Effect of selenium on vanadium toxicity in different regions of rat brain.

The protective effect of selenium on the neurotoxicity of vanadium in different brain regions of rats was investigated. The lipid peroxidation was significantly accentuated after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of vanadium (1.5 mg kg-1 b.wt) for a period of 12 consecutive days to rats. The increase in lipid peroxidation was inhibited by selenium treatment (0.02 mg kg-1 b.wt., i.p.) for 12 consecutive days. Vanadium exposure produced a decrease in nonprotein sulfhydryl group. Selenium treatment prevented the depression in nonprotein sulfhydryl group in all the brain regions of the vanadium exposed rats. The concentration of ascorbic acid was decreased after co-administration of selenium and vanadium. These results suggest that selenium protects neuronal cells against neurotoxic effects of vanadium by maintaining the availability of antioxidant nonprotein sulfhydryl groups. The decrease in ascorbic acid levels may have been due to its consumption in forming complexes with vanadium.