Selenium in health and disease: a review.

Foster LH; Sumar S
Nutrition Research Centre, South Bank University, London, UK.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr (United States) Apr 1997, 37 (3) p211-28

Selenium (Se) was discovered 180 years ago. The toxicological properties of Se in livestock were recognized first; its essential nutritional role for animals was discovered in the 1950s and for humans in 1973. Only one reductive metabolic pathway of Se is well characterized in biological systems, although several naturally occurring inorganic and organic forms of the element exist. The amount of Se available for assimilation by the tissues is dependent on the form and concentration of the element. Se is incorporated into a number of functionally active selenoproteins, including the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which acts as a cellular protector against free radical oxidative damage and type 1 iodothyronine 5'-deiodinase which interacts with iodine to prevent abnormal hormone metabolism. Se deficiency has been linked with numerous diseases, including endemic cardiomyopathy in Se-deficient regions of China; cancer, muscular dystrophy, malaria, and cardiovascular disease have also been implicated, but evidence for the association is often tenuous. Information on Se levels in foods and dietary intake is limited, and an average requirement for Se in the U.K. has no been established. Available data suggest that intake in the U.K. is adequate for all, except for a few risk groups such as patients on total parenteral nutrition or restrictive diets. (122 Refs.)

Assessment of selenium and vitamin E deficiencies in dairy herds and clinical disease in calves.

Zust J; Hrovatin B; Simundic B
Institute for Hygiene and Pathology of Animal Nutrition, Veterinary Faculty Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Vet Rec (England) Oct 19 1996, 139 (16) p391-4

Because of the very low concentrations of selenium in the dry matter of grass, grass silage, hay and maize silage Slovenian dairy herds need to be supplemented with selenium. Selenium in the form of mineral and feed mixtures maintained adequate mean (sd) blood serum selenium concentrations of 43.9 (27.6) to 65.3 (18.5) micrograms/litre in lactating cows, but in late lactation and in the dry period when only mineral mixtures were used, about 60 per cent of the cows had marginal serum selenium concentrations, mainly because of the low intake of the mineral supplement. In 18 herds which were either unsupplemented or irregularly supplemented with selenium, the mean (sd) concentrations in blood serum were 13.7 (5.5) micrograms/litre and 17.4 (9.2) micrograms/litre, respectively, for selenium and 2.98 (2.72) mg/litre and 1.62 (1.73) mg/litre for vitamin E, indicating that under extensive farming conditions in Slovenia the lack of both micronutrients may be responsible for nutritional muscular dystrophy in calves. Among 37 clinical cases, cardiorespiratory signs predominated in 25 of the calves and skeletal myopathy was dominant in 12. A very low mean serum selenium concentration [9.7 (7.2) micrograms/litre] and typically high activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) [1125 (373) U/litre] and creatine kinase (CK) [9169 (3681) U/litre) were observed for the myocardial form of the disease, and 2797 (550) U/litre and 22,650 (13,500) U/litre were observed for the skeletal form of the disease. A highly significant (P < 0.0001) difference in the selenium concentration of liver dry matter between the regularly supplemented [402 (207) micrograms/kg] and irregularly supplemented [173 (69) micrograms/kg] herds was observed. If a minimum value of 300 micrograms/kg of liver dry matter is accepted as the criterion for the determination of adequate selenium status, 93 per cent of the samples from the irregularly supplemented herds were selenium deficient. A similar proportion was estimated to be selenium deficient when the criterion was taken to be 30 micrograms selenium/litre of blood serum.

