Use of stable isotopes of selenium in human metabolic studies: development of analytical methodology

Use of stable isotopes of selenium in relation to enrichment of diets for studies of selenium absorption and metabolism in human subjects is discussed. A method based on radiochemical neutron activation analysis is described which allows accurate measurement of stable isotopes 74Se, 76Se, and 80Se in matrices (feces, plasma, red blood cells, and urine) of interest in metabolic studies. We show that these isotopes can routinely be measured with analytical precision and accuracy of 10% in samples of available size. This precision and accuracy is satisfactory for conduct of many nutritional experiments concerned with gastrointestinal absorption, plasma and red cell selenium turnover, and urinary excretion of the element, using an oral dose of 74Se. Original, experimental data are presented to illustrate the degree of enrichment of 74Se in feces, plasma, and urine after a single oral ingestion of 50 micrograms of the isotope with a breakfast meal in healthy young men.