INFORMATION ON THE SELENIUM STATUS OF SEVERAL BODY COMPARTMENTS OF RATS FROM THE SELENIUM CONCENTRATIONS IN BLOOD FRACTIONS, HAIR AND NAILS

The suitability of the selenium concentrations in blood plasma, red bl ood cells, hair and nails to serve as indicators for the selenium stat us in the main body pools and, for the chemical forms of the element i ngested was investigated in an animal model. Selenium-deficient male r ats, fed a methionine-supplemented low selenium diet, were replenished over a period of 3 months: by repealed oral administration of Se-75-l abeled sodium selenite or L-selenamethionine in amounts equivalent to the intake from diets with selenium concentrations of 0.3 mg/kg and 2 mg/kg. As the tracer was found to reflect the selenium distribution in the main compartments, quantitative selenium analysis in whole body, liver, skeletal muscle, heart and the monitor materials in the four gr oups was carried out by measuring the Se-75 activity. The blood seleni um level was the most suitable parameter for assessing the selenium st atus in the liver while the nail selenium concentration was most suite d for whole body, skeletal muscle and heart. The differences in the am ount and chemical form of dietary selenium were best reflected by the ratios of the selenium levels in hair and plasma or in nails and plasm a. The results suggest that with adequate or high selenium intake it m ight be possible to obtain information on the selenium status of the m ain body compartments by evaluating the selenium concentrations in sev ereral appropriate monitor materials.