Journal of Nutrition OpenSOurce Diets- www.ResearchDiets.com

Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Evenson, J. K.
Right arrow Articles by Sunde, R. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Evenson, J. K.
Right arrow Articles by Sunde, R. A.
© 2004 The American Society for Nutritional Sciences J. Nutr. 134:2640-2645, October 2004


Nutrient Requirements

Selenoprotein mRNA Is Expressed in Blood at Levels Comparable to Major Tissues in Rats1,2

Jacqueline K. Evenson*,{dagger}, Adam D. Wheeler{dagger}, Sean M. Blake{dagger} and Roger A. Sunde*,{dagger},3

* Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, and {dagger} Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211

3To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Sunde{at}nutrisci.wisc.edu.


    ABSTRACT
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 LITERATURE CITED
 
Liver glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1) mRNA is highly regulated by Se status relative to other parameters, but is of limited use for determining Se requirements in humans. To examine the efficacy of using blood for Se status assessment using molecular biology markers, we used a ribonuclease protection assay (RPA) to study mRNA levels in whole blood relative to 16 other rat tissues. Significant amounts of total RNA (>50 µg) were obtained from 1 mL of whole blood. Total RNA from 28-d postweaning Se-adequate (0.2 µg Se/g diet) male rats was analyzed for GPX1, GPX4, GPX3, thioredoxin reductase-1 (TRR1), and selenoprotein-P (SelP). RPA detected significant mRNA expression for at least 1 selenoprotein in all tissues except pancreas. GPX1 mRNA expression using this mix of RPA probes yielded the highest signal for GPX1 relative to the other selenoprotein signals in all tissues except testis; GPX1 expression was 4th highest in blood and similar to the major organs (liver, 1st; heart, 5th; kidney, 6th). Kidney was highest for GPX3, and testes was highest for GPX4, TRR1, and SelP. This study is the first to report the gene expression pattern for a number of selenoproteins and across a comprehensive set of tissues. The mRNA levels for all selenoproteins in blood were comparable to levels in the major organs, and decreases in blood and liver GPX1 mRNA levels in Se deficiency were similar, supporting potential use of whole blood for assessing Se status using molecular biology markers.


KEY WORDS: • biomarkers • glutathione peroxidase • molecular biology • RDA • requirements

The discovery that glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1,4 glutathione:H2O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.9) contains Se (1) provided a biochemical marker that was important in setting animal and human Se requirements. The 2000 U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) calculated an Estimated Average Requirement of 45 µg of Se that would maximize plasma GPX activity based on independent analysis of the data from studies in China (2) and New Zealand (3); after adjustment for variation, this resulted in the RDA of 55 µg of Se for both men and women (4). In an alternative approach, the WHO estimated the dietary Se intake necessary to achieve two-thirds of maximal plasma GPX activity, plus 16% interindividual variation, resulting in a Normative Requirement of 40 µg of Se for men and 30 µg Se for women (5). This diversity in approach and application when setting human Se requirements illustrates why further research is warranted on Se biomarkers and on the relation of biomarkers to health (4).

In the intervening years since the discovery that GPX1 is a selenoenzyme, advances in our understanding of the biochemistry and molecular biology of Se and its selenoproteins revealed why the GPXs and other selenoproteins are good biochemical markers for establishing Se status and Se requirements [for recent reviews, see (6,7)]. The early studies showing the effect of long-term Se depletion and supplementation on GPX illustrated that erythrocyte GPX activity and liver GPX activity are strongly correlated with dietary Se level up to the point at which Se no longer regulates the expression of these activities (8). The subsequent discovery that Se status also regulates GPX1 mRNA levels (9) led to a series of studies on the dose response of not only selenoprotein level but also selenoprotein mRNA level, showing that molecular biology markers could also be used to evaluate requirements (1013). These studies also showed that the dramatic changes in liver GPX activity occur not only because Se is required for enzymatic activity but also because the GPX1 mRNA levels are also highly regulated by Se status. At least in rats, regulation of GPX1 mRNA by Se status is much more substantial than for any other selenoprotein mRNA, falling to as low as 6–10% of Se-adequate levels (9,10,14,15). Differences in the extent of decrease of activity and mRNA level in Se deficiency, and the point at which a plateau is first reached in the dietary Se response curve can explain the hierarchy of selenoprotein expression as animals go from adequate to deficient levels (15). These animal studies showed that there are profound homeostatic regulatory mechanisms that control the level of these selenoproteins, and clearly illustrate why certain selenoprotein levels are good biomarkers of Se status.

