Comparison of Serum and Dietary Selenium Levels in Participants with a Positive History of Recurrent Herpes Lesions and Healthy Individuals

Aim. In this study, we aimed to compare the level of serum and dietary selenium in participants with a positive history of recurrent herpes labial lesions and healthy controls. Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional study, conducted during 2020-2021, evaluated the selenium serum level of 40 participants with a positive history of recurrent herpes labial lesions who had referred to Motahhari Laboratory in Shiraz, compared with 38 healthy controls. The selenium level of the serum was assessed by an absorption device, Atomic Graphite Furnace Model FS-240-AAS, made by a US Company. Independent T -test was used to compare the selenium level of males and females. In order to assess the mean age value and gender distribution between the two evaluated groups, the independent T -test and chi-square test were used, respectively. The serum selenium level was compered between both control and test groups. Results. The level of serum selenium was not statistically correlated with its dietary level in group 1 (participants with recurrent herpes labialis, P value = 0.18) and group 2 (healthy controls, P value = 0.6). The serum selenium level was compared between groups 1 and 2, which was significantly higher in healthy controls ( P value < 0.0001). In contrast, dietary selenium level was not significantly different between patients with a history of herpes labialis and healthy controls ( P value = 0.48). The level of serum selenium was not statistically correlated with its dietary level in group 1 ( P value = 0.18) and group 2 ( P value = 0.6). Conclusion. Patients with recurrent herpes labialis had lower serum selenium level as compared to the healthy controls.

Association of Urinary and Dietary Selenium and of Serum Selenium Species with Serum Alanine Aminotransferase in a Healthy Italian Population

The trace element selenium is of considerable interest due to its toxic and nutritional properties, which markedly differ according to the dose and the chemical form. It has been shown that excess selenium intake increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and, possibly, other metabolic diseases like hyperlipidemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). For the latter, however, epidemiologic evidence is still limited. We carried out a cross-sectional study recruiting 137 healthy blood donors living in Northern Italy and assessed their exposure to selenium through different methods and measuring serum selenium species. We performed linear and spline regression analyses to assess the relation of selenium and its forms with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, a marker of NAFLD. Urinary selenium levels were positively and somewhat linearly correlated with ALT (beta regression coefficient (β) 0.11). Conversely, the association of dietary selenium intake with ALT was positive up to 100 µg/day and null above that amount (β 0.03). Total serum selenium was inversely associated with ALT up to 120 µg/L, and slightly positive above that amount. Concerning the different serum selenium species, ALT positively correlated with two organic forms, selenocysteine (β 0.27) and glutathione peroxidase-bound selenium (β 0.09), showed a U-shaped relation with the inorganic tetravalent form, selenite, and an inverse association with human serum albumin-bound selenium (β −0.56). Our results suggest that overall exposure to selenium, and more specifically to some of its chemical forms, is positively associated with ALT, even at levels so far generally considered to be safe. Our findings add to the evidence suggesting that low-dose selenium overexposure is associated with NAFLD.

Dietary Selenium Deficiency Partially Mimics the Metabolic Effects of Arsenic

Chronic arsenic exposure via drinking water is associated with diabetes in human pop-ulations throughout the world. Arsenic is believed to exert its diabetogenic effects via multiple mechanisms, including alterations to insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. In the past, acute arsenicosis has been thought to be partially treatable with selenium supplementation, though a potential interaction between selenium and arsenic had not been evaluated under longer-term exposure models. The purpose of the present study was to explore whether selenium status may augment arsenic’s effects during chronic arsenic exposure. To test this possibility, mice were exposed to arsenic in their drinking water and provided ad libitum access to either a diet replete with selenium (Control) or deficient in selenium (SelD). Arsenic significantly improved glucose tolerance and decreased insulin secretion and β-cell function in vivo. Dietary selenium deficiency resulted in similar effects on glucose tolerance and insulin secretion, with significant interactions between arsenic and dietary conditions in select insulin-related parameters. The findings of this study highlight the complexity of arsenic’s metabolic effects and suggest that selenium deficiency may interact with arsenic exposure on β-cell-related physiological parameters.

Effect of organic and inorganic dietary selenium supplementation on gene expression in oviduct tissues and Selenoproteins gene expression in Lohman Brown-classic laying hens

Background The oviduct of a hen provides a conducive environment for egg formation, which needs a large amount of mineral elements from the blood via trans-epithelial permeability. Eggshell is the calcified layer on the outside of an egg that provides protection and is critical for egg quality. However, little is known about the genes or proteins involved in eggshell formation, and their relationship to dietary microminerals. We hypothesized that dietary selenium supplementation in chickens will influence genes involved in eggshell biomineralization, and improve laying hen antioxidant capacity. The objective of this research was to investigate how organic and inorganic dietary selenium supplementation affected mRNA expression of shell gland genes involved in eggshell biomineralization, and selenoproteins gene expression in Lohman Brown-Classic laying hens. Results Shell gland (Uterus) and liver tissue samples were collected from hens during the active growth phase of calcification (15–20 h post-ovulation) for RT-PCR analysis. In the oviduct (shell gland and magnum) and liver of laying hens, the relative expression of functional eggshell and hepatic selenoproteins genes was investigated. Results of qPCR confirmed the higher (p < 0.05) mRNA expression of OC-17 and OC-116 in shell gland of organic Se hen compared to inorganic and basal diet treatments. Similarly, dietary Se treatments affected the mRNA expression of OCX-32 and OCX-36 in the shell gland of laying hens. In the magnum, mRNA expression of OC-17 was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in hens fed-bacterial organic, while OC-116 mRNA expression was down-regulated in dietary Se supplemented groups compared to non-Se supplemented hens. Moreover, when compared to sodium selenite, only ADS18 bacterial Se showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher mRNA levels in GPX1, GPX4, DIO1, DIO2 and SELW1, while Se-yeast showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher mRNA levels in TXNRD1 than the non-Se group. Conclusions Dietary Se supplementation especially that from a bacterial organic source, improved shell gland and hepatic selenoproteins gene expression in laying hens, indicating that it could be used as a viable alternative source of Se in laying hens. The findings could suggest that organic Se upregulation of shell gland genes and hepatic selenoproteins in laying hens is efficient.