Effects of time and dietary selenium concentration as sodium selenite on tissue selenium uptake by sheep

Thirty crossbred wethers (60 kg avg initial wt) were used to study the time-dose response to dietary Se as sodium selenite (Na2SeO3). Sheep were fed a basal diet (.20 mg/kg Se, M basis) for 10 d; three wethers were killed and tissues were collected for controls. The remaining 27 sheep were assigned randomly to diets supplemented with either 3, 6 or 9 mg/kg Se (as-fed basis) from reagent grade Na2SeO3 and fed for 10, 20 or 30 d. Feed offered was restricted to 1,200 g daily and tap water was available ad libitum. Sheep were stunned and killed by exsanguination and liver, kidney, muscle, heart and spleen were removed and frozen for Se analysis. No toxic effects were noted as expressed by feed intake or hemoglobin concentration. Added dietary Se increased Se linearly (P less than .01) in liver, kidney, and serum. Selenium in liver, kidney and serum also increased (P less than .01) as time advanced. Serum, liver and kidney were more sensitive to dietary Se than were muscle, heart and spleen. Ten days appeared to be an adequate length of time for further Se bioassay studies of this nature. Reagent grade Na2SeO3 was nontoxic when fed to sheep for 30 d at levels up to 90 times the Se requirement.