The advent of rapid molecular assays such as real-time PCR and microarrays suggests that these tools will soon be used for evaluating health and disease parameters in humans. Thus, developing tools for assessing Se status in humans using molecular biology markers seems an important area for study today. Liver selenoprotein mRNA levels would be a very effective tool for assessing human Se status, but are also highly invasive and thus impractical. To better characterize potential tissues for using molecular biology to assess Se status, we conducted the experiments here to begin to study the efficacy of using mRNA in whole blood for assessing Se status. We used ribonuclease protection analysis (RPA) to evaluate mRNA expression in whole blood and 16 other tissues of rats. These studies illustrate that rat blood can readily provide sufficient total RNA for molecular analysis, and that the level of GPX1 expression in blood ranks with major tissues that have high levels of GPX1 expression. Importantly, the levels of expression in whole blood reflect the levels in red cells rather than in white cells, further suggesting that whole blood mRNA analysis may be a convenient and effective biomarker worthy of further evaluation.


    MATERIALS AND METHODS
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 LITERATURE CITED
 
Male weanling rats, 21-d old, were obtained for these studies from Holtzman and housed individually in hanging wire mesh cages, following the care and treatment protocol approved by the institutional animal care and use committee at the University of Missouri. Rats had free access to food and deionized water. In Expt. 1, retired-breeder male rats (n = 5) that had been fed a standard diet (Purina Formula 5008, 0.2 µg Se/g) since weaning, were anesthetized with ether; whole blood was obtained by cardiac puncture using heparinized syringes. The blood was centrifuged (1500 x g, 15 min, GPR tabletop centrifuge, GH-3.7 rotor, Beckman Instruments) to separate plasma from blood cells; the blood cells were reconstituted to the original volume using ice-cold saline phosphate buffer (76 mmol/L NaCl, 50 mmol/L sodium PO4, pH 7.4). After a second centrifugation, the buffy coat was removed by gentle aspiration and the RBC again resuspended to their original volume in saline phosphate buffer. After a third centrifugation, the remaining buffy coat was removed and the RBC were again reconstituted to their original volume (referred to as red cell fraction). The 2 buffy coat fractions were pooled and resuspended in an excess of saline phosphate buffer and recentrifuged. The underlying RBC were removed by gentle aspiration, resulting in a fraction hereafter called the white cell fraction. Samples of whole blood, the red cell fraction, and the white cell fraction were smeared for later counting by the University of Wisconsin VMTH-Clinical Pathology service. These smears were evaluated for neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils, and for the total white blood cell to red blood cell (WBC:RBC) ratio.

In Expt. 2, male weanling rats, 21-d old, were fed a Se-adequate (0.2 µg Se/g as Na2SeO3) crystalline amino acid diet (10) that included 9.6 g/kg L-methionine (U.S. Biochemical) and 150 g/kg of all-rac-{alpha}-tocopheryl acetate to allow adequate growth and to prevent liver necrosis, respectively. After 28 d, the rats weighed 267 ± 4 g. The rats (n = 3) were anesthetized with ether, exsanguinated by cardiac puncture using heparinized syringes, and 16 tissues were removed and quick-frozen in liquid nitrogen for later RNA analysis. GPX activity was determined for red cells, plasma, and liver supernatants by the coupled assay procedure using 120 µmol/L H2O2; thus, only the Se-dependent GPX activity was measured (16). GPX4 activity was measured using 78 µmol/L phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide as described previously (10). For each assay, an enzyme unit is defined as the amount of enzyme that oxidizes 1 µmol GSH/min under the specified conditions. Protein concentration was determined by the Lowry method (17). For whole blood, the red cell, and white cell fractions, total RNA was isolated by rapidly mixing 3 mL with Tri Reagent BD (Molecular Research Center) (3.75 mL/mL blood or blood fraction following manufacturer’s protocol) and frozen for later analysis. For rat tissues, total RNA was isolated from ~0.3-g portions of tissue by homogenization in guanidine isothiocyanate buffer followed by centrifugation (176,000 x g, 20 h) on 5.7 mol/L CsCl as described previously (9). Adrenal glands and olfactory bulbs were each pooled (pooled weights < 200 mg) for RNA analysis, and those samples analyzed with each set of tissue total RNAs. The RNA pellets were dissolved in diethyl pyrocarbonate-treated water and quantitated spectrophotometrically by A260 ({epsilon} = 25 mL · mg–1 · cm –1).

