Selenium Metabolism II. Effect of Injected Selenium Compounds and Of Liver Injury. ∗

Summary

A 17.5-fold increase of carrier SeO₄ did not alter the urinary excretion of ⁷⁵Se, increased its respiratory excretion and hepatic uptake, but decreased its uptake in other viscera. ⁷⁵Se accumulation in the liver and pancreas was similar after ⁷⁵Se-methionine and after ⁷⁵SeO₄ injections. After CCl₄ therapy urinary excretion, and renal and pulmonary uptake of ⁷⁵Se increased. In choline deficient cirrhotic rats urinary excretion of ⁷⁵Se decreased and visceral, though not the hepatic, uptake of ⁷⁵Se increased. However, SeO₄ supplements reversed these changes in the cirrhotic rats with the exception of the increased renal uptake of ⁷⁵Se. Over 80% of the non-dialyzable ⁷⁵Se in the liver accumulated in the mitochondrial and supernatant fractions. The increase of carrier SeO₄ was accompanied by an increase of ⁷⁵Se in the nuclear fraction but did not change the distribution of ⁷⁵Se in the mitochondrial, microsomal and supernatant fractions. The ⁷⁵Se uptake increased in the nuclear fraction after CCl₄ therapy and in choline deficiency induced cirrhosis. SeO₄ supplements did not alter this increased uptake.