title: Combined selenium and vitamin E deficiency causes fatal myopathy in guinea pigs.
abstract: Selenium and vitamin E deficiencies were studied as part of an evaluation of oxidant defenses in guinea pigs. Male guinea pigs (100-120 g) were fed a control diet (C) or the diet without selenium (0 Se), without vitamin E (0 E), or without either selenium or vitamin E (0 Se-0 E). Between d 30 and 35, 7 of 13 guinea pigs fed the 0 Se-0 E diet were euthanized because of severe weakness of their extremities. No guinea pigs in the other diet groups developed weakness. Guinea pigs from each group were killed on d 37. Selenium deficiency and vitamin E deficiency were verified by measurement of glutathione peroxidase and alpha-tocopherol. Creatine phophokinase (CPK) activity was greater than controls in both groups fed vitamin E-deficient diets, but the increase was greater in the 0 Se-0 E group than in the 0 E group. Muscle F(2)-isoprostanes were greater than controls in both groups fed vitamin E-deficient diets with the level in the 0 Se-0 E group greater than that in the 0 E group. Histologic muscle necrosis was severe in the 0 Se-0 E group, minimal in the 0 E group and absent from other groups. The diets used in this study induced selenium and vitamin E deficiencies in guinea pigs. The study demonstrates that combined selenium and vitamin E deficiency results in a fatal myopathy in guinea pigs that is associated with lipid peroxidation in the affected muscle. This nutritional myopathy is much more severe than the myopathy that occurs with vitamin E deficiency alone.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Gastroenterology and Endocrinology, Department of Medicine and Clinical Nutrition Research Unit, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-2279, USA. kristina.hill@mcmail.vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Motley
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Burk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D028441:F2-Isoprostanes; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009336:Necrosis; D012643:Selenium / Q000172:deficiency*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D028441:F2-Isoprostanes; D014810:Vitamin E; D015237:Dinoprost; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D012643:Selenium