Treating chronic arsenic toxicity with high selenium lentil diets

Area of Science:

• Environmental Toxicology
• Nutritional Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Arsenic (As) toxicity poses significant global health risks, particularly in affected regions.
• Selenium (Se), an essential micronutrient, exhibits antioxidant and antagonistic properties beneficial against As toxicity.
• Global soil selenium deficiency contrasts with high levels in North America, presenting an opportunity for dietary intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of dietary selenium from high-Se lentils in counteracting chronic arsenic toxicity in a rat model.
• To assess the impact of selenium on arsenic-induced oxidative stress, immunotoxicity, and tissue arsenic accumulation.

Main Methods:

• Rats were exposed to arsenic (40ppm) in drinking water and fed either high-Se (Saskatchewan) or low-Se (USA) lentil diets for 14 weeks.
• Evaluated serum biochemistry, blood glutathione, antibody response, liver peroxidative stress, thyroid hormones, and tissue/excreta arsenic levels.
• Compared health indicators between rats on high-Se versus low-Se diets under arsenic exposure.

Main Results:

• High-Se lentil diets increased glutathione levels and improved antibody responses in arsenic-exposed rats.
• Dietary selenium enhanced fecal and urinary arsenic excretion, leading to lower renal arsenic residues.
• Selenium deficiency exacerbated hepatic peroxidative damage in arsenic-exposed rats, while thyroid hormones remained unaffected.

Conclusions:

• High-selenium lentils demonstrate a significant potential to mitigate chronic arsenic toxicity in laboratory mammals.
• Dietary selenium intervention, particularly through high-Se foods like lentils, may offer a protective strategy for arsenic-exposed humans.
• Further research is warranted to translate these findings into practical human health benefits for populations exposed to arsenic.