Could selenium administration alleviate the disturbances of blood parameters caused by lithium administration in rats?

Lithium is widely used in medicine, but its administration can cause numerous side effects. The present study aimed at the evaluation of the possible application of selenium, an essential and antioxidant element, as a protective agent against lithium toxicity. The experiment was performed on four groups of Wistar rats: I (control)-treated with saline, II (Li)-treated with lithium (Li2CO3), III (Se)-treated with selenium (Na2SeO3) and IV (Li + Se)-treated with lithium and selenium (Li2CO3 and Na2SeO3) in the form of water solutions by stomach tube for 6 weeks. The following biochemical parameters were measured: concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, glucose, total protein and albumin and activities of alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in serum as well as whole blood superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. Morphological parameters such as red blood cells, haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, platelets, white blood cells, neutrophils as well as lymphocytes were determined. Lithium significantly increased serum calcium and glucose (2.65 ± 0.17 vs. 2.43 ± 0.11; 162 ± 31 vs. 121 ± 14, respectively), whereas magnesium and albumin were decreased (1.05 ± 0.08 vs. 1.21 ± 0.15; 3.85. ± 0.12 vs. 4.02 ± 0.08, respectively). Selenium given with lithium restored these parameters to values similar to those observed in the control (Ca-2.49 ± 0.08, glucose-113 ± 26, Mg-1.28 ± 0.09, albumin-4.07 ± 0.11). Se alone or co-administered with Li significantly increased aspartate aminotransferase and glutathione peroxidase. The obtained outcomes let us suggest that the continuation of research on the application of selenium as an adjuvant in lithium therapy seems warranted.