Comparative Effects of Selenium and Vitamin E in Lead-poisoned Rats

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Abstract
Weanling male rats were fed a Torula yeast diet supplemented with selenium, vitamin E, or both for 3 months. Of rats fed each diet, one group received 250 ppm lead in the drinking water and another group did not. In rats not poisoned with lead, neither vitamin E nor selenium deficiency affected spleen weight, hematocrit value, or erythrocyte mechanical fragility. Vitamin E deficiency increased the splenomegaly, anemia, and mechanical fragility of red cells of lead-poisoned rats, whereas selenium deficiency did not. Addition of 0.5 ppm selenium to the vitamin E-supplemented diet increased slightly the splenomegaly and anemia in lead-poisoned rats. Excess levels of selenium (2.5 and 5 ppm) in the vitamin E-deficient diet had little or no effect on spleen size or hematocrit of rats not receiving lead, but partially prevented the splenomegaly and anemia of lead-poisoned rats. Excess selenium delayed the decrease in filterability of red cells from either non-poisoned or lead-poisoned vitamin E-deficient rats, but not as effectively as vitamin E. These results show that vitamin E status of rats is more important than selenium status in determining response to toxic levels of lead. Excess dietary selenium did protect partially against lead poisoning in vitamin E-deficient rats, but the levels of selenium used were toxic in themselves.