Reports of Biochemistry

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible protective effect of sodium selenite on serum, liver, and kidney antioxidant enzymes activities in alloxan-induced type 1 diabetic rats.

Methods: Forty Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into four groups; Group one as control, Group two as sham-treated with sodium selenite by 1 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections daily, Group three as diabetic untreated, and Group four as diabetic treated with sodium selenite by 1 mg/kg i.p. injections daily .Diabetes was induced in the third and fourth groups by subcutaneous alloxan injections. After eight weeks the animals were euthanized and livers and kidneys were immediately removed and used fresh or kept frozen until analysis. Before the rats were killed blood samples were also collected to measure glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and catalase (CAT) activities in sera.

Results: Glutathione peroxidase and CAT activities serum, liver, and kidney were all significantly less in the diabetic rats than in the controls. Sodium selenite treatment of the diabetic rats resulted in significant increases in GPX activity in the kidneys and livers, and CAT activity in the sera and livers.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that sodium selenite might be a potent antioxidant that exerts beneficial effects on both GPX and CAT activities in alloxan-induced type 1 diabetic rats.