Influence of Combined Use of Selenious Acid and SH Compounds in Parenteral Preparations

Summary The influence of the combined use of selenious acid and SH compounds (glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys), or ascorbic acid (Asc)) on cultured venous vascular endothelial cells was investigated experimentally. When cultured human umbilical venous vascular endothelial cells were exposed to 10 μM of selenious acid combined with 0.5 mM-GSH or 0.5 mM-Cys, the release rates of [ 3 H]-adenine and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from cells into the medium increased significantly as compared with after exposure to selenious acid alone, and damage to the vascular endothelial cells was found to be intensified. Addition of 1 μM of selenious acid simultaneously with 0.5 mM-GSH or 0.5 mM-Cys showed no differences in toxicity for the vascular endothelial cells as compared with the addition of selenious acid alone. On the other hand, simultaneous. exposure to 10 μM of selenious acid and 1 mM-Asc induced no significant differences in the release rates of [ 3 H] -adenine and LDH, and no damage was observed to the vascular endothelial cells. These results suggest that simultaneous addition of selenious acid together with GSH or Cys, which have the SH-group, may cause damage to the vascular endothelial cells. Therefore careful attention is warranted in total parenteral nutrition (TPN).