Binding of selenium-75 to blood and liver cytosolic proteins in the preruminant calf

Labeled selenite (75Se) administered to calves in milk replacer, containing .2 or 5 ppm Se, was rapidly absorbed with peak blood 75Se at 6 h. Gel filtration and dialysis treatment of plasma and erythrocyte hemolysates showed that initially 75Se was transported in blood as 75SeO3= or loosely bound to plasma and erythrocyte proteins. At high Se intake, albumin became a transport protein for some of the plasma 75Se, and proportionately more blood radioactivity was carried in the erythrocytes. At 72 h after dosing, most plasma 75Se was tightly bound to protein in glutathione peroxidase fraction with low peroxidase activity, possibly Se transport protein. At 72 h, distribution of 75Se in erythrocyte was 35 to 40% in glutathione peroxidase, 50% in hemoglobin, and 5% in a selenite plus selenopolypeptide fraction. Erythrocyte peroxidase activity was mostly in the glutathione peroxidase fraction (57%) and hemoglobin (38%). Molecular weight estimate for erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase was 84,200 daltons; about 90% of blood peroxidase activity was in erythrocytes. High Se intake had no marked effect on distribution of 75Se among liver cytosolic proteins. About 35% of 75Se was in glutathione peroxidase fraction, having most of the peroxidase activity, 25% in void volume, 11 to 18% in a selenite plus selenopolypeptide fraction, and small amounts in selenoproteins of about 12,000 and 50,000 daltons.