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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Dietary Prevention of Obesity-related Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #176434
Title: MECHANISTIC ASPECTS OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN SELENIUM AND ARSENIC

Author
item Zeng, Huawei
item Uthus, Eric
item Combs, Gerald

Submitted to: Inorganic Biochemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/7/2005
Publication Date: 4/28/2005
Citation: Zeng, H., Uthus, E.O., Combs, G.F. 2005. Mechanistic aspects of the interaction between selenium and arsenic. Inorganic Biochemistry. 99:1269-74.

Interpretive Summary: Through the environment and diet, humans and other animals are exposed to a combination of diverse mineral elements. Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and many other forms of life, and there is mounting evidence for the efficacy of certain inorganic and organic forms of selenium as cancer-chemopreventive compounds. However, over the years, numerous elements such as As, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Sn, Pb, Ni, Co, Sb, Bi, Ag, Au, and Mo have been found to inhibit anticancer effects of selenium. Therefore, other trace elements should be taken into consideration when studying anticancer effects of selenium. This review provides a mechanistic basis for considering specific relationship between selenium and arsenic. These findings will be useful information for scientists and health-care people who are working on environment, nutrition and cancer prevention.

Technical Abstract: Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and other animals, and there is mounting evidence for the efficacy of certain forms of selenium as cancer-chemopreventive compounds. However, over the years, numerous elements such as As, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Sn, Pb, Ni, Co, Sb, Bi, Ag, Au, and Mo have been found to inhibit anti-carcinogenic effects of selenium. Through the environment and diet, humans and other animals are exposed to a combination of mineral elements, some of which may affect the anti-carcinogenic activity of selenium. The interaction between selenium and arsenic has been one of the most extensively studied. This article focuses on that interaction and how anti-carcinogenic mechanisms of selenium may be affected by arsenic.