Prostatic and peripheral blood selenium levels after oral supplementation

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Oncology
• Urology

Background:

• Selenium is a dietary trace element with proposed chemopreventive properties against prostate cancer.
• Epidemiological studies suggest an inverse relationship between blood selenium levels and prostate cancer incidence.
• Limited research exists on selenium absorption specifically by the prostate gland.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of oral selenium supplementation on selenium levels within the prostate and peripheral blood.
• To determine if selenium supplementation alters prostate tissue and blood selenium concentrations.
• To assess the correlation between blood and prostate selenium levels after supplementation.

Main Methods:

• A prospective trial involving 51 men undergoing prostate surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia.
• Participants were randomly assigned to a control group or a group receiving 200 microg of oral selenium daily for 1 month.
• Selenium levels in peripheral blood and prostate tissue were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Main Results:

• Oral selenium supplementation significantly increased erythrocyte (blood) selenium levels (p = 0.008).
• Prostate tissue selenium levels were also significantly higher in the supplemented group compared to controls (p = 0.016).
• A poor correlation was observed between erythrocyte and prostate selenium levels in both control and supplemented groups.

Conclusions:

• Oral selenium supplementation effectively raises selenium levels in both prostatic tissue and peripheral blood in men not deficient in selenium.
• Peripheral blood selenium measurements are not a reliable indicator of prostatic selenium content.
• Further research may explore selenium's role in prostate health and cancer prevention.