1988 Volume 43 Issue 3 Pages 754-762
The behavior of the metabolites of selenite, dimethyl selenide (DMSe) and trimethylselenonium ions (TMSe), administered to mice was studied. There were 2 groups of mice; one was used for single administration and the other was used for 10 repeated administrations. The selenium compound, sodium selenite, was injected into the stomach at the dose of 4mg Se/kg/day.
The results are as follows:
1. The largest amounts of methylated selenium in mice were found to be TMSe within 6h after single administration of sodium selenite and were excreted in urine rapidly.
2. The respiratory excretion of DMSe reached a maximum 6h after single administration and contained 1.6% of the administration dose of Se. When selenite was continuously administered, the amounts of exhaled DMSe increased according to the number of administrations and reached a plateau after 4 administrations.
3. The Se concentrations as TMSe were determined in water soluble fraction in liver and kidney, and 6h after single administration, corresponded to 1.31% and 0.16% of the administered dose of Se in liver ane kidney, respectively.
4. TMSe excretion in urine reached a maximum 6h after single administration that was 78.9% of total Se concentration in urine. TMSe was measured every 24h after continuous administration. The amounts of TMSe in urine ranged from 63.7 to 68.1% of total Se concentration in urine and ranged from 20.1 to 21.0% of the administered dose. TMSe was found to be the major form of selenium metabolite in urine.
5. TMSe was also determined in water-soluble fraction of feces and amount of selenium as TMSe was observed to be 1.9% of total Se concentration in feces untile 24h after single administration.
