Effect of selenium supplementation on the distribution of selenium in plasma proteins of healthy subjects.

The influence of an increased intake of selenium on the distribution of this element among plasma proteins was studied. 200 micrograms of yeast selenium was given to healthy subjects daily for 8 weeks, and then the subjects refrained from selenium supplementation for 16 weeks. Plasma selenium increased almost two-fold during supplementation, and most of the increase occurred during the first 4-week-period. Plasma glutathione peroxidase activity increased only marginally. At all times studied, most of the selenium in plasma was located in proteins, migrating close to immunoglobulin G on gel filtration. The selenium content of this fraction was only moderately increased after supplementation for 8 weeks, and instead more marked increases occurred in the regions for high-molecular-weight proteins and albumin. This change implied that the distribution of selenium approached that of total protein, and we therefore conclude that most of the increase in plasma selenium occurred via unspecific incorporation of selenium into a wide variety of proteins. Sixteen weeks after the end of supplementation the selenium distribution had essentially returned to that before supplementation.