Gender-dependent effects of selenite on the perfused rat heart - A toxicological study

Gender differences are related to the manner in which the heart responds to chronic and acute stress conditions of physiological and pathological nature. Depending on dose, sodium selenite acts as an antioxidant proven to have beneficial effects in several pathological conditions G. Drasch, J. Schopfer, and G. N. Schrauzer, Selenium/cadmium ratios in human prostates: indicators of prostate cancer risk of smokers and nonsmokers, and relevance to the cancer protective effects of selenium, Biol. Trace Element Res. 103(2), 103-107 (2005); R. G. Kasseroller and G. N. Schrauzer, Treatment of secondary lymphedema of the arm with physical decongestive therapy and sodium selenite: a review, Am. J. Ther. 7(4), 273-279 (2000); G. N. Schrauzer, Anticarcinogenic effects. of selenium, Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 57(13-14),1864-1873 (2000); I. S. Palmer and O. E. Olson, Relative toxicities of selenite and selenate in the drinking water of rats, J. Nutr. 104(3), 306-314 (1974). To date, little is known about the gender-dependent direct effects of toxic doses of selenite on electrophysiology of the cardiovascular system H. A. Schroeder and M. Mitchener, Selenium and tellurium in rats: effect on growth, survival and tumors, J. Nutr. 101(11), 1531-1540 (1971); G. N. Schrauzer, The nutritional significance, metabolism and toxicology of selenomethionine, Adv. Food Nutr. Res. 47, 73-112 (2003). In the present study, the effects of in vitro toxic concentrations of sodium selenite ranging from 10(-6) M to 10(-3) M were tested on both male and female rat heart preparations. The toxic effects seen in an electrocardiogram and left ventricular pressure were dose and sex dependent at