailability of ferrous sulfate and ferrous glycinate in the intestines of SD rats using Illumina sequencing technology. Digital gene expression analysis resulted in the generation of almost 128 million clean reads, with expression data for 17,089 unigenes. A total of 123 differentially expressed genes with a |log2(fold change)| >1 and q-value < 0.05 were identified between the FeSO(4) and Fe-Gly groups. Gene Ontology functional analysis revealed that these genes were involved in oxidoreductase activity, iron ion binding, and heme binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis also showed relevant important pathways. In addition, the expression patterns of 9 randomly selected genes were further validated by qRT-PCR, which confirmed the digital gene expression results. Our study showed that the two iron sources might share the same absorption mechanism, and that differences in bioavailability between FeSO(4) and Fe-Gly were not only in the absorption process but also during the transport and utilization process.