Inorganic selenium compounds are converted to volatile methylated species (dimethyl selenide, dimethyl diselenide, and dimethyl selenone or methyl methylselenite) by microorganisms in sewage sludge and soil. In the absence of added selenium, no volatile selenium compounds were detected. All samples were evaluated without the addition of nutrients and in the presence of air or nitrogen. The methylation process may be an important step in the detoxification process for microorganisms exposed to high concentrations of selenium.

Selenium utilization of women in early and late pregnancy was compared to that of nonpregnant controls. A defined diet providing about 150 micrograms Se/day was fed for 20 days, and selenium balance was measured during the last 12 days. Net selenium retentions of the women in early and late pregnancy were 10 and 23 micrograms/day, respectively, but probably are inflated estimates of the increased selenium requirement during pregnancy. Apparent absorption of selenium was 80% for all three groups. Pregnant women tended to conserve selenium by decreasing urinary selenium excretion. Those observations were corroborated by monitoring the urinary and fecal excretion of 40 micrograms of a stable isotope of selenium (76Se) from intrinsically labeled egg. The isotope data also indicated that recent selenium intake was incorporated into a long-term selenium pool. Mean glutathione peroxidase activity was lower in plasma and higher in platelets in the pregnant women as compared to controls, but the physiological significance of those observations is unknown.

Chromium is involved in normal glucose metabolism. To test whether chromium is also associated with the exercise-induced increases in glucose utilization, urinary chromium excretion, serum glucose, insulin, and glucagon of nine male runners (23-46 yr) were evaluated. Blood samples were taken prior to, immediately following, and 2 h after a strenuous 6-mile run. Urine samples were also taken at these times, and total daily urine collections were made the day of the run and the following day. Mean serum glucose for all runners immediately after running was 185 +/- 19 mg/dl compared with 90 +/- 1 mg/dl (mean +/- SE) prior to running. Mean serum glucagon immediately after running was significantly elevated compared with that observed prior to or 2 h after running; serum insulin levels were not altered significantly. Mean urinary chromium concentration was increased nearly five-fold 2 h after running; similar results were obtained when chromium concentration was expressed per mg of creatinine. Total daily urinary Cr excretion was approximately two times higher the day of running compared with the following nonrun day. Daily urinary excretion of sodium, potassium, and calcium were measured to determine if exercise had a general nonspecific effect on renal function; daily urinary excretion of these was not changed by exercise. These data demonstrate that accompanying the exercise-induced changes associated with increased glucose utilization, there is a significant increase in chromium excretion.

No abstract

No abstract