Effects of Selenium with Vitamin E and Melatonin on Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Damage in Rat Liver and Kidneys

The present study was performed to determine the protective effects of melatonin alone and vitamin E with selenium combination against cadmium-induced oxidative damage in rat liver. A total of 60 male rats were equally divided into five groups, one of which acted as control receiving subcutaneous injections of physiological saline. The remaining four groups were treated with subcutaneous injections of cadmium chloride at a dose of 1 mg/kg weight. The first study group received no treatment. The second group was treated with a combination of 60 mg/kg vitamin E and 1 mg/kg sodium selenite. Group 3 was treated with 10 mg/kg melatonin, and the four group received a combination of vitamin E, sodium selenite, and melatonin at the doses mentioned above. After 1 month, the animals were killed, and liver and kidneys were excised for histopathological inspection and determination of tissue malondialdehyde and the activity of superoxide dismutase. The animals receiving no treatment showed significantly higher malondialdehyde levels and reduced activity of superoxide dismutase (p < 0.05). Treatment with antioxidants resulted in a significant reduction in malondialdehyde when compared to nontreated animals (p < 0.05) and increase in the enzyme activity that was almost the same as the controls. The pathological findings were also in parallel with the results of the biochemical analysis. In conclusion, all the agents tested had protective effects against cadmium-induced oxidative damage.     

Selenium and Vitamin E Modulates Cigarette Smoke Exposure-Induced Oxidative Stress in Blood of Rats

Cigarette smoke contains about 5,000 chemicals that include organic and metallic compounds. The current study was undertaken to investigate the effects of selenium and vitamin E on oxidative stress-induced damage in rats exposed to cigarette smoke. Forty male rats were equally divided into four groups. The first and second groups were used as control and cigarette smoke groups, respectively. Selenium was administered to rats constituting the third group for 27 days. The Se and vitamin E combination was given to animals in fourth group for 27 days. All groups except the control, were exposed to cigarette smoke starting at the third day of the experiment and continuing for 27 days. The blood samples from all groups were taken at the end of 27 days. Plasma lipid peroxidation, triacylglycerol, and total cholesterol levels were higher in the cigarette smoke group than in the control, although erythrocytic superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were lower in the cigarette smoke group than in the control. The plasma lipid peroxidation, triacylglycerol, and total cholesterol levels were lower in cigarette smoke+Se+VE group than in the cigarette smoke group, although erythrocytic superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione peroxidase activity in selenium and vitamin E-administered groups were higher than in the exposed to cigarette smoke group. High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol level was not affect by selenium and vitamin E administrations. In conclusion, selenium and vitamin E seem to have protective effects on the cigarette smoke-induced blood toxicity by supporting the enzymatic antioxidant redox systems.     

Selenium and Vitamin E Deficiency in Pigs

The effect of selenium (Se) and vitamin E (Vit. E) on reproductive performance, growth and health was studied in pigs. Two levels of Se were used, 0.03 and 0.06 nag per kg feed. The major component of the experimental diets was barley originating from soil which had formerly produced crops with a very low content of Se. Prior to seeding, the area was divided into 2 plots, 1 of which was treated with Se in the form of sodium selenite, 100 g Se per ha. The use of Se enriched fertilizer was an effective way of increasing the Se concentration of the grain. Thus the concentration of Se in the barley produced on the treated area was 5 times higher than in barley from the untreated one. Vit. E was added at a level of 30 i.u. per kg feed, and the concentrations were approx. 15 and 45 i.u. in the basal and experimental diets, respectively. The higher level of Se or Vit. E was not significantly associated with milk yield of the sow, litter size, birth weight or haemoglobin levels. However, there was a tendency to an increase in milk yield of the sows following additions of Se plus Vit. E, and litter size was slightly higher from sows which had received an addition of Vit. E. The concentration of Se and Vit. E was much higher in colostrum than in sow milk, and additions of dietary Se and Vit. E were associated with marked increases in the concentrations of these compounds in both colostrum and sow milk. There was a moderately improving effect of a high Se concentration in feed on growth rate and feed utilization. Low dietary levels of Se and Vit. E were followed by increased mortality rate in piglets; iron toxicity in connection with iron treatment was observed in piglets on low dietary Vit. E. Symptoms characteristic of PSE were not observed in the Se and Vit. E deficient pigs.     

Effects of Vitamin E and Selenium on Serum Trace and Major Elements in Horses

The combined effects of vitamin E and selenium were studied in native Anatolian horses subject to strenuous exercise. The concentrations of copper, zinc, iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium were determined in serum by atomic absorption spectrometry in two study groups (n = 25 each), one of which served as untreated controls. After exercising the horses by running 1,500 m in about 7 min, only the copper level and the copper/zinc ratio significantly increased (p < 0.05), but the concentrations of calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium remained unchanged. In horses treated with vitamin E and selenium, the calcium and potassium levels decreased to levels lower than those of untreated controls before and after exercise. The iron levels were not changed by exercise or treatment alone but increased when the horses had been supplemented and exercised. The copper level and the copper/zinc ration increased as a result of exercise in both treated and untreated horses. These changes suggest that supplementation with vitamin E and selenium had an important effect on the serum concentrations of calcium, potassium, copper, iron, and the copper/zinc ratio.     

Free Radical-Induced Liver Injury. I. Effects of Dietary Vitamin E Deficiency on Triacylglycerol Level and its Fatty Acid Profile in Rat Liver

Effects of dietary vitamin E deficiency on the fatty acid compositions of total lipids and phospholipids were studied in several tissues of rats fed a vitamin E-deficient diet for 4, 6, and 9 months. No significant differences were observed between the vitamin E deficiency and controls except in the fatty acid profiles of liver total lipids. Triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation was found in the liver of rats fed a vitamin E-deficient diet. The levels of TAG-palmitate and -oleate increased particularly in the liver from such animals. The fatty acid compositions of hepatic phospholipids were not affected by the diet. Increased TAG observed in the liver of rats fed a vitamin E-deficient diet was restored to normal when the diet was supplemented with 20 mg α-tocopheryl acetate/kg diet. These findings indicate that dietary vitamin E deficiency causes TAG accumulation in the liver and that the antioxidant, vitamin E, is capable of preventing free radical-induced liver injury.     

Selenium and vitamin E for prostate cancer: post-SELECT (Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial) status

Various formulations of selenium and vitamin E, both essential human dietary components, have been shown to possess a therapeutic and preventive effect against prostate cancer. Fortuitous results of clinical trials also implied a risk-reduction effect of selenium and vitamin E supplements. The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT), using oral selenium and vitamin E supplementation in disease-free volunteers, was designed to test a prostate cancer chemoprevention hypothesis. SELECT was terminated early because of both safety concerns and negative data for the formulations and doses given. Here, we review and discuss the studies done before and since the inception of SELECT, as well as the parameters of the trial itself. We believe that there is a lack of appropriate in vivo preclinical studies on selenium and vitamin E despite many promising in vitro studies on these agents. It seems that the most effective doses and formulations of these agents for prostate cancer chemoprevention have yet to be tested. Also, improved understanding of selenium and vitamin E biology may facilitate the discovery of these doses and formulations.     

维生素E和硒对大鼠非酒精性脂肪性肝病解偶联蛋白2及相关因子表达的影响

采用高脂饮食诱导大鼠非酒精性脂肪性肝病模型,分别给予维生素E、亚硒酸钠或两者合用干预5周,检测血清中甘油三酯(TG)、胆固醇(TC)、谷丙转氨酶(ALT)、谷草转氨酶(AST)水平、丙二醛(MDA)含量和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活力;观察肝脏病理变化,检测肝组织UCP2mRNA与蛋白表达情况;从而探讨维生素E和硒对非酒精性脂肪肝大鼠肝脏解偶联蛋白2(UCP2)及相关因子的影响。结果显示,维生素E和硒两者合用组大鼠血清中TG、TC含量明显降低,SOD活力升高显著,肝组织中UCP2mRNA与蛋白表达下调明显。上述结果表明维生素E和硒合用降低氧自由基和脂质过氧化物的生成,下调UCP2表达水平的效果最好。     

Influence of Fluoride on Rat Kidney Antioxidant System: Effects of Methionine and Vitamin E

