Scope
Selenium is an important nutrient for human health. The influence of dietary selenium on lipid metabolism remains largely unknown. N‐γ‐(l‐glutamyl)‐l‐selenomethionine (Glu‐SeMet) on inhibition of fat accumulation and its underlying mechanisms in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are investigated.
Methods and results
Triacylglyceride quantification and post‐fixed Nile red staining methods are conducted to evaluate fat accumulation in wild‐type N2 worms in normal or high‐glucose diet. Glu‐SeMet (0.01 µm) treatment effectively reduces fat storage in wild‐type N2 C. elegans in both a normal and high‐glucose diet. Further evidence shows that Glu‐SeMet (0.01 µm) decreases the ratio of oleic acid/stearic acid (C18:1Δ9/C18:0) using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis. The mRNA levels of fatty acid stearoyl‐CoA desaturases, FAT‐6 and FAT‐7, and the mediator‐15 (MDT‐15) are downregulated while the wild‐type N2 worms are co‐treated with high glucose and Glu‐SeMet (0.01 µm). The effect of reduced fat accumulation is absent in fat‐6, fat‐7, and trxr‐1 mutant worms under high glucose and Glu‐SeMet (0.01 µm) co‐treatment.
Conclusions
This study demonstrates that Glu‐SeMet inhibiting fat accumulation may be associated with FAT‐6 and FAT‐7 and the selenoprotein TRXR‐1 in C. elegans. This study implies a potential for Glu‐SeMet as a new treatment for obesity or its complications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.