Selenium status of Thoroughbreds in the United Kingdom

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The relationship of the Se content of biological fluids and tissues with the efficiency and viability of muscle and liver has been well established, since it was observed that deficiency of the element resulted in myopathy and hepatic degeneration. The activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) was measured in the erythrocytes of 600 thoroughbred horses in training. The Se concentrations in whole blood and serum was measured in over 80 of these thoroughbreds. A quadratic relationship was demonstrated between erythrocyte GSH-Px and whole blood or serum Se concentration. There was no significant difference in the activity of aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase or .gamma.-glutamyl transferase in the serum of thoroughbreds with high erythrocyte GSH-Px activity (> 25 .mu./ml) when compared with those with low erythrocyte GSH-Px activity (< 15 .mu./ml).