In Expt. 3, male weanling rats (n = 3/group) were fed a basal Se-deficient 30% torula yeast diet (18), containing 0.007 µg Se/g diet by analysis and supplemented with 100 mg/kg all-rac-{alpha}-tocopheryl acetate, or the basal diet supplemented with 0.2 µg Se/g diet as Na2SeO3. After 28 d, blood and liver were obtained and analyzed for selenoenzyme activity and mRNA levels as described for Expt. 2.

The RPA was conducted as previously described (14,19). DNA probe templates were subcloned into the pBluescript-II (SK-) vector (Stratagene). In vitro transcription of antisense RNA probes was performed essentially according to the manufacturer’s protocol (Promega). Probes5 for GPX1, GPX4, TRR1, GPX3, SelP, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) were synthesized using 10–70 µCi of [{alpha}-32P] UTP, purified by electrophoresis in a 6% polyacrylamide gel, eluted in 2 mol/L ammonium acetate containing 1% SDS, and ethanol precipitated for RPA. Total RNA (10 µg) was hybridized overnight at 45°C with a balanced mixture of the single-strand antisense RNA probes. Yeast tRNA served as a negative control. Each probe was also hybridized individually at twice the concentration using an individual probe with RNA from Se-adequate (0.2 µg Se/g diet) liver or kidney (for GPX3) to verify that the probe was in excess. Hybridization reactions were treated with RNase (40 mg/L RNase A, 2 mg/L RNase T1) for 45 min at 30°C. After RNase inactivation, the protected probe fragments were precipitated with ethanol and samples were analyzed in a 6% polyacrylamide gel. RNA protected from ribonuclease was visualized by autoradiography, and protected probe fragments in each sample were quantitated by direct imaging of the gel (Instant-Imager, Packard Instrument Company).

Data are presented as means ± SEM. One-way ANOVA, with differences between means assessed by Duncan’s multiple range analysis (20) (P < 0.05), was used to compare mRNA levels among different tissues. Analysis of tissue mRNA levels comparing Se-deficient and Se-adequate treatments was conducted using the unpaired Student’s t test (P < 0.05).


    RESULTS
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 LITERATURE CITED
 
Preliminary analysis of blood revealed a surprisingly high level of mRNA for selenoproteins in whole blood and in red cells. Fractionation of rat whole blood by sedimentation resulted in an enrichment of the white cell fraction such that most fields revealed a WBC:RBC ratio of 1:4, whereas in other areas it varied from 1:50 to 1:200. There were typically >100 platelets/100X objective field (high-power field; hpf). In whole blood, the WBC:RBC ratio taken in 3 different areas averaged 1:900 with a maximum of 1:1600 and a platelet estimation of ~20 to 30/hpf. Thus, the white cell fraction was enriched as much as 250-fold in white blood cells relative to whole blood. In the enriched RBC fraction, the platelet estimation was ~15 to 20/hpf and the WBC:RBC ratio could only be estimated at ~1/500-1000 RBCs. In whole blood, the distribution of WBC was 43% neutrophils, 47% lymphocytes, 8% monocytes, and 2% eosinophils. WBC distribution in the white blood cell fraction was 29, 57, 10, and 4%, and estimated in the red cell fraction as 20, 72, 4 and 3%, respectively.

Analysis of total RNA in the various blood fractions for GPX1, GPX4, TRR1, and GAPDH revealed that GPX1 was the major selenoprotein mRNA in red cells and in whole blood (Fig. 1). Similar levels of GPX4 were also present in red cells and in whole blood; this level was about half the level in the white cell fraction. TRR1 and GAPDH mRNAs were also observed in whole blood, but there were reduced levels in the red cell fraction relative to the white cell fraction. Interestingly, the GAPDH signal in white cells was very high, along with an elevated GPX1 level, whereas there was negligible GAPDH expression in whole blood and in red cells. Thus the low GAPDH signals in the red cell fraction and whole blood show clearly that white cells, with high levels of GAPDH mRNA, make a negligible contribution toward the mRNA levels detected in whole blood.



View larger version (47K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
FIGURE 1 RPA of selenoprotein mRNA in rat blood fractions. Whole blood from Se-adequate rats was fractionated by sedimentation into enriched white cell and red cell fractions. Total RNA (10 µg) from each fraction and from Se-adequate rat liver was analyzed for GPX1, GPX4, TRR1, and GAPDH. Yeast tRNA (lane 1) was analyzed with the probe mixture as a negative control.

