HISTOLOGICAL STUDY OF IRON DEPOSITS IN SELENIUM-DEFICIENT RATS

Previous studies have shown that selenium (Se) deficiency is associate d with hematological abnormalities, which may result in an increased d istribution of iron in various tissues, This report describes histolog ical studies of the location of excess iron deposits in tissues, Male Wistar rats were fed a Torula yeast-based Se-deficient [Se(-)] or Se-a dequate [Se(+); containing 0.1 mg Se/kg as sodium selenite] diet for 8 or 82 weeks, Excised tissues were embedded in either paraffin or epox y resin, A dramatic increase was observed in iron deposition in the li ver and kidneys of rats on the Se(-) diet, Prussian blue-stained secti ons under the light microscope showed iron deposits in the parenchymal cells and Kupffer cells of liver and in the proximal tubules of kidne ys. The liver and kidneys of Se(-) rats had considerably altered morph ology: lysosomes were enlarged and contained electron-dense areas, X-R ay microanalysis showed that the areas that corresponded to the lysoso mes contained iron, No iron deposits were observed in sections of kidn ey and liver from rats fed the Se(+) diet. Thus, these studies identif ied subcellular sites of iron deposition in the liver and kidneys of S e(-) rats, These iron deposits may be an important factor in the patho genesis of Se deficiency.