The aim of the study has been to determine and compare the influence upon the kidney antioxidative system, exercised by administration of vitamin E, and vitamin E in combination with methionine, under conditions of oxidative stress induced by sodium fluoride. The experiment was carried out on Wistar FL rats (adult males) that, for 35 days, were administered water, NaF, NaF with vitamin E, or vitamin E with methionine (doses: 10 mg NaF/kg of body mass/24 h, 3 mg vitamin E per 10 μl per rat for 24 h, 2 mg methionine per rat for 24 h). The influence of administered sodium fluoride and antioxidants upon the antioxidative system in kidney was examined by analyzing the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of the most important antioxidative enzymes (SOD, total and both its isoenzymes, GPX, GST, GR, and CAT). The studies carried out confirmed the disadvantageous effect of the administered dose of NaF upon the antixodiative system in rats (increase in the concentration MDA, decrease activity of all antioxidative enzymes). The administration of vitamin E increased the activity of studied enzymes with the exception of glutathione reductase GR; it also reduced the procesess of lipid peroxidation. It has been found that combined doses of vitamin E and methionine were most effective in inhibiting lipid peroxidation processes. The results confirmed the antioxidative properties of methionine.     

Aldehyde and Xanthine Oxidase Activities in Tissues of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats: Effects of Vitamin E and Selenium Supplementation

Effects of vitamin E and selenium supplementation on aldehyde oxidase (AO) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activities and antioxidant status in liver, kidney, and heart of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were examined. AO and XO activities increased significantly after induction of diabetes in rats. Following oral vitamin E (300 mg/kg) and sodium selenite (0.5 mg/kg) intake once a day for 4 weeks, XO activity decreased significantly. AO activity decreased significantly in liver, but remained unchanged in kidney and heart of vitamin E- and selenium-treated rats compared to the diabetic rats. Total antioxidants status, paraoxonase-1 (PON1) and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activities significantly decreased in the diabetic rats compared to the controls, while a higher fasting plasma glucose level was observed in the diabetic animals. The glutathione peroxidase activity remained statistically unchanged. Malondialdehyde and oxidized low-density lipoprotein levels were higher in the diabetic animals; however, these values were significantly reduced following vitamin E and selenium supplementation. In summary, both AO and XO activities increase in STZ-induced diabetic rats, and vitamin E and selenium supplementation can reduce these activities. The results also indicate that administration of vitamin E and selenium has hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, and antioxidative effects. It decreases tissue damages in diabetic rats, too.     

Protective Effects of Selenium and Vitamin E Combination on Experimental Colitis in Blood Plasma and Colon of Rats

Ulcerative colitis increases oxidative damage accompanied by production of free oxygen radicals. Selenium (Se) and vitamin E are two natural antioxidants. The present study was undertaken to investigate the possible protective role of Se and vitamin E combination in experimental colitis induced by acetic acid (AA) in rats. This study was carried out on three groups, namely the first (control), the second (experimental colitis group, 2 ml 5% acetic acid), and the third groups (2 ml 5% acetic acid, vitamin E (100 mg/kg body weight (bw)) plus Se (0.2 mg/kg bw)). The activities of catalase (CAT), prolidase (PRS), myeloperoxidase (MPO), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), total thiol (T-SH) were determined in plasma and colon samples. Macroscopic and microscopic damages in colon were increased by AA treatment (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively), whereas they were decreased by selenium and vitamin E treatment (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). The activities of CAT and PRS in the plasma and colon were significantly affected (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) by treatment of AA, Se, and vitamin E. MPO activity in colon was increased (p < 0.01) by AA treatment and decreased (p < 0.05) by Se and vitamin E administration. The values of TOS and OSI in plasma were increased (p < 0.5) by AA. The TAC and T-SH in colon were decreased (p < 0.05) by AA and increased (p < 0.05) by Se and vitamin E. Based upon these results, Se and vitamin E may play an important role in preventive indication of the oxidative damage associated by acetic acid caused inflammation.     

Prospective Randomized Trial of Enoxaparin,Pentoxifylline and Ursodeoxycholic Acid for Prevention of Radiation-Induced Liver Toxicity

Background/Aim

Targeted radiotherapy of liver malignancies has found to be effective in selected patients. A key limiting factor of these therapies is the relatively low tolerance of the liver parenchyma to radiation. We sought to assess the preventive effects of a combined regimen of pentoxifylline (PTX), ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and low-dose low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on focal radiation-induced liver injury (fRILI).

