Effects of varying doses and types of iron on released and intracellular ferritins of hepatoma cells. (A and B) Ferritin concentrations in the medium (A) and in the hepatoma cells (B) after 48 hours, with and without (control) treatments with different doses of iron (during that period) in the form of Fe-dextran (Imferon; 1, 4, 6, and 15 μg Fe/mL) or the 1:1 complex of Fe(III) with nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA; 1, 4, 6, 10, and 20 μg Fe/mL). Data are means ± SD for 3 to 6 determinations (flasks), as microgram of protein per milligram of cell protein. Asterisk (*) indicates increases that are statistically significant (P < .01) by t-test, in comparison with the control. (C) LDH activity in the medium from cells untreated (control) or treated with 4, 10, 15, or 20 μg/mL doses of iron (Fe-NTA), ± brefeldin A (4 μg/mL), for 48 hours. After the control, under successive bars (from left to right) are the results at a given iron dose (for example, 4 μg Fe/mL) followed by the same, but also treated with BFA. The only significant change in LDH was with the highest dose of Fe-NTA (asterisk; P < .01).