Actu Pzdiatr Scand 67: 735-739, 1978
SELENIUM AND VITAMIN E IN CORD BLOOD FROM PRETERM AND F UL L TERM INFANTS P. H A G A and G . L U N U E
ABSTRACT. HAgA, P. and Lunde, G. (Paediatric Research Institute, National Hospital of Norway, Oslo and Central Institute for Industrial Research, Oslo, Norway). Selenium and vitamin E in cord blood from preterm and full term infants. Acta Paediatr Scand, 67: 735 1978.-Selenium was determined in erythrocytes and serum, and vitamin E and &lipoprotein in serum from cord blood samples of 31 full term and 20 preterm infants. Venous samples from 21 mothers at birth and 15 normal adult women were also analyzed. No difference for either selenium o r vitamin E was found between the preterm and full term infants. The selenium concentration in red blood cells was the same for newborn, mothers at birth, and normal adult women. The serum concentration of selenium was, however, significantly lower in the newborn, the mean level in the children being 64% of that in the mothers. The level in the mothers did not differ from that in non-pregnant women. The vitamin E concentration was found to correlate very well with the P-lipoprotein concentration. This indicates that differences in the transport capacity account for the large difference in the serum tocopherol levels of mothers at birth and newborn. KEY WORDS: Cord blood, premature infants, full term infants, selenium, vitamin K, ,&lipoprotein
While a requirement for selenium is documented in animals, no selenium deficiency symptoms have been described in humans. A few children with kwashiorkor have, however, been reported to respond with increased weight gain on supplementation of the diet with selenium (13, 21). In 1973 selenium was shown to be an integral part of glutathione peroxidase (19). This enzyme plays a role in the protection of cellular membranes against oxidative degeneration, as does vitamin E. In rats the dietary intake of selenium affects the level of glutathione peroxidase in erythrocytes as well as in different tissues; increased intake leading to higher enzyme activity ( 2 2 ) . An interrelationship between tocopherol, selenium, and glutathione peroxidase has also been demonstrated. Increased dietary intake of selenium significantly increases the plasma level of tocopherol both in rats and chicks ( I , 22), while vitamin
E supplementation has been shown to increase the activity of glutathione peroxidase both in plasma, erythrocytes, liver, and kidney of rats ( 2 2 , 25). In human newborn infants a positive correlation between the serum tocopherol and glutathione peroxidase activity of erythrocytes was noted by Emerson et al. (2). Vitamin E deficiency has been claimed as a cause of hemolysis in low birth weight premature infants during the first two months of life, when the diets used have had a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and iron supplementation has been started very early (14, 24). The selenium status of the human individual may also affect the ability of the organism to prevent oxidative breakdown of the erythrocytes, through its effect on the level of glutathione peroxidase as well as its effect on the plasma tocopherol level, as has been observed in rats and chicks ( 1, 22).
736
P . HBgB and G. Lunde
..... .... ...... ... .... .. ..
.. ..
...
... I .
.......
.**
...
M,,ltirrs I,
t,,rtt1
Fig. I . The selenium concentration in ired blood cells. The hoi-iiontal lines are the means of the groups.
short lived radioactive nuclides to disintegrate. A GeLi ( 3 3 cm:
SELENIUM AND VITAMIN E IN CORD BLOOD FROM PRETERM AND F UL L TERM INFANTS P. H A G A and G . L U N U E
ABSTRACT. HAgA, P. and Lunde, G. (Paediatric Research Institute, National Hospital of Norway, Oslo and Central Institute for Industrial Research, Oslo, Norway). Selenium and vitamin E in cord blood from preterm and full term infants. Acta Paediatr Scand, 67: 735 1978.-Selenium was determined in erythrocytes and serum, and vitamin E and &lipoprotein in serum from cord blood samples of 31 full term and 20 preterm infants. Venous samples from 21 mothers at birth and 15 normal adult women were also analyzed. No difference for either selenium o r vitamin E was found between the preterm and full term infants. The selenium concentration in red blood cells was the same for newborn, mothers at birth, and normal adult women. The serum concentration of selenium was, however, significantly lower in the newborn, the mean level in the children being 64% of that in the mothers. The level in the mothers did not differ from that in non-pregnant women. The vitamin E concentration was found to correlate very well with the P-lipoprotein concentration. This indicates that differences in the transport capacity account for the large difference in the serum tocopherol levels of mothers at birth and newborn. KEY WORDS: Cord blood, premature infants, full term infants, selenium, vitamin K, ,&lipoprotein
While a requirement for selenium is documented in animals, no selenium deficiency symptoms have been described in humans. A few children with kwashiorkor have, however, been reported to respond with increased weight gain on supplementation of the diet with selenium (13, 21). In 1973 selenium was shown to be an integral part of glutathione peroxidase (19). This enzyme plays a role in the protection of cellular membranes against oxidative degeneration, as does vitamin E. In rats the dietary intake of selenium affects the level of glutathione peroxidase in erythrocytes as well as in different tissues; increased intake leading to higher enzyme activity ( 2 2 ) . An interrelationship between tocopherol, selenium, and glutathione peroxidase has also been demonstrated. Increased dietary intake of selenium significantly increases the plasma level of tocopherol both in rats and chicks ( I , 22), while vitamin
E supplementation has been shown to increase the activity of glutathione peroxidase both in plasma, erythrocytes, liver, and kidney of rats ( 2 2 , 25). In human newborn infants a positive correlation between the serum tocopherol and glutathione peroxidase activity of erythrocytes was noted by Emerson et al. (2). Vitamin E deficiency has been claimed as a cause of hemolysis in low birth weight premature infants during the first two months of life, when the diets used have had a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and iron supplementation has been started very early (14, 24). The selenium status of the human individual may also affect the ability of the organism to prevent oxidative breakdown of the erythrocytes, through its effect on the level of glutathione peroxidase as well as its effect on the plasma tocopherol level, as has been observed in rats and chicks ( 1, 22).
736
P . HBgB and G. Lunde
..... .... ...... ... .... .. ..
.. ..
...
... I .
.......
.**
...
M,,ltirrs I,
t,,rtt1
Fig. I . The selenium concentration in ired blood cells. The hoi-iiontal lines are the means of the groups.
short lived radioactive nuclides to disintegrate. A GeLi ( 3 3 cm:
