Protective effect of selenium on protein-undernutrition-induced brain damage in rats

The effect of ad libitum ingestion of selenium (Se) in drinking water (0.15 mg SeO2/L) for 3 wk on the brain weight, total brain protein, glutathione (GSH) level, catalase activity, and lipid peroxidation in the brain of protein-undernourished (PU) rats was investigated, in an attempt to determine whether antioxidants alone can reverse some of the neuropathological changes associated with protein undernutrition in rats. Feeding on a normal diet (16% casein) by well-fed rats or a low-protein diet (5% casein) by PU rats and Se-treated PU rats lasted 14 wk. Se-treated PU rats were given Se in drinking water during the last 3 wk of the experiment. Results show that protein undernutrition induced significant reductions (p < 0.001) in brain weight, total brain protein, and catalase activity (p < 0.05) while it induced a significant increase (p < 0.05) in lipid peroxidation when compared with well-nourished rats; but no significant effect was observed for the GSH level. However, the ingestion of Se in drinking water by PU rats for 3 wk resulted in significant increases (p < 0.05) in brain weight, catalase activity, and total brain protein but induced a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in lipid peroxidation when compared with PU rats given water. The values obtained for Se-treated PU rats are comparable with those obtained for well-nourished rats. The GSH level was, however, not affected by Se ingestion. We suggest that Se, by inducing increases in the concentration of certain proteins, including catalase, in the brain, abolished some of the pathological changes associated with protein undernutrition in the brain, and appears as a promising antioxidant in the prevention and management of pro-oxidant-induced brain damage.