A recently published study indicated that vitamin E and selenium may provide protection from oxidative damage in experimentally induced colitis. Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disorder associated with oxidative damage accompanied by production of free radicals. Inflammatory bowel disease is estimated to affect as many 1.4 million individuals in the United States.
In this new study, rats were treated with acetic acid to induce colitis. Some of the rats were also administered vitamin E 100 mg/kg plus selenium 0.2 mg/kg. Selenium activates the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which reduces oxidative stress by quenching oxygen free radicals and hydrogen peroxide. The researchers evaluated several measures of oxidative stress in the plasma and colon including total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, oxidative stress index and total thiol levels, which are the functional groups of the amino acid cysteine and the antioxidants N-acetyl-cysteine and glutathione. In addition, the researchers measured the activity of several enzymes including catalase, an enzyme which catalyzes the break-down of cytotoxic hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen; prolidase, which breaks down peptides and proteins with proline or hydroxyproline at one end; and myeloperoxidase, which produces cytotoxic hypochlorous acid and tyrosyl radicals from hydrogen peroxide, and is often measured to determine cellular oxidative stress.
The results showed that acetic acid treatment induced inflammatory damage in the rat colon. Selenium and vitamin E treatment decreased both visible and microscopic damage in the colon caused by acetic acid. Additionally, acetic acid treatment increased the activity of myeloperoxidase as well as increased the total oxidant status and oxidative stress index in the plasma, and decreased total antioxidant capacity and total thiol levels in the colon. Treatment with vitamin E and selenium decreased myeloperoxidase activity, increased total antioxidant capacity and increased total thiol levels in the colon.
The authors stated, “Based upon these results, selenium and vitamin E may play an important role in preventive indication of the oxidative damage associated by acetic acid caused inflammation.”
Reference:
Bitiren M, Karakilcik AZ, Zerin M, Ozardalı I, Selek S, Nazlıgül Y, Ozgonul A, Musa D, Uzunkoy A. Protective Effects of Selenium and Vitamin E Combination on Experimental Colitis in Blood Plasma and Colon of Rats. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2009 Sep 23. Published Online Ahead of Print.