Abstract
Selenium (Se) is an essential constituent of the peroxide metabolising enzyme glutathione peroxidase. Isolated perfused hearts from rats fed a Se-deficient diet were investigated. Glutathione peroxidase content in Se-deficient hearts was less than 5% of controls, and examination of ultrastructure revealed some areas with moderate cellular damage, mainly slight oedema of cells and mitochondrial changes. Se-deficient and control hearts were exposed for 11 min to a high and a low concentration of oxygen radicals generated by xanthine oxidase 0.0125 and 0.025 U/ml, and hypoxanthine 0.96 mM. With the low dose of oxygen radicals contractile function was gradually reduced, but in Se-deficient hearts the decrease was significantly more pronounced than in controls (32.7+6.5 vs 58.3±8.4% of initial values, mean±SEM). With the high dose of oxygen radicals contractility decreased abruptly in both groups, but a significantly lower tissue content of adenosine triphosphate was detected in the Se-deficient hearts. It is concluded that Se-deficiency reduces the tolerance of the heart to oxygen radicals.
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Ytrehus, K., Ringstad, J. & Mjøs, O. 48 THE PARTICIPATION OF SELENIUM IN OXYGEN RADICAL PROTECTION OF THE HEART. Pediatr Res 24, 268 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198808000-00074
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198808000-00074