Wheat kernel ingestion protects from progression of muscle weakness in mdx mice, an animal model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Hubner C; Lehr HA; Bodlaj R; Finckh B; Oexle K; Marklund SL; Freudenberg K; Kontush A; Speer A; Terwolbeck K; Voit T; Kohlschutter A
Department of Neuropediatrics, Virchow Medical Center, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
Pediatr Res (United States) Sep 1996, 40 (3) p444-9

A simple, reproducible test was used to quantify muscle weakness in mdx mice, an animal model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The effect of bedding on wheat kernels and of dietary supplementation of alpha-tocopherol on the progression of muscle weakness was investigated in mdx mice. When measured during the first 200 d of life, mdx mice developed muscle weakness, irrespective of bedding and diet. When kept on wood shavings and fed a conventional rodent diet, mdx mice showed progressive muscle weakness over the consecutive 200 d, and eventually showed a significant weight loss during the next 200-d observation period. Progression of muscle weakness and weight loss were almost completely prevented in mdx mice that were kept on wheat kernel bedding. In contrast, only incomplete maintenance of muscle strength and body weight was observed in mdx mice kept on wood shavings and fed the alpha-tocopherol-supplemented diet. It is concluded from these experiments that a component of wheat kernels other than alpha-tocopherol is essential to prevent the progression of muscle weakness in mdx mice.

Extraocular, limb and diaphragm muscle group-specific antioxidant enzyme activity patterns in control and mdx mice.

Ragusa RJ; Chow CK; St. Clair DK; Porter JD
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky Medical Center 40536-0084, USA.
J Neurol Sci (Netherlands) Aug 1996, 139 (2) p180-6

The mechanisms primarily responsible for the degenerative processes occurring in dystrophic skeletal muscle remain unresolved. The identification of the mechanisms that lead to the complete sparing of extraocular muscle in dystrophinopathies is of particular interest. A number of studies have provided evidence to suggest that the muscle pathology that characterizes muscular dystrophy may be, in part, free radical mediated. In the present study, we examined the antioxidant enzyme status of extraocular, diaphragm and gastrocnemius muscles in control strain and mdx mice. Our results revealed that in the control strain, both extraocular and diaphragm muscles had higher copper/zinc superoxide dismutase, manganese superoxide dismutase and selenium dependent glutathione peroxidase activities as compared to the gastrocnemius. Furthermore, the diaphragm had higher glutathione reductase activity as compared to the gastrocnemius. These findings indicate that the highly aerobic extraocular and diaphragm muscles have higher antioxidant enzyme capacity than the gastrocnemius, a muscle more dependent on anaerobic energy metabolism. Changes in the antioxidant enzyme status of the mdx mouse correlated, in part, with the degree of histopathological involvement of the three muscle groups assessed.

Aortic and iliac artery thrombosis in calves: nine cases (1974-1993).

Morley PS; Allen AL; Woolums AR
Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
J Am Vet Med Assoc (United States) Jul 1 1996, 209 (1) p130-6

OBJECTIVE--To identify common clinical and diagnostic features of calves with aortic or iliac artery thrombosis that might aid in antemortem diagnosis of this condition. DESIGN--Retrospective case series.

ANIMALS--9 calves < or = 6 months old in which aortic or iliac artery thrombosis was confirmed at necropsy.

RESULTS--All calves had an acute onset of paresis or flaccid paralysis of 1 or both hind limbs. Affected limbs were hypothermic and had diminished spinal reflexes and diminished pulse pressures. Diagnosis was definitively established in 2 calves by use of angiography. All 9 calves died or were euthanatized.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS--This condition is rare and could be mistaken for more common diseases of young cattle, such as traumatic injury of the axial or appendicular skeleton, vertebral osteomyelitis, nutritional muscular dystrophy associated with vitamin E or selenium deficiency, injury to the sciatic or femoral nerves, or clostridial myositis.

[Selenium concentration in blood and Duchenne-type progressive muscular dystrophy]

Yamaguchi T
Department of Hygiene, Miyazaki Medical College.
Nippon Rinsho (Japan) Jan 1996, 54 (1) p134-40

