Effect of buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutathione biosynthesis, on the selenium-induced lethality in mice.

The effect of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), an inhibitor of glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis, on the selenium induced-lethality was examined in mice. A single injection of BSO (500 mg/kg, i.p.) markedly decreased the concentration of GSH in the liver after 5 hr. The acute lethality induced by selenium was greatly increased in BSO-treated mice. In contrast, the selenium induced-lethality decreased by pre- and post-treatments of cysteine (100 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice.