The selenium-deficient rat heart with special reference to tolerance against enzymatically generated oxygen radicals

The tolerance against two different levels of enzymatically generated oxygen radicals was studied in isolated Langendorff-perfused hearts from selenium (Se)-deficient and control rats. The glutathione peroxidase activity of the Se-deficient hearts was less than 5% of that of the controls. Examination of the ultrastructure was made after random sampling using morphometric methods. Selenium-deficient hearts demonstrated some areas with myocytes with intracellular oedema. Oxygen radicals (hydrogen peroxide and superoxide) were generated by adding xanthine oxidase for 12 min (high dose: 25 U/l; low dose: 12.5 U/l) and hypoxanthine to the buffer of isolated Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Left ventricle-developed pressure (LVDP) and high-energy phosphates (ATP and CP) were measured. After the low dose of oxygen radicals, LVDP was reduced to 32.7 +/- 6.5% (mean +/- SEM) of initial values in the Se-deficient group, but only to 58.3 +/- 8.4% in the control group (p less than 0.05). After the high dose, LVDP decreased abruptly to zero in both groups. However, ATP content was significantly (p less than 0.05) lower in Se-deficient than in control hearts. Perfusion with oxygen radicals (low dose) resulted in the appearance of mitochondrial damage in both groups, but intracellular oedema was still present only in the Se-deficient hearts. It is concluded that protection against oxygen radicals was reduced in Se-deficient hearts. This was probably due to loss of myocardial glutathione peroxidase activity.