Effect of selenium on lipids, lipid peroxidation, and sulfhydryl group in neuroendocrine centers of rats.

The effects of various doses of sodium selenite (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) were studied on the content of phospholipids, cholesterol, esterified fatty acids (EFA), gangliosides, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), and sulfhydryl group in neuroendocrine centers of male Wistar rats for 7 d. The lowest dose of Se (0.05 mg/kg) did not alter the above parameters significantly in neuroendocrine centers. The content of phospholipids was depleted significantly in the pituitary and depletion in the pineal was 80.22% with a 0.1-mg/kg dose of Se, but this dose elevated its level significantly in the hypothalamus. Conversely, a 0.2-mg/kg dose of selenium elevated the level of phospholipids significantly in the pituitary and hypothalamus, the elevation in the pineal was 70%. Selenium, 0.1 mg/kg, elevated the level of cholesterol in the pituitary but depleted its level in the pineal (56.8%) and hypothalamus (13.60%). Selenium, 0.2 mg/kg, elevated the level of cholesterol significantly in the hypothalamus but its level was not significant in the pituitary and pineal. The depletion of esterified fatty acid in the pituitary and pineal with doses of 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg was significant in the pituitary, whereas its depletion in the pineal was 85.4% and 69.26%, respectively. Selenium, 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg, depleted the level of gangliosides significantly and dose dependently in the pituitary but has elevated its level significantly and dose dependently in the hypothalamus. Its depletion in the pineal was 87.1% and 67.8% with the 0.1- and 0.2-mg/kg dose of selenium, respectively. Selenium, 0.1 mg/kg, increased the content of TBARS significantly in neuroendocrine centers and its elevation in the pineal was 703.8%. Selenium, 0.2 mg/kg, elevated its level in the pituitary and it was 126.9% in the pineal, but this dose depleted its level significantly in the hypothalamus. The content of the sulfhydryl group with a 0.1-mg/kg dose of selenite was depleted significantly in neuroendocrine centers and it was 55.9% in the pineal. Selenium, 0.2 mg/kg, depleted the level of the sulfhydryl group more significantly in the pituitary and pineal, but its elevation in hypothalamus was significant.