Comparative metabolism of selenium and tellurium in sheep and swine

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Abstract
Radioselenium and radiotellurium were administered in single oral or intravenous doses to sheep and swine. Retention of oral Se75 after 120 hr. was 77% in the swine compared to 29% in the sheep. However, approximately 70% of the intravenous dose of Se75 was retained by both species after 120 hr. with the major route of excretion via the urine. Swine kidney Se75 content was double that in sheep with no differences in other tissues. In both species, feces contained over 70% and urine approximately 20% of the oral dose of Te127m in 120 hr. Washed blood cells contained nearly all the blood Te127m in swine but only minimal activity in sheep. In both species, 35% of the intravenous Te127m dose was excreted in urine and 10% in feces. Organs from each had comparable Te levels except that sheep kidney contained 2 times more Te127m than swine kidney. A nonabsorbed-marker technique showed that Se was secreted into the 1st 1/5 and absorbed from the remainder of the small intestine. Tellurium was absorbed from the cecum and large intestine.