Chromosome damage induced by selenium salts in human peripheral lymphocytes.

Two inorganic salts of selenium, sodium selenite (Na(2)SeO(3)) and sodium selenate (Na(2)SeO(4)), were screened for damage to chromosome and cell division following exposure to human lymphocyte cultures. In vitro exposure of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to high concentration of two inorganic salts of selenium-sodium selenite (2.9 x 10(-5) M) and sodium selenate (2.65 x 10(-5) M)-was found to be lethal; no blast cells being formed. Lower concentrations of both salts, 5.8 x 10(-6) M and 1.06 x 10(-5) M, respectively, were highly mitostatic. Lower concentrations of sodium selenite (2.9 x 10(-6) M, 1.16 x 10(-6) M and 2.32 x 10(-7) M) and sodium selenate (5.3 x 10(-6) M, 2.65 x 10(-6) M and 1.06 x 10(-6) M), respectively, induced chromosomal aberrations and reduced cell division in proportions directly related to the dose. Sodium selenite was considerably more clastogenic than sodium selenate.