title: Effects of low-level organic selenium on lead-induced alterations in neural cell adhesion molecules.
abstract: Low-level lead (Pb) exposure has been reported to impair the formation and consolidation of learning and memory by inhibiting the expression of neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAMs) and altering the temporal profile of its polysialylation state. In this study, we investigated whether administration of low-level organic selenium (selenomethionine, Se) at different time points could affect Pb-induced changes of NCAMs in female Wistar rats. Here we reported that the exposure of Se (60μg/kg body weight/day) at different time points significantly alleviated Pb-induced reductions in the mRNA and protein levels of NCAMs, and increases in the mRNA levels of two polysialyltransferases (St8sia II, Stx; St8sia IV, Pst) as well as the sialyltransferase activity (p<0.05). The concentrations of Pb in blood and hippocampi of Wistar rats treated with the combination of Se and Pb were significantly lower than those treated with Pb alone (p<0.05). Our results suggest that low-level organic Se can not only prevent but also reverse Pb-induced alterations in the expression and polysialylated state of NCAMs as well as the concentration of Pb in rat blood and hippocampus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
authors.forename: Mao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hongjun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Yongmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Baomin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Shuyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Liuqing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Qiansheng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007854:Lead / Q000494:pharmacology; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012643:Selenium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D012794:Sialic Acids; D007854:Lead; D012643:Selenium
keywords: CNS; Lead (Pb); NCAMs; Neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAMs); Organic selenium; PSA; PST; PVDF; Pb; Polysialyltransferase; SPF; ST8Sia II; ST8Sia IV; STX; Se; Selenium; Wistar rat; central nervous system; lead; neural cell adhesion molecules; polyvinylidene difluoride; specific pathogen free; α-2,8-polysialic acid