The Determination of the selenium levels in the blood and tissues in sheep experimentally poisoned with selenium

This study was carried out to determine the changes in the selenium levels in blood and tissues (liver, kidney, spleen, heart, lung, hair, skin, toenail, muscle and bile) in sheep experimentally poisoned with selenium. In the study, 25 Morkaraman sheep at the weight of 50-55 kg were used. Selenium was given orally at the doses of 1, 2, 3 and 4 mg/kg and intramuscularly at the doses of 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mg/kg. Blood samples were taken from v.jugularis following the oral and intramuscularly application of selenium at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 48, 72, 120, 168, 240, 360, 480, 600th hours; and at 1/6, 1/3, 1/2, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48, 72, 120, 168, 240th hours, respectively. Selenium was intramuscularly given at the dose of 0.6mg/kg and then tissue samples were obtained at 1/2, 1, 3, 9 and 24th hours by decapitation of sheep. Selenium levels of blood and tissues were spectrophotometrically determined at 420 nm by measuring piazselenol which occurs as a result of a reaction between selenium and 3,3-diaminobenzidine in the acid medium. The selenium levels of blood were observed to increase depending on the doses in selenium administrated animals. The blood selenium levels started to increase at 1st hour and observed to reach to the maximum levels at 18th hours in all doses of selenium given orally. Then, the selenium levels were determined to gradually decrease to the near levels of control groups at 360th hours at doses 1 and 2 mg/kg, and 600th hours at doses 3 and 4 mg/kg. The selenium levels of blood samples started to increase in all doses (0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6mg/kg) at 10th min following the administration of selenium intramuscularly and reached to 47 the maximum levels at 20th min at the doses of 0.1 and 0.2mg/kg; and 30th min at doses of 0.4 and 0.6mg/kg. Then the blood selenium levels gradually decreased to the near levels of control groups at 120th hours at doses 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg, 168th hours at doses 0.4 and 0.6 mg/kg. Selenium levels in liver, kidney, spleen, heart, lung, muscle and bile started to increase at 30th min and were observed to reach the maximum levels at 1st hours in spleen, heart and lung; at 3rd hours in liver, kidney and muscle; at 9th hours in bile, following the application of selenium intramuscularly at the doses of 0.6mg/kg. Then, the selenium levels determined to gradually decrease and they were at the higher levels than control groups at 24th hours. No changes were observed in the selenium levels in hair, skin and toenail within the 24 hours.