Effects of dietary selenium and tocopherol on glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities in rat phagocytes

Glutathione peroxidase activities (GSH-Px) of peritoneal exudate polymorphonuclear neutrophils, pulmonary alveolar macrophages, and peritoneal exudate macrophages of rats depleted of dietary selenium for four to six weeks were markedly lower than the corresponding activities in rats fed the same diet supplemented with 0.5 ppm selenium as sodium selenite. GSH-Px in phagocytes from selenium-supplemented rats adequate or deficient in tocopherol status did not differ significantly. In selenium deficient animals, the residual GSH-Px of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and peritoneal macrophages, but not of alveolar macrophages were slightly higher in tocopherol-deficient rats than in tocopherol-supplemented animals. Superoxide dismutase activities of each cell type were comparable and were not significantly affected by dietary selenium or tocopherol.