Selenium Retention in Tissues and Sperm of Rats Fed α Torula Yeast Diet

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Abstract
The tissue retention of a submicrogram dose of 75SeO22- was studied over a 10-week period. Twenty male and 10 female weanling rats were fed a Torula yeast diet with no selenium supplementation. Thirty days after the diet was begun, 2 μCi of 75Se as H2SeO2 (206 Ci/g) was injected into each animal intraperitoneally. Groups of animals were killed at 3 hours, 1 day, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks. The 75Se content was determined for 16 tissues on a percentage of dose per gram basis. The female rats showed a consistently higher retention in all tissues except the brain, which was the same in both sexes, and the reproductive organs. Most tissues except the brain, thymus, and reproductive organs showed a decline in activity from day 1. The brain reached its activity peak at 2 to 3 weeks, and the thymus at 1 to 2 weeks. The testis showed a peak at 2 weeks followed by a peak in the epididymis at 4 weeks. The ovary and uterus showed steadily declining 75Se contents. The testis-epididymis complex contained 41.8% of the total body 75Se at 3 weeks. Autoradiography was performed on epididymal sperm and the 75Se was seen to be localized to the midpiece of the sperm.