Antioxidant effects of selenium in rat brain and the stimulating role of nitric oxide.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the antioxidant effect of selenium on Na+, K(+)-ATPase in rat brain in the presence of nitric oxide.


METHODS
Male Wistar rats (70 g) were treated as follows: group 1 received 1 microg of i.p. sodium nitroprus-side per kg (SNP), group 2 received 5 microg sodium selenite during 20 days, group 3 received sodium selenite 5 microg + SNP 1 microg and the control group received vehicle 50 microl (0.9% NaCl), same period and route. At the end of treatment, animals were sacrificed and their brain dissected into cortex, hemispheres, cerebellum and brain stem in order to determine lipid peroxidation (TBARS), Na+, K+ ATPase and total ATPase in each section. Blood hemoglobin concentration (Hb) and prostate weight were also assessed.


RESULTS
A significant increase of Hb in blood and of proteins in cortex and hemisphere was detected, but TBARS values fell due to the effect of sodium selenite in all examined regions, except for cerebellum. ATPase activity declined in all groups and regions with and without NTP. We conclude that diet supplementary selenium to inhibit NO generation can be a useful treatment in chronic inflammatory diseases.
Guzmán
David Calderón
DC
Laboratorio de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Avenida Imán No. 1, 3er piso Col Cuicuilco CP 04530, México, DF, Mexico. solodavid2001@yahoo.com.mx
Ruiz
Norma Labra
NL
Mejía
Gerardo Barragán
GB
García
Ernestina Hernández
EH
Vázquez
Ivonne R Espitia
IR
Del Angel
Daniel Santamaría
DS
Ramírez
Aline Morales
AM
Olguín
Hugo Juárez
HJ
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011467:Prostate / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012643:Selenium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018038:Sodium Selenite / Q000494:pharmacology; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism*; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis
D000975:Antioxidants; D006454:Hemoglobins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D012643:Selenium; D018038:Sodium Selenite