 
In Expt. 2, RBC GPX1 activity was 190 ± 7 EU/g protein, plasma GPX3 activity was 85.1 ± 2.4 EU/g protein, liver GPX1 activity was 658 ± 48 EU/g protein, and GPX4 activity was 5.01 ± 0.17 EU/g protein, indicating that these male rats were Se-adequate and comparable to rats in previous studies from our laboratory (10). RPA of total RNA from rat tissue detected significant mRNA for at least 1 selenoprotein in all tissues except pancreas (Fig. 2). GPX1 mRNA expression using this mix of RPA probes yielded the highest signal for GPX1 relative to the other selenoprotein signals in all tissues except testis. Blood had the 4th highest level of GPX1 expression and was similar to heart and kidney, with liver having the highest level of GPX1 mRNA (Fig. 3). Notably, spleen was very high, and, surprisingly, adrenal glands also had high levels of GPX1 mRNA; testis was very low. As expected, testis had the highest levels of GPX4 mRNA (10), and this was ~5 times the level found in any other tissue. Blood was 6th in GPX4 mRNA abundance, with liver and kidney 3rd and 4th in ranking. For GPX3 expression, the kidney was highest as expected, because it is the major source of the circulating plasma GPX activity (21). Blood was 5th and liver was 6th, with testis having negligible GPX3 mRNA expression. For TRR1 mRNA expression, testis was high, with kidney and liver 3rd and 4th, and blood 7th in the hierarchy, respectively. Some of this TRR1 mRNA in whole blood likely arises from white cells, as shown in Figure 1. Last, SelP mRNA expression was also highest in testis and liver, followed by kidney; blood was 7th in the hierarchy. Although liver is thought to be the predominant source of circulating SelP levels (22), it is clear that other tissues including reticulocytes, testis, and kidney also have capacity to synthesize SelP. In contrast to high selenoprotein expression in blood, the expression of GAPDH in blood was very low relative to liver, testis, and kidney.



View larger version (76K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
FIGURE 2 RPA of selenoprotein mRNA in rat blood and tissues. Total RNA (10 µg), isolated from whole blood and 16 tissues from 3 Se-adequate male rats, was analyzed for GPX1, GPX4, TRR1, GAPDH, and SelP. A second set of samples was analyzed for GPX3. A Se-adequate liver RNA sample was hybridized individually with 2X-concentration of a single probe (lanes 1–5) and the second set for GPX3 with Se-adequate kidney RNA (lane 5); yeast tRNA (lane 6) was analyzed with the probe mixture as a negative control. Tissues from each rat were analyzed on separate RPA gels; the figure is 1 of 3 autoradiographs.

 


View larger version (40K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
FIGURE 3 Selenoprotein mRNA expression in rat blood and tissues. Selenoprotein mRNA levels in total RNA were quantitated by ribonuclease protection analysis of total RNA samples from 3 Se-adequate male rats (see Fig. 2) for GPX1 (A), GPX4 (B), GPX3 (C), TRR1 (D), SelP (E), and GAPDH (F). Protected [32P]UTP labeled fragments on different gels were normalized by analyzing the same control sample on each gel. Bars represent the means ± SEM, n = 3; liver, blood, kidney and testes are represented by black bars. Two means linked by a bracket are significantly different (P < 0.05).

 
In Expt. 3, liver GPX1, liver GPX4, plasma GPX3, and RBC GPX1 activities in rats fed a Se-deficient diet for 28 d were 2, 33, 5, and 27%, respectively, of levels in Se-adequate rats (data not shown). RPA analysis (Fig. 4) and quantitation (data not shown) revealed that blood GPX1 mRNA levels in Se-deficient rats had decreased significantly to 14 ± 1% of the mRNA levels in Se-adequate blood and thus were comparable to the fall (P < 0.05) in liver GPX1 mRNA (to 19 ± 2%). In contrast, GPX4 mRNA levels in blood and liver were not affected by Se deficiency, falling to 79 ± 9% and 83 ± 4%, respectively, of Se-adequate levels (n = 3; P > 0.05). Thus at least in rats, assessment of blood GPX1 mRNA level offers potential as a molecular biology marker that responds dramatically to Se deficiency.



View larger version (42K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
FIGURE 4 RPA of selenoprotein mRNA in Se-deficient and Se-adequate rat blood and liver. Total RNA (10 µg) from whole blood and liver from Se-deficient (–Se) and Se-adequate (+Se) rats was analyzed for GPX1, GPX4, and GAPDH. Shown is a representative composite of separate blood and liver RPA autoradiographs; the GAPDH probe used here had higher [32P]UTP-specific activity than that used for Figures 1and 2.

