We tested the hypothesis proposed by Topham, Woodruff and Walker that intestinal xanthine oxidase is important for iron absorption. We made weanling rats xanthine oxidase-deficient and measured their growth and iron status. There were no significant differences between control and xanthine oxidase-depleted rats in growth or iron absorption or a variety of measures of iron metabolism, except that xanthine oxidase-depleted rats accumulated nonheme iron in the liver. Iron deficiency caused a loss in intestinal xanthine oxidase activity, but also caused an increase in hepatic xanthine oxidase activity. This result may be important for understanding changes in purine and protein metabolism during iron deficiency.