Influence of selenium deficiency on the acute cardiotoxicity of adriamycin in rats

The influence of selenium (Se) deficiency on the acute cardiotoxicity induced by the anticancer drug adriamycin (ADR) has been studied in rats by electrocardiography. Two categories were formed by feeding groups of rats a Se-supplemented and a Se-deficient diet. The supplemented animals were taken as normals. The two categories were treated with iv injections of saline solution containing ADR at doses of 0, 7.5, and 15 mg/kg body wt. The cardiac Se concentration and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the Se-deficient groups were < 2% lower than in the normals. The normal groups showed significant widening of the SaT and QaT durations when given 15 mg/kg ADR. The Se-deficient groups exhibited a dose-dependent widening of the SaT and QaT duration at 7.5 and 15 mg/kg and narrowing of the PQ duration at 15 mg/kg ADR. No heart rate or QRS duration changes were detected in both categories. Our results suggest that an imbalance of the antioxidant system is associated with Se deficiency and that Se plays a role in preventing the cardiac functional disorder attributable to oxygen free radical formation induced by ADR.