 

    DISCUSSION
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 LITERATURE CITED
 
Because Se is necessary for selenoenzyme activity, selenoprotein enzyme activity has been used to assess human Se status and human requirements over the Se-deficient to Se-adequate range. Thus, RBC GPX activity and plasma GPX have been especially useful in assessing Se status and human Se requirements because the levels of these enzymes fall to relatively low levels in Se deficiency (2,3,2325). The use of these selenoenzyme activities as markers of Se status was based on a number of nutritional studies using rats and other species (8,2628) showing that the levels of selenoenzyme activity and selenoproteins were well regulated by dietary Se status and could be used to determine a minimum dietary level of Se that was required for maximal enzyme activity. The discovery that mRNA levels for at least 1 selenoprotein, GPX1, are highly regulated by dietary Se and Se status offers the possibility of using mRNA levels for assessing nutrient status (915,22,29,30). GPX1 mRNA levels in rats and mice are highly regulated by Se status and reach a plateau at approximately half of the level of dietary Se necessary to provide a plateau for enzymatic activity (11). Activities of the other selenoenzymes such as plasma GPX3 (31) or levels of other selenoproteins such as SelP (32) are effective ways of assessing Se status, but the advent of molecular biology techniques and their application in medicine and health suggest that molecular markers for assessing nutrient status will be important in the future. Thus we conducted these preliminary studies to evaluate and compare the distribution of selenoprotein mRNA levels in rat tissues including whole blood because blood may be more amenable for assessing human nutrient status.

Unexpectedly, we found that substantial amounts of total RNA (>50 µg) could be obtained from 1 mL of whole blood. Sedimentation fractionation of whole blood into a white cell fraction and a red cell fraction revealed that the white cells contributed a small amount of the whole blood mRNA, based on the levels of GAPDH mRNA found in a white cell fraction vs. the red cell fraction or whole blood. Levels of GPX1 and GPX4 mRNA in whole blood and in the red cell fraction were very similar, further suggesting that whole blood total RNA might be an efficacious source of RNA to be used for assessing nutrient status.

This study is the first to report an evaluation of the gene expression pattern for a number of selenoproteins and across a comprehensive set of tissues. Comparison of GPX1 mRNA levels in total RNA obtained from whole blood and from 16 other rat tissues indicated that GPX1 mRNA levels in whole blood are similar to levels found in liver, kidney, and heart. As expected from previous studies (10,33), GPX4 mRNA levels were high in testis, but levels in blood were comparable to liver and kidney. Similarly, kidney had high levels of GPX3 mRNA (34), but levels in blood were comparable to heart and liver. TRR1 and SelP mRNA levels in blood were in a similar range but lower than in kidney and liver as well as testis, consistent with previous reports (13,22,35); broad tissue distribution of SelP expression may help explain the presence of SelP in brain and other tissues (36). Thus, these studies show that useful levels of total RNA can be readily obtained from whole blood and that the levels of expression, notably GPX1 mRNA levels, are comparable to levels found in the major organs that have been used to carefully assess nutrient status in animal models. In an initial experiment, we found that the fall in blood GPX1 mRNA levels was comparable to the fall in liver GPX1 mRNA, indicating that blood GPX1 mRNA at least in rats responds dramatically to Se deficiency.

Selenoenzyme activities across the tissues were not measured in this experiment. Correlation of the GPX1 mRNA levels determined here with GPX1 activities in 12 common tissues, determined in a similar study conducted previously in our laboratory with rats of the same strain and age and fed the same diet but with 0.1 µg Se/g diet (37), reveals that pancreas, cerebrum, testes, muscle, blood, adrenal glands, and blood all have a similar ratio of GPX1 activity to mRNA level, whereas thymus, heart, kidney, and lung all have proportionally more GPX1 activity than mRNA. A similar comparison of GPX4 mRNA levels with GPX4 activities (10,38) shows a nearly common ratio of GPX4 activity to mRNA in thymus, lung, heart, kidney, and testis but proportionally less (approximately half) GPX4 activity per mRNA in liver, cerebrum, and muscle. These differences may be due to altered rates of protein synthesis vs. protein degradation in these tissues, including differences in translational efficiency (14) or possibly due to the presence or absence of other peroxidases in these tissues, which contribute to measured activity.

On the basis of animal experiments, it is fairly clear that the most dramatic changes in the level of markers of Se status are found in liver and to some extent in plasma. When trying to use mRNA expression to assess Se status, however, use of liver or other internal organs is not practical for human studies, nor would sampling of the tissues of origin for plasma selenoproteins. Logical, less invasive sources of tissue for assessing nutrient status would include plasma, white cells, and whole blood, as well as cell scrapings from the mouth or other regions of the body. We found that 1 mL of whole rat blood would yield ~50 µg of total RNA using a one-step denaturation process, thus showing that whole blood could be a major source of sufficient material that would permit multiple molecular biology assays; human blood can yield 15–20 µg of RNA/mL using this one-step isolation process (39).

