Fig. 3. Hematological analysis of HRI +/+ and –/– mice in iron deficiency. The RBC number, Hb (total hemoglobin) and the RBC indices, MCV and MCH were obtained from tail vein blood. Time courses of these changes from day 17 to 84 are shown. Four to six mice were used for each group. Wt + Fe, Wt mice in a normal diet; Wt – Fe, Wt mice in a low iron diet; Ko + Fe, knockout mice in a normal diet; Ko – Fe, knockout mice in a low iron diet. The differences in these red cell indices are statistically significant for a low iron diet (p <0.001 for all these four parameters).