title: Protection against acute paraquat toxicity by dietary selenium in the chick.
abstract: Experiments were conducted to determine whether both dietary vitamin E and selenium (Se) affect the acute toxicity of paraquat in the chick. Paraquat significantly stimulated the rate of NADPH-supported consumption of oxygen by the microsomal fractions of chick liver and lung, and this stimulation was decreased by addition of superoxide dismutase and/or catalase. The acute oral LD50 of paraquat in the 8-day-old vitamin E- and Se-deficient chick (131 mg/kg body weight) was increased more than threefold by supplementing the diet with 0.10 ppm Se as Na2SeO3, (419 mg/kg body weight) but was not significantly affected by supplementing the diet with vitamin E (148 mg/kg body weight). A high fat (20%) diet did not alter the protective effect of Se against the acute toxicity of paraquat; however exposure to an oxygen-enriched atmosphere did reduce the protection by dietary Se. Dietary Se at 0.01 ppm protected against acute paraquat toxicity, whereas 0.08 ppm Se produced detectable increases in the Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase. These results indicate that the acute toxicity of paraquat in the chick is highly responsive to nutritional Se status and not vitamin E status.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002374:Catalase / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002645:Chickens; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D010269:Paraquat / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018036:Selenium Compounds; D064588:Selenium Oxides; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D018036:Selenium Compounds; D064588:Selenium Oxides; D014810:Vitamin E; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D012643:Selenium; D010269:Paraquat