Can dietary selenium reduce leukotriene production?
The leukotrienes, prominent mediators of immediate hypersensitivity and inflammation, are derived from the major product of leukocyte lipoxygenase activity, 5-HPETE. An alternative pathway for 5-HPETE metabolism is reduction to 5-HETE. I hypothesize that, in analogy to its established role in platelet lipoxygenase metabolism, the selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase mediates this reduction. If so, supplementary selenium may decrease leukotriene production, and thus have value as a nutritional adjuvant in the management of asthma and various other inflammatory disorders.
D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000201:enzymology; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006893:Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acids; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015289:Leukotrienes; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000378:metabolism; D008084:Lipoxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D051381:Rats; D013189:SRS-A / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012643:Selenium / Q000494:pharmacology*
D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D006893:Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acids; D015289:Leukotrienes; D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D013189:SRS-A; D007975:Leukotriene B4; C022022:5-hydroxy-6,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid; C025086:15-hydroperoxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D008084:Lipoxygenase; D012643:Selenium