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Chemical forms of selenium in rat tissues after administration of selenite or selenomethionine

Journal Article · · J. Nutr.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6933568

The chemical forms of selenium (Se) were determined in erythrocyte and liver proteins after injection of /sup 75/Se as either sodium selenite or selenomethionine (Se-Met) in male weanling rats. Gel-filtration chromatography (Sephadex G-150) of erythrocyte lysate revealed labeling of four fractions corresponding to void volume proteins, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), hemoglobin (Hb) and low-molecular-weight materials. Acid hydrolysates of erythrocyte protein fractions and whole liver were analyzed by ion-exchange chromatography (Dionex DC6A). Void volume proteins contained principally selenocysteine (/sup 75/Se-Cys) in (/sup 75/Se)selenite-injected animals. This material contained both /sup 75/Se-Met and /sup 75/Se-Cys 1 d postinjection in /sup 75/Se-Met-injected animals, but primarily /sup 75/Se-Cys at 20 d afterwards. GPx contained /sup 75/Se as /sup 75/Se-Cys regardless of the selenium compound injected. Hb of /sup 75/Se-Met-injected animals contained principally /sup 75/Se-Met at both 1 and 20 d postinjection. In (/sup 75/Se)selenite-injected animals, /sup 75/Se was present in hemoglobin as two unidentified forms. In acid hydrolysates of whole liver /sup 75/Se was recovered principally as /sup 75/Se-Cys from animals injected with (/sup 75/Se)selenite. For animals injected with /sup 75/Se-Met, liver /sup 75/Se was present initially as /sup 75/Se-Met, but after 5 d the majority of liver /sup 75/Se was as Se-Cys. No differences were found in deposition of /sup 75/Se in liver, kidney, testes, erythrocytes or plasma in rats injected with labeled selenite or Se-Met, but a significantly greater retention was found in muscle of Se-Met-injected rats as compared to those given selenite.

Research Organization:
Oregon State Univ., Corvallis
OSTI ID:
6933568
Journal Information:
J. Nutr.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Nutr.; (United States) Vol. 9; ISSN JONUA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English