Researchers have used white cells or platelets as a tissue for assessing Se nutrient status and nutrient requirements (23,24,40). Considerable material and manipulation, however, are required to obtain reproducible and significant amounts of platelet material, thus likely limiting the available total RNA for use in molecular biology analysis. Relative white cell and platelet numbers will also be affected by viral infection or other diseases such that this may introduce considerable variability. RBC, because of their long half-life of ~17 wk in humans, offer advantages in addition to accessibility and large sample volume because the long lifespan might integrate nutrient status over a considerable period of time. In particular, this would mean that recent or transient nutrient supplementation or changes in dietary habits would not have large effects on the overall assessment of an individual’s nutrient intake. Several Se-repletion studies in humans showed that plasma GPX3 activity and platelet GPX can reach a plateau after 2–4 wk of Se supplementation, whereas RBC GPX activity requires 8–16 wk (23,24,31), showing that RBC offers the potential to integrate Se status over a longer period of time than do platelets or plasma. This could be a considerable advantage except for cases in which the study objective is to assess the effect of recent dietary changes or supplementation on nutrient status. There are several limitations on the use of blood RNA as well, including the effect of blood loss, e.g., menstruation, or disease, which might adversely influence the apparent nutrient status relative to the real nutrient status of an individual. Similarly, other nutrient deficiencies might cause microcytic or macrocytic anemias, which might adversely affect these parameters. At this point it is not clear whether RBC would be more affected than other tissues by changes in the status of other nutrients. An effective internal biomarker in red cell RNA would be helpful as a normalization standard in nutrient status assessment.

In summary, these initial studies showed that whole blood total RNA is readily available at least in rodents and has sufficient mRNA levels for GPX1 and GPX4, as well as perhaps some of the other selenoenzymes, such that whole blood is a potential source of RNA for use in molecular biology assessment of nutrient status. Additional studies in animals, including assessment of the effect of changes in blood loss and changes in infection, will be required to further demonstrate the usefulness of whole blood RNA for assessing nutrient status. Of course, similar studies will be necessary in humans before routine application of molecular biology approaches can be employed for assessing Se status and requirement as well as for other nutrients.


    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 
The authors thank Alison Goetz for her excellent assistance in preparation of this manuscript.


    FOOTNOTES
 
1 Presented in preliminary form at Experimental Biology 04, April 2004, Washington, DC [Evenson, J. K., Wheeler, A. D., Blake, S. M. & Sunde, R. A. (2004) Selenoprotein mRNA expression in blood and other tissues in the rat. FASEB J. 18: A849-A850 (abs.)]. Back

2 Supported by USDA 98–35200-6051. Back

4 Abbreviations used: GAPDH, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GPX, glutathione peroxidase; hpf, high power field; RDA, Recommended Dietary Allowance; RPA, ribonuclease protection assay; SelP, selenoprotein-P; TRR1, thioredoxin reductase-1; WBC, white blood cell. Back

5 RPA probes were: GPX1 (X07365, bases 411–957), GPX4 (NM 017165, bases 209–653), TRR1 (NM031614, bases 209–599), GPX3 (NM022525, bases 430–810), SelP (NM019192, bases 987-1252) and GAPDH (NM017008, bases 1148–1463). Back

Manuscript received 14 May 2004. Initial review completed 10 June 2004. Revision accepted 15 July 2004.


    LITERATURE CITED
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 LITERATURE CITED
 

1. Rotruck, J. T., Pope, A. L., Ganther, H. E., Swanson, A. B., Hafeman, D. G. & Hoekstra, W. G. (1973) Selenium: biochemical role as a component of glutathione peroxidase. Science (Washington, DC) 179:588-590.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

2. Yang, G. Q., Zhu, L. Z., Liu, S. J., Gu, L. Z., Qian, P. C., Huang, J. H. & Lu, M. D. (1987) Human selenium requirements in China. Combs, G. F. Spallholz, J. E. Levander, O. A. Oldfield, J. E. eds. Selenium in Biology and Medicine 1987:589-607 Van Norstrand Reinhold New York, NY. .

3. Duffield, A. J., Thomson, C. D., Hill, K. E. & Williams, S. (1999) An estimation of selenium requirements for New Zealanders. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 70:896-903.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

4. Food and Nutrition Board (2000) Selenium. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium and Carotenoids 2000:284-324 National Academy Press Washington, DC.

