Differential Effects of selenium on the proliferation of human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cells and human embryonic lung diploid cells in vitro

Selenium. Mechanistic aspects of anticarcinogenic action

Selenium is increasingly recognized as a versatile anticarcinogenic agent. Its protective functions cannot be solely attributed to the action of glutathione peroxidase. Instead, selenium appears to operate by several mechanisms, depending on dosage and chemical form of selenium and the nature of the carcinogenic stress. In a major protective function, selenium is proposed to prevent the malignant transformation of cells by acting as a "redox switch" in the activation-inactivation of cellular growth factors and other functional proteins through the catalysis of oxidation-reduction reactions of critical SH groups of SS bonds. The growth-modulatory effects of selenium are dependent on the levels of intracellular GSH and the oxygen supply. In general, growth inhibition is achieved by the Se-mediated stimulation of cellular respiration. Selenium appears to inhibit the replication of tumor viruses and the activation of oncogenes by similar mechanisms. However, it may also alter carcinogen metabolism and protect DNA against carcinogen-induced damage. In additional functions of relevance to its anticarcinogenic activity, selenium acts as an acceptor of biogenic methyl groups, and is involved in the detoxification of metals and of certain xenobiotics. In its interactions with transformed cells at higher concentrations, it may induce effects ranging from metabolic and phenotypical changes, and partial renormalization to selective cytotoxicity owing to reversible or irreversible inhibition of protein and DNA synthesis. Selenium also has immunopotentiating properties. It is required for optimal macrophage and NK cell function. Its protective effects are influenced by synergistic and antagonistic dietary and environmental factors. The latter include a variety of toxic heavy metals and xenobiotic compounds, but they are also influenced by essential elements, such as zinc. The exposure to antagonistic factors must be minimized for the full expression of its anticarcinogenic potential.

Cellular selenoproteins and the effects of selenite on cell proliferation

The incorporation of radioactive selenium into cellular proteins and the effect of selenite on proliferation were examined in human (HeLa, HT-29, and IMR-90) and mouse (3T3 and CMT-93) cell lines. Proteins incorporating selenium were detected by one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Major polypeptide subunits at 60, 23, 21, 19, and 16 kD were detected in the two tumorigenic and one normal human cell lines. The 23 kD polypeptide migrated to the same position on the gel as the major subunit of human erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase. In the mouse cells, the 60 kD polypeptide was almost entirely absent; four other major selenoproteins were detected, with molecular weights similar to those in the human cells. In both mouse and human cells, the same pattern of selenoproteins was observed irrespective of whether the cells were grown in medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum or in defined medium supplemented with 0.1 or 1 microM selenite, or with 1% serum. The effect of selenite on proliferation of HeLa, HT-29, and CMT-93 cells in medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and in serum-free medium was examined. At concentrations up to about 1 microM, selenite stimulated proliferation of the human cells slightly in serum-free medium but not in serum-supplemented medium. At concentrations of about 5 microM and higher selenite significantly inhibited proliferation of all cells in both types of media. In CMT-93 cells, this inhibition was greater in serum-free medium, but there were no significant differences in this regard in the human cells. These results demonstrate that selenium is stably incorporated into several polypeptides in human and mouse cells, that there are no significant differences in this regard among several cell lines, and slight differences between human and mouse cells. They further confirm that selenium can have a slight stimulatory effect on cell growth, and a much larger inhibitory effect, depending on its concentration.