Stabilization of Hepatic Lysosomes of Rats by Vitamin E and Selenium in vivo as Indicated by Thermal Labilization of Isolated Lysosomes

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Abstract
An in vivo system was used to study the effects of vitamin E, selenium (in the form of sodium selenite) and steroidal antiinflammatory drugs on hepatic, lysosomal membranes. After administering these compounds for 3 days to rats, hepatic lysosomes were isolated and subjected to thermally induced labilization by incubating lysosomes in 0.25 m sucrose at 45° for 90 minutes. Release of two enzymes, acid phosphatase and β-glucuronidase, was used as an index of labilization. Vitamin E stabilized lysosomes in dosages of 0.100 to 3.9 units/kilogram and produced maximal stabilization at a daily dosage of 0.100 unit/kilogram. Selenium was effective in stabilizing lysosomes at a dose level of 2.0 µg/kg, only. Low dosages of selenium (0.5 µg/kg) potentiated vitamin E (0.039 unit/kg), but higher dosage (50 µg/kg) antagonized vitamin E (3.4 units/kg). Results suggest that the interaction of vitamin E and selenium in attenuating animal diseases caused by deficiencies of vitamin E or selenium may be due to their mutual potentiation in stabilizing lysosomal membranes, provided that they are administered in the same ratio and at the low levels found herein to cause such potentiation.