title: [Effects of selenium and/or iodine deficiency on chondrocyte apoptosis in rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effects of selenium and/or iodine deficiency on chondrocyte apoptosis in articular cartilage in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into selenium deficiency group, iodine deficiency group, combined selenium and iodine deficiency group, and control group. Chondrocyte apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method, and Bcl-2 and Bax in articular cartilage were stained by immunohistochemistry in F3 generation of rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In articular cartilage, the positive rate of apoptotic chondrocytes stained by TUNEL in the upper and middle zones in selenium deficiency group, iodine deficiency group, and combined selenium and iodine deficiency group (all P < 0.05) were significantly higher than that in control group. The apoptotic chondrocytes were prominent in the middle zone. The positive percentage of chondrocytes apoptosis was not significantly different among these three groups (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the expressions of both Bcl-2 and Bax were significantly higher in the upper and middle zone in the selenium deficiency group, iodine deficiency group, and combined selenium and iodine deficiency group (all P < 0.05); however, the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were not significantly different among these three groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Selenium and/or iodine deficiency may induce chondrocyte apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Environment and Diseases-related Genes, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Jie
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jin-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Feng-Ling
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Yin-Gang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zeng-Tie
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yuan-Xi
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D007455:Iodine / Q000172:deficiency*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012643:Selenium / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D007455:Iodine; D012643:Selenium