Dietary selenium and cadmium interrelationships in growing swine
Flegal, K.M.; Cary, E.E.; Pond, W.G.; Krook, L.P.
Journal of Nutrition 110(6): 1255-1261
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3166 PMID: 7381592 Document Number: 162126
In a trial lasting 6 weeks, pigs were fed from weaning on a basal diet containing cadmium 50/106 as cadmium chloride without or with additional selenium 3/106 as sodium selenite. Amounts of Se and Cd did not affect bodyweight gain. Concentrations of Se were greater in blood and in liver with Se-supplemented diet than with the basal. Addition of Cd to the Se-supplemented diet reduced Se from 1.179 to 0.202 mu g/g in blood and from 1.74 to 0.61 mu g/g in liver. The effect of Cd in depressing blood Se of pigs on Se-supplemented diet was present at week 2 and persisted through week 6. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in plasma was high in pigs on Se-supplemented diet. Cd 50/106 doubled the activity in pigs on the diet without additional Se but not in pigs given the Se-supplemented diet. Haematocrit was depressed by dietary Cd 50/106 at both levels of dietary Se at 2, 4 and 6 weeks. There was no gross or histopathological lesion. The results suggested that with the amounts of Se and Cd used, high dietary Se reduces accumulation of Cd in liver. Dietary Cd depressed tissue retention of added inorganic dietary Se, probably by interfering with absorption, and at a nutritionally adequate but not excessive level of dietary Se, Cd stimulated plasma GHS-Px activity.