5. World Health Organization (1996) Selenium. Trace Elements in Human Nutrition and Health 1996:105-122 WHO Geneva, Switzerland.

6. Sunde, R. A. (2001) Selenium. Bowman, B. A. Russell, R. M. eds. Present Knowledge in Nutrition 2001:352-365 ILSI Press Washington, DC. .

7. Hatfield, D. L. (2001) Selenium: Its Molecular Biology and Role in Human Health 2001:1-352 Kluwer Academic Publishers Norwood, MA.

8. Hafeman, D. G., Sunde, R. A. & Hoekstra, W. G. (1974) Effect of dietary selenium on erythrocyte and liver glutathione peroxidase in the rat. J. Nutr. 104:580-587.

9. Saedi, M. S., Smith, C. G., Frampton, J., Chambers, I., Harrison, P. R. & Sunde, R. A. (1988) Effect of selenium status on mRNA levels for glutathione peroxidase in rat liver. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 153:855-861.[Medline]

10. Lei, X. G., Evenson, J. K., Thompson, K. M. & Sunde, R. A. (1995) Glutathione peroxidase and phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase are differentially regulated in rats by dietary selenium. J. Nutr. 125:1438-1446.

11. Weiss, S. L., Evenson, J. K., Thompson, K. M. & Sunde, R. A. (1996) The selenium requirement for glutathione peroxidase mRNA level is half of the selenium requirement for glutathione peroxidase activity in female rats. J. Nutr. 126:2260-2267.

12. Weiss, S. L., Evenson, J. K., Thompson, K. M. & Sunde, R. A. (1997) Dietary selenium regulation of glutathione peroxidase mRNA and other selenium-dependent parameters in male rats. J. Nutr. Biochem. 8:85-91.

13. Hadley, K. B. & Sunde, R. A. (2001) Selenium regulation of thioredoxin reductase activity and mRNA levels in rat liver. J. Nutr. Biochem. 12:693-702.[Medline]

14. Sachdev, S. W. & Sunde, R. A. (2001) Selenium regulation of transcript abundance and relative translational efficiency of glutathione peroxidase 1 and 4 in rat liver. Biochem. J. 357:851-858.[Medline]

15. Sunde, R. A. (2001) Regulation of selenoprotein expression. Hatfield, D. L. eds. Selenium: Its Molecular Biology and Role in Human Health 2001:81-96 Kluwer Academic Publishers Norwood, MA. .

16. Lawrence, R. A., Sunde, R. A., Schwartz, G. L. & Hoekstra, W. G. (1974) Glutathione peroxidase activity in rat lens and other tissues in relation to dietary selenium intake. Exp. Eye Res. 18:563-569.[Medline]

17. Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, N. J., Farr, A. L. & Randall, R. J. (1951) Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J. Biol. Chem. 193:265-275.[Free Full Text]

18. Knight, S.A.B. & Sunde, R. A. (1987) The effect of progressive selenium deficiency on anti-glutathione peroxidase antibody reactive protein in rat liver. J. Nutr. 117:732-738.

19. Weiss, S. L. & Sunde, R. A. (1998) Cis-acting elements are required for selenium regulation of glutathione peroxidase-1 mRNA levels. RNA 4:816-827.[Abstract]

20. Steel, R.G.D. & Torrie, J. H. (1960) Principles and Procedures of Statistics 1960 McGraw-Hill Book New York, NY.

21. Cohen, H. J. & Avissar, N. (1994) Extracellular glutathione peroxidase: a distinct selenoprotein. Burk, R. F. eds. Selenium in biology and human health 1994:81-91 Springer-Verlag New York, NY. .

22. Burk, R. F. & Hill, K. E. (1994) Selenoprotein P. A selenium-rich extracellular glycoprotein. J. Nutr. 124:1891-1897.

23. Robinson, M. F. & Thomson, C. D. (1983) The role of selenium in the diet. Nutr. Abstr. Rev. 53:3-26.

24. Levander, O. A., Alfthan, G., Arvilommi, H., Gref, C. G., Hultunen, J. K., Kataja, M., Koivistoinen, P. & Pikkarainen, J. (1983) Bioavailability of selenium to Finnish men as assessed by platelet glutathione peroxidase activity and other blood parameters. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 37:887-897.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

25. Xia, Y. M., Hill, K. E. & Burk, R. F. (1989) Biochemical studies of a selenium-deficient population in China: measurement of selenium, glutathione peroxidase and other oxidant defense indices in blood. J. Nutr. 119:1318-1326.

