Low serum albumin and the acute phase response predict low serum selenium in HIV-1 infected women

BACKGROUND: Low serum selenium has been associated with lower CD4 counts and greater mortality among HIV-1-seropositive individuals, but most studies have not controlled for serum albumin and the presence of an acute phase response. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate relationships between serum selenium concentrations and CD4 count, plasma viral load, serum albumin, and acute phase response markers among 400 HIV-1-seropositive women. RESULTS: In univariate analyses, lower CD4 count, higher plasma viral load, lower albumin, and the presence of an acute phase response were each significantly associated with lower serum selenium concentrations. In multivariate analyses including all four of these covariates, only albumin remained significantly associated with serum selenium. For each 0.1 g/dl increase in serum albumin, serum selenium increased by 0.8 μg/l (p < 0.001). Women with an acute phase response also had lower serum selenium (by 5.6 μg/l, p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: Serum selenium was independently associated with serum albumin, but not with CD4 count or plasma viral load, in HIV-1-seropositive women. Our findings suggest that associations between lower serum selenium, lower CD4 count, and higher plasma viral load may be related to the frequent occurrence of low serum albumin and the acute phase response among individuals with more advanced HIV-1 infection

Selenium, Selenoenzymes, Oxidative Stress and Risk of Neoplastic Progression from Barrett's Esophagus: Results from Biomarkers and Genetic Variants

Clinical trials have suggested a protective effect of selenium supplementation on the risk of esophageal cancer, which may be mediated through the antioxidant activity of selenoenzymes. We investigated whether serum selenium concentrations, selenoenzyme activity, oxidative stress and genetic variation in selenoenzymes were associated with the risk of neoplastic progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) and two intermediate endpoints, aneuploidy and tetraploidy. In this prospective cohort study, during an average follow-up of 7.3 years, 47 EA cases, 41 aneuploidy cases and 51 tetraploidy cases accrued among 361 participants from the Seattle Barrett's Esophagus Research Study who were free of EA at the time of blood draw and had at least one follow-up visit. Development to EA was assessed histologically and aneuploidy and tetraploidy by DNA content flow cytometry. Serum selenium concentrations were measured using atomic absorption spectrometry, activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPX) 1 and GPX3 by substrate-specific coupled test procedures, selenoprotein P (SEPP1) concentrations and protein carbonyl content by ELISA method and malondialdehyde concentrations by HPLC. Genetic variants in GPX1-4 and SEPP1 were genotyped. Serum selenium was not associated with the risk of neoplastic progression to EA, aneuploidy or tetraploidy (P for trend = 0.25 to 0.85). SEPP1 concentrations were positively associated with the risk of EA [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.95, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1.42–10.97 comparing the third tertile with the first] and with aneuploidy (HR = 6.53, 95% CI = 1.31–32.58), but not selenoenzyme activity or oxidative stress markers. No genetic variants, overall, were associated with the risk of neoplastic progression to EA (global p = 0.12–0.69). Our results do not support a protective effect of selenium on risk of neoplastic progression to EA. Our study is the first to report positive associations of plasma SEPP1 concentrations with the risk of EA and aneuploidy, which warrants further investigation

The Effects of the Monoamine Stabilizer (-)-OSU6162 on Binge-Like Eating and Cue-Controlled Food-Seeking Behavior in Rats.

Binge-eating disorder (BED) is characterized by recurring episodes of excessive consumption of palatable food and an increased sensitivity to food cues. Patients with BED display an addiction-like symptomatology and the dopamine system might be a potential treatment target. The clinically safe monoamine stabilizer (-)-OSU6162 (OSU6162) restores dopaminergic dysfunction in long-term alcohol-drinking rats and shows promise as a novel treatment for alcohol use disorder. Here, the effects of OSU6162 on consummatory (binge-like eating) and appetitive (cue-controlled seeking) behavior motivated by chocolate-flavored sucrose pellets were evaluated in non-food-restricted male Lister Hooded rats. OSU6162 significantly reduced binge-like intake of chocolate-flavored sucrose pellets without affecting prior chow intake. Furthermore, OSU6162 significantly reduced the cue-controlled seeking of chocolate-flavored sucrose pellets under a second-order schedule of reinforcement before, but not after, the delivery and ingestion of reward, indicating a selective effect on incentive motivational processes. In contrast, the dopamine D2/D3 receptor antagonist raclopride reduced the seeking of chocolate-flavored sucrose pellets both pre- and post reward ingestion and also reduced responding under simpler schedules of seeking behavior. The D1/5 receptor antagonist SCH23390 had no effect on instrumental behavior under any reinforcement schedule tested. Finally, local administration of OSU6162 into the nucleus accumbens core, but not dorsolateral striatum, selectively reduced cue-controlled sucrose seeking. In conclusion, the present results show that OSU6162 reduces binge-like eating behavior and attenuates the impact of cues on seeking of palatable food. This indicates that OSU6162 might serve as a novel BED medication.These studies were financially supported by a grant from the Swedish Society of Medicine (SLS-253061) to PS and JA, and a Medical Research Council Programme Grant (no. G1002231) to BJE. The Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute is cofunded by the Medical Research Council and the Welcome Trust. JA was supported by the Swedish Pharmaceutical Society and the Swedish Research Council (350-2012-230). A travel grant from the Swedish Society for Medical Research enabled KF to participate in this collaboration. PS was supported by the Swedish Research Council (2015-03525)