Mitigating symptoms of chronic arsenic toxicity in rats using high selenium lentil diets

摘要

Arsenic (As) toxicity causes serious health problems in humans world-wide. This study evaluates dietary selenium (Se) in counteracting chronic As toxicity in rats as indicated by liver damage, immunotoxicity and depleted antioxidant status. Comparing diets based on high-Se Saskatchewan (SK) lentils vs low-Se US lentils; we attempt to reduce As toxicity in rats. Rats drank control (0 ppm As) or As-treated (40 ppm As) water while consuming Saskatchewan lentil (0.3 ppm Se) or northwestern USA lentil (<0.01 ppm Se) diets. Total As and Se concentration in blood, urine, feces, liver and kidney were determined. Saskatchewan lentil diets increased fecal As excretion, and decreased renal As residues (p < 0.01). Rats fed diets with high Se had higher glutathione levels regardless of As exposure. Se-fortified rats had higher antibody responses in both As-exposed and control groups (p = 0.04). Selenium deficiency caused higher hepatic damage (p < 0.05). These findings support that As toxicity may be decreased through high Se lentil diets.