All of the following are true about Hepcidin except: (A) It is a 25- amino acid peptide secreted by Kupffer cells, (B) Decreases duodenal absorption of iron, (C) It regulates activity of transpoers DMT - 1 and ferropoin - 1, (D) Mice with enhanced hepcidin expression have elevate body iron stores
Answer is D. Hepcidin, a 25-amino acid peptide secreted by hepatic Kupffer's cells downregulates duodenal iron absorption by regulating DMT1 activity as well as other proteins in the iron-responsive pathways (e.g., FP1). Hepcidin is a negative regulator of iron absorption because mice that fail to express hepcidin have elevated body iron stores, whereas mice with enhanced hepcidin expression have profound iron deficiency. .