The concentration of selenium (Se) and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in plasma and erythrocytes were measured in healthy men and in patients with Duchenne-type progressive muscular dystrophy (DMD). In healthy men, the Se concentration in erythrocytes showed a steep rise with aging and ascended gradually in plasma. The GSH-Px activity in both plasma and erythrocytes clearly increased with aging. The relationship between the Se concentration and the GSH-Px activity in healthy men showed a parallel rise with aging, but the coefficients of correlation were not very high (r = 0.44 and 0.56 in plasma and erythrocytes, respectively. In DMD patients, on the other hand, the Se concentration in erythrocytes decreased steeply with aging, and it decreased gradually in plasma. The GSH-Px activity in both plasma and erythrocytes apparently increased as in healthy men with aging, but the level was about 80% of that of healthy men. When selenite (Se+4) is added to the whole blood in vitro at 25 degrees C, it is rapidly taken up by erythrocytes (within several minutes) and is then released into plasma (a period of 30 min), then subsequent reuptake by erythrocytes is proceeded slowly. Our attention was attracted to the pattern of selenite release from erythrocytes of DMD patients.

Two successful double-blind trials with coenzyme Q10 (vitamin Q10) on muscular dystrophies and neurogenic atrophies.

Folkers K, Simonsen R
Institute for Biomedical Research, University of Texas at Austin 78705, USA.
Biochim Biophys Acta 1995 May 24;1271(1):281-6

Coenzyme Q10 (vitamin Q10) is biosynthesized in the human body and is functional in bioenergetics, anti-oxidation reactions, and in growth control, etc. It is indispensable to health and survival. The first double-blind trial was with twelve patients, ranging from 7-69 years of age, having diseases including the Duchenne, Becker, and the limb-girdle dystrophies, myotonic dystrophy. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and the Welander disease. The control coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) blood level was low and ranged from 0.5-0.84 microgram/ml. They were treated for three months with 100 mg daily of CoQ10 and a matching placebo. The second double-blind trial was similar with fifteen patients having the same categories of disease. Since cardiac disease is established to be associated with these muscle diseases, cardiac function was blindly monitored, and not one mistake was made in assigning CoQ10 and placebo to the patients in both trials. Definitely improved physical performance was recorded. In retrospect, a dosage of 100 mg was too low although effective and safe. Patients suffering from these muscle dystrophies and the like, should be treated with vitamin Q10 indefinitely.

Biochemical rationale and the cardiac response of patients with muscle disease to therapy with coenzyme Q10.

Folkers K, Wolaniuk J, Simonsen R, Morishita M, Vadhanavikit S
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1985 Jul;82(13):4513-6

Cardiac disease is commonly associated with virtually every form of muscular dystrophy and myopathy. A double-blind and open crossover trial on the oral administration of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to 12 patients with progressive muscular dystrophies and neurogenic atrophies was conducted. These diseases included the Duchenne, Becker, and limb-girdle dystrophies, myotonic dystrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and Welander disease. The impaired cardiac function was noninvasively and extensively monitored by impedance cardiography. Solely by significant change or no change in stroke volume and cardiac output, all 8 patients on blind CoQ10 and all 4 on blind placebo were correctly assigned (P less than 0.003). After the limited 3-month trial, improved physical well-being was observed for 4/8 treated patients and for 0/4 placebo patients; of the latter, 3/4 improved on CoQ10; 2/8 patients resigned before crossover; 5/6 on CoQ10 in crossover maintained improved cardiac function; 1/6 crossed over from CoQ10 to placebo relapsed. The rationale of this trial was based on known mitochondrial myopathies, which involve respiratory enzymes, the known presence of CoQ10 in respiration, and prior clinical data on CoQ10 and dystrophy. These results indicate that the impaired myocardial function of such patients with muscular disease may have some association with impaired function of skeletal muscle, both of which may be improved by CoQ10 therapy. The cardiac improvement was definitely positive. The improvement in well-being was subjective, but probably real. Likely, CoQ10 does not alter genetic defects but can benefit the sequelae of mitochondrial impairment from such defects. CoQ10 is the only known substance that offers a safe and improved quality of life for such patients having muscle disease, and it is based on intrinsic bioenergetics.

