[Selenoproteins in rats with chronic selenium intoxication]

Weaning male Wistar rats were fed with a Torula-yeast based semisynthetic diet supplemented with Na2SeO3 to provide selenium (Se) 0.2 or 0.5 mg/kg (adequate Se or high Sediet) respectively for 20 weeks. By the end of experiment, rats were sacrificed and various tissue of rats were collected to determine the activities of Se-containing enzymes and the mRNAs level of selenoprotein P and selenoprotein W and Se concentration. Livers were examined for pathological changes. It was found that the gain of body weight of the high Se group was significantly lower than that of adequate Se group. Much more Se was accumulated in the tissue of high Se group. The activities of eGPX in plasma, cGPX in kidney, heart and testis, ID I in liver, kidney and thyroid and PHGPX in heart and testis in the high Se group were significantly lower than those in the adequate Se group. However, no specific pathological changes have been found in the liver of both groups. The results suggested that these enzymatic changes could be used as early biochemical parameters for chronic selenium intoxication.