26. Arthur, J. R., Nicol, F., Hutchinson, A. R. & Beckett, G. J. (1990) The effects of selenium depletion and repletion on the metabolism of thyroid hormones in the rat. J. Inorg. Biochem. 39:101-108.[Medline]

27. Whanger, P. D. & Butler, J. A. (1988) Effects of various dietary levels of selenium as selenite or selenomethionine on tissue selenium levels and glutathione peroxidase activity in rats. J. Nutr. 118:846-852.

28. Hill, K. E., McCollum, G. W., Boeglin, M. E. & Burk, R. F. (1997) Thioredoxin reductase activity is decreased by selenium deficiency. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 234:293-295.[Medline]

29. Hill, K. E., Lyons, P. R. & Burk, R. F. (1992) Differential regulation of rat liver selenoprotein mRNAs in selenium deficiency. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 185:260-263.[Medline]

30. Bermano, G., Nicol, F., Dyer, J. A., Sunde, R. A., Beckett, G. J., Arthur, J. R. & Hesketh, J. E. (1995) Tissue-specific regulation of selenoenzyme gene expression during selenium deficiency in rats. Biochem. J. 311:425-430.

31. Cohen, H. J., Chovaneic, M. E., Mistretta, D. & Baker, S. S. (1985) Selenium repletion and glutathione peroxidase- differential effects on plasma and red blood cell enzyme activity. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 41:735-747.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

32. Hill, K. E., Xia, Y., Akesson, B., Boeglin, M. E. & Burk, R. F. (1996) Selenoprotein P concentration in plasma is an index of selenium status in selenium-deficient and selenium-supplemented Chinese subjects. J. Nutr. 126:138-145.

33. Roveri, A., Casasco, A., Maiorino, M., Dalan, P., Calligaro, A. & Ursini, F. (1992) Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase of rat testis. Gonadotropin dependence and immunocytochemical identification. J. Biol. Chem. 267:6142-6146.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

34. Yoshimura, S., Watanabe, K., Suemizu, H., Onozawa, T., Mizoguchi, J., Tsuda, K., Hatta, H. & Moriuchi, T. (1991) Tissue specific expression of the plasma glutathione peroxidase gene in rat kidney. J. Biochem. 109:918-923.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

35. Gasdaska, J. R., Gasdaska, P. Y., Gallegos, A. & Powis, G. (1996) Human thioredoxin reductase gene localization to chromosome position 12q23–q24.1 and mRNA distribution in human tissue. Genomics 37:257-259.[Medline]

36. Burk, R. F., Hill, K. E., Boeglin, M. E., Ebner, F. F. & Chittum, H. S. (1997) Selenoprotein P associates with endothelial cells in rat tissues. Histochem. Cell. Biol. 108:11-15.[Medline]

37. Thompson, K. M., Haibach, H. & Sunde, R. A. (1995) Growth and plasma triiodothyronine concentrations are modified by selenium deficiency and repletion in second-generation selenium-deficient rats. J. Nutr. 125:864-873.

38. Thompson, K. M., Haibach, H. & Sunde, R. A. (1998) Liver selenium and testes phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase are associated with growth during selenium repletion of second-generation Se-deficient male rats. J. Nutr. 128:1289-1295.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

39. Molecular Research Center (1995) Tri Reagent BD—RNA, DNA, protein isolation reagent 1995 Manufacturer’s Protocol. Cincinnati, OH.

40. Levander, O. A., DeLoach, D. P., Morris, V. C. & Moser, P. B. (1983) Platelet glutathione peroxidase activity as an index of selenium status in rats. J. Nutr. 113:55-63.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J. Nutr.Home page
J.-C. Zhou, H. Zhao, J.-G. Li, X.-J. Xia, K.-N. Wang, Y.-J. Zhang, Y. Liu, Y. Zhao, and X. G. Lei
Selenoprotein Gene Expression in Thyroid and Pituitary of Young Pigs Is Not Affected by Dietary Selenium Deficiency or Excess
J. Nutr., June 1, 2009; 139(6): 1061 - 1066.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Endocr. Rev.Home page
J. Kohrle, F. Jakob, B. Contempre, and J. E. Dumont
Selenium, the Thyroid, and the Endocrine System
Endocr. Rev., December 1, 2005; 26(7): 944 - 984.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Evenson, J. K.
Right arrow Articles by Sunde, R. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Evenson, J. K.
Right arrow Articles by Sunde, R. A.


Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
Copyright © 2004 by American Society for Nutrition