Since high levels of selenium are used as cancer chemopreventive agents in animals and humans, a better understanding of the metabolism of subtoxic levels is desirable. Absorption from rat small intestine using in situ double perfusion, ligated intestinal segments, and brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) was used to study selenium absorption. A level of 1.2 mM intraluminal selenite was requir...

This review covers current knowledge of selenium in the environment, dietary intakes, metabolism and status, functions in the body, thyroid hormone metabolism, antioxidant defense systems and oxidative metabolism, and the immune system. Selenium toxicity and links between deficiency and Keshan disease and Kashin-Beck disease are described. The relationships between selenium intake/status and va...

Inorganic arsenic is a potent carcinogen and environmental pollutant. More than one hundred million people are reported to be exposed to elevated concentrations of arsenic mainly via drinking water. Essential trace elements can affect toxicity of metals by interacting with metals at the primary site of action and can also modify the body's response to toxic metals by altering their metabolism a...

The present studies were carried out in order to assess the protective effects of selenium against cadmium toxicity in pregnant hamsters. On the 8 day of gestation the females were dosed subcutaneously either with cadmium or with cadmium and selenium in the following doses (mg per kilogram of body weight): 0, 1 Cd, 1 Cd + 1 Se, 2 Cd, 2 Cd + 2 Se. In groups treated with cadmium decreased litter ...

Selenium (Se) is an essential element with a small difference between physiological and toxic doses. To provide more effective and safe Se dosing regimens, as compared to dosing with ionic selenium, nanoparticle formulations have been developed. However, due to the nano-formulation, unexpected toxic effects may occur. We used metabolite pattern determination in urine to investigate biological a...

Contamination by heavy metals has attracted increasing attention considering the ability of these elements in producing serious consequence to ecosystem, and especially on animals health. Due to their widespread use in human activities such as industry, agriculture and even as medicine (e.g. arsenic, selenium and platinum), numerous health risks may be associated with exposure to these substanc...