QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Uthus, E. O. Articles by Davis, C. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Uthus, E. O. Articles by Davis, C. D.

---

Biochemical and Molecular Actions of Nutrients

Selenium Deficiency in Fisher-344 Rats Decreases Plasma and Tissue Homocysteine Concentrations and Alters Plasma Homocysteine and Cysteine Redox Status^{1 ,2 ,3}

U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, ND 58202 and ^* Seitoku University Faculty of Humanities, Department of Human Life and Culture, 550 Iwase, Matsudo, Chiba 271-8555, Japan

⁴To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: euthus{at}gfhnrc.ars.usda.gov.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of graded amounts of dietary selenium on plasma and tissue parameters of methionine metabolism including homocysteine. Male weanling Fisher-344 rats (n = 7–8/group) were fed a selenium-deficient, torula yeast-based diet, supplemented with 0 (selenium deficient), 0.02, 0.05 or 0.1 µg (adequate) selenium (as selenite)/g diet. After 61 d, plasma total homocysteine and cysteine were decreased (P < 0.0001) and glutathione increased (P < 0.0001) by selenium deficiency. The concentrations of homocysteine in kidney and heart were decreased (P = 0.02) by selenium deficiency. The activities of liver betaine homocysteine methyltransferase, methionine synthase, S-adenosylmethionine synthase, cystathionine synthase and cystathionase were determined; selenium deficiency affected only betaine homocysteine methyltransferase, which was decreased (P < 0.0001). The ratios of plasma free reduced homocysteine (or cysteine) to free oxidized homocysteine (or cysteine) or to total homocysteine (or cysteine) were increased by selenium deficiency, suggesting that selenium status affects the normally tightly controlled redox status of these thiols. Most differences due to dietary selenium were between rats fed 0 or 0.02 µg selenium/g diet and those fed 0.05 or 0.1 µg selenium/g diet. The metabolic consequences of a marked decrease in plasma homocysteine and smaller but significant decreases in tissue homocysteine are not known.

KEY WORDS: • selenium • homocysteine • cysteine • glutathione • transsulfuration

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. O. Uthus, P. G. Reeves, and J. T. Saari Copper Deficiency Decreases Plasma Homocysteine in Rats J. Nutr., June 1, 2007; 137(6): 1370 - 1374. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. O. Uthus and S. A. Ross Dietary Selenium Affects Homocysteine Metabolism Differently in Fisher-344 Rats and CD-1 Mice J. Nutr., May 1, 2007; 137(5): 1132 - 1136. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Peters, N. Chatterjee, T. R. Church, C. Mayo, S. Sturup, C. B. Foster, A. Schatzkin, and R. B. Hayes High serum selenium and reduced risk of advanced colorectal adenoma in a colorectal cancer early detection program. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., February 1, 2006; 15(2): 315 - 320. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Gonzalez, J. M. Huerta, J. Alvarez-Uria, S. Fernandez, A. M. Patterson, and C. Lasheras Serum Selenium Is Associated with Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations in Elderly Humans J. Nutr., July 1, 2004; 134(7): 1736 - 1740. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				C. D. Davis and E. O. Uthus Dietary Folate and Selenium Affect Dimethylhydrazine-Induced Aberrant Crypt Formation, Global DNA Methylation and One-Carbon Metabolism in Rats J. Nutr., September 1, 2003; 133(9): 2907 - 2914. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. D. Davis and E. O. Uthus Does Dietary Selenium Affect Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations in Humans? J. Nutr., July 1, 2003; 133(7): 2392 - 2392. [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. J. Venn, A. M. Grant, C. D. Thomson, and T. J. Green Selenium Supplements Do Not Increase Plasma Total Homocysteine Concentrations in Men and Women J. Nutr., February 1, 2003; 133(2): 418 - 420. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]