The investigation of the possible protective influence of selenium on antioxidant barrier in heart of rats exposed to lithium.
OBJECTIVE
Selenium is an essential element possessing antioxidant properties and the treatment with it has displayed protective effects against toxicity of different substances occurring in the environment and food as well as against the side effects of some drugs. Lithium is used in medicine although numerous side effects can occur during therapy, including disturbances of the heart. For these reasons studies to find protective adjuvants have been performed. In the current study the possibility of selenium (as sodium selenite) application as a protective adjuvant in lithium treatment was studied.


METHODS
Male Wistar rats were treated: control - with saline; Li-group - with Li2CO3 (2.7 mg Li/kg b.w.); Se-group - with Na2SeO3 (0.5 mg Se/kg b.w.); Li+Se-group simultaneously with Li2CO3 and Na2SeO3 (2.7 mg Li/kg b.w. and 0.5 mg Se/kg b.w., respectively) by a stomach tube for a period of three weeks, once a day. In heart homogenate activities of antioxidant enzymes - catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), concentrations of low-molecular-weight antioxidants - ascorbic acid (AA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) as well as total antioxidant status (TAS) values were determined. GPx/SOD and CAT/SOD ratios were evaluated.


RESULTS
In comparison with control selenium caused no significant changes of the studied parameters except for GPx, whereas lithium slightly disturbed TAS and markedly GPx, CAT and CAT/SOD ratio. In Li-treated rats co-administration of selenium displayed tendency towards restoring the impaired parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that research on selenium application as an adjuvant in lithium therapy is worthy to be continued.
Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland.
Irena
I
Musik
Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: joanna.kocot@umlub.pl.
Joanna
J
Kocot
Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland.
Anna
A
Lewandowska
Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland.
Renata
R
Żelazowska
Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland.
Małgorzata
M
Kiełczykowska
D000277:Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D008094:Lithium / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018038:Sodium Selenite / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
D000277:Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic; D000975:Antioxidants; D008094:Lithium; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005978:Glutathione; D018038:Sodium Selenite; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidants; Ascorbic acid (PubChem CID: 54670067); Heart; Hydrogen peroxide (PubChem CID: 784); Lithium carbonate; Lithium carbonate (PubChem CID: 11125); Rats; Reduced glutathione (PubChem CID: 745); Sodium selenite; Sodium selenite (PubChem CID: 24934)