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Selenium Deficiency Alters Thyroid Hormone Metabolism in Guinea Pigs^1,2,3,

Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602

In guinea pigs, activity of glutathione peroxidase in most organs is markedly lower than in organs of other rodents despite comparable dietary intakes and tissue levels of selenium. To determine if metabolism of selenium with respect to other selenoproteins also differs in guinea pigs, we measured the effects of selenium intake on thyroid hormone metabolism. Weanling male Hartley Albino guinea pigs were fed a selenium-deficient Torula yeast-based diet, or the same diet supplemented with 0.5 mg selenium/kg diet as sodium selenate for 72 d. Growth was impaired in guinea pigs fed the unsupplemented diet. Activity of glutathione peroxidase was higher in tissues and plasma of supplemented guinea pigs than in selenium-deficient animals. However, it was still far lower than reported values for other rodent species. In selenium deficiency, activity of type 1 5'-iodothyronine deiodinase was 60% less in liver and 45% less in kidney. Concentration of thyroxine was 68% lower in kidney of selenium-deficient animals, and levels of 3,3',5-triiodothyronine in kidney and plasma were 44 and 31% lower, respectively. Thus, with the exception of thyroxine concentrations, thyroid hormone metabolism responds to selenium deficiency in guinea pigs as it does in rats, although the magnitude of that response is not as great.

KEY WORDS: • guinea pigs • thyroid hormones • selenium

¹ Presented in part at Experimental Biology 93, March 28–April 1, 1993, New Orleans, LA [Zwahlen, B. A., Cammack, P. M. & Christensen, M. J. (1993) Thyroid hormone metabolism in relation to dietary selenium intake in guinea pigs. FASEB J. 7: A289 (abs.)].

² Supported by NIH grant no. DK41647 to M.J.C.

³ The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

⁴ To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Manuscript received 23 February 1994. Revision accepted 22 July 1994.