[Efficiency of ubiquinone and p-oxybenzoic acid in prevention of E-hypovitaminosis-induced development of muscular dystrophy]

Kuz'menko IV, Donchenko GV, Kovalenko VN, Gololobov AD, Tarasova NV
Ukr Biokhim Zh (USSR) Sep-Oct 1981, 53 (5) p73-9

It is shown that E-hypovitaminosis-induced muscular dystrophy in rabbits is accompanied by a sharp decrease in the body mass, an increase in the urine creatine-index, a decrease in the vitamin E and ubiquinone contents in the liver and skeletal muscle tissues. In the myocardium mitochondria a decrease in the vitamin E content and an increase in the ubiquinone content are observed. The activity of NADH-cytochrome c-, NADH-ubiquinone- and succinate-ubiquinone-reductase also varies in mitochondria of the studied tissues. In myocardium organellas a direct dependence is found between the content of ubiquinone, NADH- and succinate-ubiquinone-reductase activity and an inverse one-between its content and the activity of the NADH-cytochrome c-reductase system. It is established that p-oxybenzoic acid as well as vitamin E prevents development of muscular dystrophy and causes changes analogous in direction in the activity of the ubiquinone-dependent enzymic systems of mitochondria. Ubiquinone-9 is less efficient in preventing the development of muscular dystrophy.

Effect of coenzyme Q on serum levels of creatine phosphokinase in preclinical muscular dystrophy.

Folkers K; Nakamura R; Littarru GP; Zellweger H; Brunkhorst JB; Williams CW Jr; Langston JH
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1974 May;71(5):2098-102

No abstract.

[Some indices of energy metabolism in the tissues of mice with progressive muscular dystrophy under the action of ubiquinone]

Monakhov NK, Obol'nikova EA, Igdal LG, Torosian ZhK, Antelava NA
Vopr Med Khim (USSR) May 1974, 20 (3) p276-84

Coenzyme Q10 (vitamin Q10) is biosynthesized in the human body and is functional in bioenergetics, anti-oxidation reactions, and in growth control, etc. It is indispensable to health and survival. The first double-blind trial was with twelve patients, ranging from 7-69 years of age, having diseases including the Duchenne, Becker, and the limb-girdle dystrophies, myotonic dystrophy. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and the Welander disease. The control coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) blood level was low and ranged from 0.5-0.84 microgram/ml. They were treated for three months with 100 mg daily of CoQ10 and a matching placebo. The second double-blind trial was similar with fifteen patients having the same categories of disease. Since cardiac disease is established to be associated with these muscle diseases, cardiac function was blindly monitored, and not one mistake was made in assigning CoQ10 and placebo to the patients in both trials. Definitely improved physical performance was recorded. In retrospect, a dosage of 100 mg was too low although effective and safe. Patients suffering from these muscle dystrophies and the like, should be treated with vitamin Q10 indefinitely.

Free radicals, lipid peroxides and antioxidants in blood of patients with myotonic dystrophy.

Ihara Y, Mori A, Hayabara T, Namba R, Nobukuni K, Sato K, Miyata S, Edamatsu R, Liu J, Kawai M
Clinical Research Institute, National Minamiokayama Hospital, Okayama, Japan.
J Neurol. 1995 Feb. 242(3). P 119-22

We studied the levels of free radicals, lipid peroxides and antioxidants, as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the blood of six patients with myotonic dystrophy (MyD) (mean age 52.8, SD 5.0 years) and seven controls (mean age 48.8, SD 6.3 years). Electron spin resonance was used to assess the free radicals by the spin-trapping method using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide. The levels of C centre radical (P < 0.05) and H radical (P < 0.05) in blood from the six MyD patients were significantly higher than those in the seven controls. The SOD activities in red blood cells and serum from the six MyD patients showed no significant difference from those in the seven controls. The serum lipid peroxide concentration was increased in five of the MyD patients and tended to increase further as the disease progressed. The serum vitamin E level was low in two patients and in the low normal range in three. Serum coenzyme Q10 was decreased in four patients. The serum selenium level was decreased in two patients and that of serum albumin was decreased in three. Therefore we conclude that increased levels of free radicals and lipid peroxides and decreased antioxidant levels play an important role in the pathogenesis of MyD.