Interactions between the hemopexin and transferrin systems

Reciprocal regulation of the transferrin receptor and ferritin as iron concentrations change is well established [103]. Iron deficiency due to incubation of cells with the iron chelator desferrioxamine, depletes cells of ferritin and induces not only transferrin receptors [104-106] but also doubles the number of surface hemopexin 

It is not known whether iron-transferrin affects hemopexin receptor expression. However, the presence of iron transferrin attenuates the induction of MT-1 mRNA by heme-hemopexin in hepatoma cells, and ferric citrate is even more effective (L. Sung, M. Shibata, P. J. Morales, N. Shipulina, A. Smith, unpublished results). This suggests that the process of iron uptake into cells, which has been linked to electron transport for reduction of the iron, utilizes cofactors required for the hemopexin system. 

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