Positive Health Online

Abstract

ZHU and colleagues, Kyoto University, Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Social Medicine, Japan write that several studies have demonstrated that selenium can inhibit tumourigenesis; however little is known regarding the mechanism and the effect of selenium upon DNA, especially in brain tumour cells. The authors examined the biological effect of selenium upon human glioma cell lines A172 and T98G.

Background

Methodology

Results

Selenium exhibited an antiproliferative effect upon these cells and induced the typical ladder pattern of DNA fragmentation commonly found in apoptosis. These antiproliferative effects were prevented by catalase. Few effects of selenium on NT14 fibroblasts were seen.

Conclusion

These data show that selenium may induce, by apoptosis, cell death of human glioma cells lines, which have resulted from free radical oxygen formation.

References

Zhu Z et al. Apoptosis induced by selenium in human glioma cell lines. Biol Trace Elem Res 54(2): 12334. Aug 1996.

Comment

No matter how you look at the epidemiological evidence regarding nutrition and cancer risk, consumption of fruits, vegetables, fibre and antioxidants including selenium are almost invariably inversely associated with cancer risk and death. Don't delay further in increasing your consumption of these life-saving nutrients.