New experimental observation on the relationship of selenium and diabetes mellitus

Selenium shows insulin-mimic properties in vitro and in vivo. However, in this study, a high dose of 4 mg/kg/d selenite orally administered to the alloxan-induced diabetic Kun-Ming mice for 4 wk failed to reduce hyperglycemia. Se contents in plasma and tissues such as the liver, kidney, spleen, and brain were determined and the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) levels were investigated. The results showed that alloxan-induced diabetes did not cause a significant decrease in Se levels in plasma and the above tissues compared to the normal control, but selenite treatment significantly increased Se levels in plasma, liver, and brain of the selenite-treated diabetic mice compared to the nontreated diabetic mice. In addition, selenite treatment for diabetic mice reduced the TBARS levels in red blood cells (RBCs) compared to the normal and improved the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels in RBCs significantly compared to the diabetic control. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that although oral administration of a high dose of selenite had no hypoglycemic effect on diabetic mice in 4 wk, selenite treatment still maintained the antioxidant beneficial effect on the diabetic mice. This study shed more light on the relationship between Se and diabetes.