Protein expression in the tissues of the cardiovascular system of the rat under selenium deficiency and adequate conditions.

We investigate the effects of selenium in tissues of the cardiovascular system. In order to examine the expression of the heart and aorta proteins (part of them) in the homogenate of selenium-deficient (Se(-)) and selenium control rats (Se(+)), two-dimensional electrophoresis was used by means of giga gels (30 x 35 cm). After electrophoresis, the protein expression pattern of the (Se(-)) gel and (Se(+)) gel was compared. The evaluation of the protein difference was implemented by means of a computer program suitable for the analysis of protein separated by the two-dimensional electrophoresis. In this way more than 2000 proteins a gel (heart) were detected and more than 1900 protein spots were detected in the aorta fraction. Ten significant differences were found between the gel of (Se(+)) and (Se(-)) heart homogenate of the rat and more than 15 significant differences between the gel of (Se(+)) and (Se(-)) of the aorta. By means of MALDI-MS-ESI-MS some of these proteins with different expression levels were not determined until now. Of those, three proteins were detected as the alpha myosin heavy chain (alpha-MHC), myosin light chain 1 and 2 (MLC 1 and 2), and the mitochondrial enzyme creatinine kinase. First results suggest that selenium deficiency affects myocardial energy metabolism and contractile proteins.