Evidence for increased selenium requirement for the rat during pregnancy and lactation.

Adequacy of the National Research Council (NRC) selenium (Se) requirement for growth (0.1 ppm Se) was assessed in reproducing Sprague-Dawley rats. Either a casein-based diet with no added Se or the same diet supplemented with selenite to contain 0.05, 0.1, or 0.2 ppm Se was fed during pregnancy and lactation and to nonreproducing controls. Only 0.05 ppm Se was necessary to maintain maximal red blood cell (RBC) and liver Se concentrations and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in controls, whereas 0.2 ppm Se was necessary to maintain comparable RBC Se during pregnancy and tissue Se and GSH-Px activities during lactation. On d 2 of lactation, no differences in pup tissue Se or GSH-Px activities could consistently be related to maternal Se intake. By d 18 of lactation, however, Se status of nursing pups reflected maternal Se intake. Pups of dams fed 0.2 ppm Se had tissue Se and GSH-PX activities significantly greater than those of all other pups. Milk Se content correlated significantly with maternal Se intake and plasma Se and with pup tissue Se and GSH-Px activities. These results indicate that during reproduction 0.1 ppm Se is not adequate to maintain maternal tissue Se or GSH-Px activities comparable to those of normal controls; 0.2 ppm dietary Se is more appropriate, resulting in maternal GSH-PX activities similar to those of controls fed 0.1 ppm Se and milk Se concentrations that result in greater pup tissue GSH-Px activities.