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Abstract

Antioxidant properties of selenium producing a protective barrier against free radicals play an important role in numerous metabolic and immunologic processes associated with oxidation-reduction reactions which take place during intracellular digestion of phagocyted bacteria. The aim of our study was to examine the properties of an organic compound of selenium, 4-(o-tolilo)-selenosemicarbazide of p-chlorobenzoic acid in terms of its retention in organs, effect on erythropoesis and phagocytic abilities of neutrophiles as well as antioxidant properties in neutrophiles tested with NBT test. This compound as well as inorganic sodium selenate was given to Swiss mice at the dose of 10(-3) g Se/kg for the period of 10 days. The concentrations of selenium in livers of mice treated with sodium selenate and selenosemicarbazide were found to be higher than in controls (18.7 micrograms lg-1 and 23.2 micrograms lg-1 vs. 12 micrograms lg-1, respectively). Analysis of blood cells count has shown a significant decrease in neutrophile levels in both groups treated with selenium. The influence of selenium compounds on phagocytosis and especially NBT test has been determined (3.8% of positive cells in the controls vs. 2.2% and 0.9% in the groups treated with sodium selenate and selenosemicarbazide, respectively). Our preliminary investigations suggest that selenosemicarbazides are biologically active compounds and can modify neutrophile functions.

Chemistry of Biologically Important Synthetic Organoselenium Compounds

“…420 According to this model, the reason for the predictable enantioselectivity arises from the subtilisin template, which catalyzes the esterification or acylation of racemic alkyl aryl alcohols or amines, respectively. 423 The enantioselectivity of subtilisin for (S)-configured alkyl arylamines (486, 487, Figure 64) or alcohols (488,489) has been associated with the arrangement of substrate-binding pockets S 1 and S 1 ′. [423][424][425] In selenosubtilisin BPN′ enzyme, the residues Glu 156 and Gly169 are located in the S 1 pocket and the third residue, Tyr 217, is part of the S 1 ′ pocket.…”

“…The main trends of the selenium studies concern their most suitable chemical forms, toxicity limits, and their effects on the immunological mechanisms . The importance of selenium in AIDS-related viruses has been described. − Apart from certain selenosemicarbazides and other inorganic selenium species, a number of organoselenium compounds have been described as potential immunostimulants and inducers of interferon γ (INF-γ) and other cytokines. Inglot et al reported that ebselen and related compounds induce INF-γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in human peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) .…”