We hypothesized that excess hepcidin may interfere with erythropoiesis by inhibiting iron release from hepatic storage as ferritin levels were high in this model and by inhibiting iron uptake from diet and export from enterocytes to blood as serum iron level was decreased, consequently possibly causing iron deficiency in the bone marrow, leading to decreased Hb and MCV levels. Here, HAMP is linked to nutritional disorder.