Methods and Materials

Patients with liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma who were scheduled for local ablation by radiotherapy (image-guided high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy) were prospectively randomized to receive PTX, UDCA and LMWH for 8 weeks (treatment) or no medication (control). Focal RILI at follow-up was assessed using functional hepatobiliary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A minimal threshold dose, i.e. the dose to which the outer rim of the fRILI was formerly exposed to, was quantified by merging MRI and dosimetry data.

Results

Results from an intended interim-analysis made a premature termination necessary. Twenty-two patients were included in the per-protocol analysis. Minimal mean hepatic threshold dose 6 weeks after radiotherapy (primary endpoint) was significantly higher in the study treatment-group compared with the control (19.1 Gy versus 14.6 Gy, p = 0.011). Qualitative evidence of fRILI by MRI at 6 weeks was observed in 45.5% of patients in the treatment versus 90.9% of the control group. No significant differences between the groups were observed at the 12-week follow-up.

Conclusions

The post-therapeutic application of PTX, UDCA and low-dose LMWH significantly reduced the extent and incidence fRILI at 6 weeks after radiotherapy. The development of subsequent fRILI at 12 weeks (4 weeks after cessation of PTX, UDCA and LMWH during weeks 1–8) in the treatment group was comparable to the control group thus supporting the observation that the agents mitigated fRILI.

Trial Registration

EU clinical trials register 2008-002985-70 ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01149304","term_id":"NCT01149304"}}NCT01149304     

Influence of Diet on Experimental Swine Dysentery. 1. Effects of A Vitamin E and Selenium Deficient Diet Supplemented with 6.8 % Cod Liver Oil

Sixteen growing pigs were fed a vitamin E and selenium deficient diet; half of the animals (Group 2) were given a daily supply of vitamin E and selenium. After having been fed these diets for 53 days, the pigs were infected orally with minced colonic material from cases with typical swine dysentery. This exposure resulted in outbreaks of swine dysentery in both groups. The incubation times were, however, distinctly shorter and the clinical symptoms much more pronounced in Group 1 than in Group 2. The patho^morphological lesions in the colon also differed between the 2 groups. In the pigs of Group 1 evident pseudomembraneous lesions were observed in the spiral colon. In Group 2, the colonic alterations consisted predominantly of a catarrhal enteritis; pseudomembranes occurred in a minor part of colon in only 4 pigs. Both the clinical and the chemical observations and the pathological findings indicated a much better vitamin E and selenium balance in the pigs of Group 2. It is concluded that the treatment with vitamin E and selenium in Group 2 greatly increased resistance to swine dysentery.     

Selenium,but Not Lycopene or Vitamin E,Decreases Growth of Transplantable Dunning R3327-H Rat Prostate Tumors

Background

Lycopene, selenium, and vitamin E are three micronutrients commonly consumed and supplemented by men diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, it is not clear whether consumption of these compounds, alone or in combination, results in improved outcomes.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We evaluated the effects of dietary lycopene (250 mg/kg diet), selenium (methylselenocysteine, 1 mg/kg diet), and vitamin E (γ-tocopherol, 200 mg/kg diet) alone and in combination on the growth of androgen-dependent Dunning R3327-H rat prostate adenocarcinomas in male, Copenhagen rats. AIN-93G diets containing these micronutrients were prefed for 4 to 6 weeks prior to tumor implantation by subcutaneous injection. Tumors were allowed to grow for ∼18 weeks. Across diet groups, methylselenocysteine consumption decreased final tumor area (P = 0.003), tumor weight (P = 0.003), and the tumor weight/body weight ratio (P = 0.003), but lycopene and γ-tocopherol consumption intake did not alter any of these measures. There were no significant interactions among nutrient combinations on tumor growth. Methylselenocysteine consumption also led to small, but significant decreases in body weight (P = 0.007), food intake (P = 0.012), and body weight gain/food intake ratio (P = 0.022). However, neither body weight nor gain/food intake ratio was correlated with tumor weight. Methylselenocysteine, lycopene, and γ-tocopherol consumed alone and in combination did not alter serum testosterone or dihydrotestosterone concentrations; tumor proliferation or apoptosis rates. In addition, the diets also did not alter tumor or prostate androgen receptor, probasin, selenoprotein 15, selenoprotein P, or selenium binding protein 2 mRNA expression. However, using castration and finasteride-treated tissues from a previous study, we found that androgen ablation altered expression of these selenium-associated proteins.

