HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 296/2/H256    most recent 00935.2008v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hawkes, W. C. Articles by Laslett, L. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hawkes, W. C. Articles by Laslett, L. J.

Selenium supplementation does not improve vascular responsiveness in healthy North American men

¹Western Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, and ²Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, California

Submitted 26 August 2008 ; accepted in final form 22 November 2008

Selenium is an essential trace nutrient required for the synthesis of selenoproteins such as glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase, the major forms of selenium in the endothelium that have important functions relevant to inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Selenium deficiency is associated with cardiomyopathy and sudden cardiac death in animals, and a low selenium status is associated with cardiovascular disease in humans. Endothelial dysfunction, measured as the impaired flow-mediated vasorelaxation of the brachial artery, is a reliable indicator of future cardiovascular disease risk in healthy individuals. To test whether selenium supplementation affects endothelial function, we conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in healthy men who were administered 300 µg of selenium a day as high-selenium yeast for 48 wk. Brachial artery responsiveness to transient occlusion was assessed at baseline and after 24 and 48 wk of supplementation. The supplementation increased the selenium concentration by more than half in blood plasma and erythrocytes. However, there was no effect of selenium on arterial diameter or blood flow rate before or after transient occlusion or on the maximum dilated diameter after the administration of nitroglycerin. This study indicates that selenium supplementation is not likely to improve endothelial function or peripheral arterial responsiveness in healthy North American men receiving adequate selenium from their diets.

brachial artery; nutrition; endothelium

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. C. Hawkes, Z. Alkan, and K. Wong Selenium Supplementation Does Not Affect Testicular Selenium Status or Semen Quality in North American Men J Androl, September 1, 2009; 30(5): 525 - 533. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]