Conclusions

Of the three micronutrients tested, only methylselenocysteine consumption reduced growth of transplantable Dunning R3327-H prostate tumors, albeit through an unresolved mechanism.     

Selenium-Vitamin E Combination Modulates Endometrial Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Enzymes in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rat

Diabetes mellitus is associated with diabetic impairment of uterine function, ultimately leading to reduced fertility. Its etiology may involve oxidative damage by reactive oxygen substances, and protection against this damage can be offered by antioxidant supplementation. In the present study, the effects of a vitamin E-plus-selenium (VESe) combination on lipid peroxidation (MDA) and the scavenging enzyme activity in the uterine endometrium of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were investigated. Twenty-four female rats were equally divided into three groups as follows: group I (control); group II (diabetic); group III (diabetic + VESe), STZ + vitamin E (60?mg/kg over 1?day) + selenium-treated (Na2SeO3, 1?mg/kg over 1?day). After 4?weeks of receiving the VESe treatment, endometrium samples were taken from the uterus. Although the VESe treatment decreased the MDA and blood glucose levels in the STZ group, the observed values remained significantly higher than in the controls. Catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities and body weight gain were significantly (p?<?0.01) lower in STZ groups as compared to control group, whereas their activities were (p?<?0.01) increased by VESe treatment. However, there was no significant difference on body weight gain and uterine weights between control and STZ + VESe groups. In conclusion, the endometrial complications caused by oxidative stress, and the abnormal blood glucose levels in diabetic of rats, can be alleviated by strengthening the physiological antioxidative defense through the administration of vitamin E and Se.     

Selenium Regulates Gene Expression for Estrogen Sulfotransferase and Alpha 2U-globulin in Rat Liver

Dietary intake of the essential trace element selenium (Se) regulates expression of genes for seleno-proteins and certain non-Se-containing proteins. However, these proteins do not account for all of Se's biological effects. The objective of this work was to identify additional genes whose expression is regulated by Se. Identification of these genes may reveal new functions for Se or define mechanisms for its biological effects. Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a Torula yeast-based Se-deficient basal diet or the same diet supplemented with 0.5 mg Se/kg diet as sodium selenite for 13 weeks. Total RNA was used as template for RNA fingerprinting. Two differentially expressed cDNA fragments were identified and cloned. The first had 99% nucleotide identity with rat liver estrogen sulfotransferase (EST) isoform-6. The second had 99% nucleotide sequence identity with rat liver 2u-globulin. The mRNA levels for both were markedly reduced in Se deficiency. Laser densitometry showed that EST mRNA in Se deficiency was 7.3% of that in Se-adequate rat liver. The level of 2u-globulin mRNA in Se-deficient rat liver was only 12.6% of that in Se-adequate rat liver. These results indicate that dietary Se may play a role in steroid hormone metabolism in rat liver.     

Clinico-Pathologic Findings in Young Pigs Fed Different Levels of Selenium,Vitamin E and Antioxidant

A randomized, blocked 23 factorial experiment was conducted with 48 young pigs. The treatment factors were: 2 levels of selenium (55 and 115 µg/kg), 2 levels of vitamin E (3 and 53 mg/kg) and 2 levels of the antioxidant feed additive Ethoxyquin (0 and 150 mg/kg). All pigs were kept in single pens and fed ad libitum throughout the experimental period of 9 weeks, i.e. from 3 to 12 weeks of age. Plasma, heart, liver and muscle Se levels as well as whole blood glutathione peroxidase activity (EC 1.11.1.9 GSH-Px) were significantly higher in pigs given a dietary supplement of Se than in pigs given no supplement of Se (P ≤ 0.001). The Se-supplemented pigs showed a tendency to lower mean serum transaminase activity (ASAT and ALAT) than unsupplemented pigs, but the influence was significant (P ≤ 0.05) only for the ALAT activity. Blood vit. E levels were higher for pigs receiving a supplement of vit. E than for unsupplemented pigs (P ≤ 0.001), and so was the resistance of red blood cells against lipid peroxidation (ELP), as expressed by lower ELP values. There were no effects of Ethoxyquin supplementation on the biochemical variables included in the study. The histological examination of heart muscle showed that the score for changes was negatively influenced by both Se and vit. E supplement (P ≤ 0.001) and to some extent also by Ethoxyquin supplement (P ≤ 0.05). The histological picture of m. long dorsi was influenced only by the vit. E supplement (P ≤ 0.01). No histological changes were found in the liver in this study. There were inverse relationships between whole blood GSH-Px defluorescence time and blood Se, and between ELP and whole blood vit. E (P ≤ 0.001).     

Infusion of a Lipid Emulsion Modulates AMPK and Related Proteins in Rat Liver,Muscle, and Adipose Tissues

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of lipid oversupply on the AMPK pathway in skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue. Male Wistar rats were infused with lipid emulsion (LE) or phosphate‐buffered saline for 5 h/day for 6 days. Muscles exposed to LE for 6 days exhibited increased AMPK and acetyl‐CoA carboxylase (ACC) phosphorylation, along with a greater association between AMPK and Ca²⁺/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase kinase (CaMKK). No differences in muscle protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) activity, LKB1 phosphorylation or AMPK and LKB1 association were observed. Muscle ACCβ, and adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1) mRNA levels and PPARγ‐co‐activator 1α (PGC1α) protein levels were also increased in LE‐treated rats. In contrast, AMPK and ACC phosphorylation decreased and PP2C activity increased in rat livers exposed to LE. Hepatic mRNA levels of ACCα, PPARα, AdipoR1, AdipoR2, and sterol regulatory element–binding protein‐1c (SREBP1c) were also reduced after LE infusion. In adipose tissue, there was no significant alteration in AMPK or ACC phosphorylation. These results demonstrate that following lipid oversupply the AMPK pathway was enhanced in rat skeletal muscle while diminished in the liver and was unchanged in adipose tissue. CaMKK in skeletal muscle and PP2C in the liver, at least in part, appear to mediate these alterations. Alterations in AMPK pathway in the liver induced metabolic defects associated with lipid oversupply.     

Plasma Vitamin E and Blood Selenium Concentrations in Norwegian Dairy Cows: Regional Differences and Relations to Feeding and Health

Plasma α-tocopherol (vit E) and blood selenium (Se) concentrations in February were determined in samples from 314 dairy cows in Norway, selected to provide a representative subset of the Norwegian dairy cow population. Each sample was followed by a questionnaire with information about feeding of the cow at the time of sampling. The results were correlated to herd data and to calving and health data for each cow from the Norwegian Dairy Herd Recording System and the Norwegian Cattle Health Recording System. The mean concentrations were 6.9 μg vit E per ml plasma and 0.16 μg Se per g blood. Both levels were highest in mid lactation. Plasma vit E varied with the amount of silage fed to the cow, while blood Se varied with the amount of concentrates and mineral supplements, and with geographical region. No differences in vit E or Se levels were found between cows with recorded treatments for mastitis, parturient paresis or reproductive disorders in the lactation during or immediately prior to sampling, and those without such treatments. For ketosis, a small difference in blood Se was found between the groups with or without recorded treatments. It is concluded that winter-fed lactating cows in Norway had an adequate plasma level of vit E and a marginal-to-adequate level of Se.     

Serum Selenium,Vitamin E,and Sialic Acids Concentrations in Lambs with White Muscle Disease

The aim of this study was to determine the serum concentrations of selenium, vitamin E, and total- and lipid-bound sialic acid (LBSA) in lambs with white muscle disease (WMD) before and after treatment with a commercial preparation containing selenite and vitamin E. Fifteen lambs with WMD and ten control animals were used as research materials. Blood samples were collected from both groups before- and 1 month after treatment for Se analysis by fluorimetry, whereas vitamin E and sialic acid were measured by HPLC and spectrophotometry, respectively. Compared to controls, in the diseased animals, there was a significant increase of serum total sialic acid (TSA) and LBSA, together with significant decreases of serum Se and vitamin E concentrations (p < 0.001). One month after treatment, a reversal of trend was observed with decreases of TSA and LBSA and increases of Se and vitamin E concentrations. The TSA and LBSA levels, however, remained significantly higher than those of the controls, p < 0.05 and 0.001, respectively. The Se and vitamin E concentrations of the treated animals were the same as those of controls. This is the first study on total and LBSA concentrations in lambs with WMD, showing that these markers can be used in the prognosis of the disease.