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Review
. 2023 May 8;13(5):799.
doi: 10.3390/biom13050799.

Selenium and Selenoproteins in Health

Fan Zhang  1   2   3 , Xuelian Li  1   2   3 , Yumiao Wei  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Selenium and Selenoproteins in Health

Fan Zhang et al. Biomolecules. .

Abstract

Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential for health. After being obtained from food and taken up by the liver, selenium performs various physiological functions in the body in the form of selenoproteins, which are best known for their redox activity and anti-inflammatory properties. Selenium stimulates the activation of immune cells and is important for the activation of the immune system. Selenium is also essential for the maintenance of brain function. Selenium supplements can regulate lipid metabolism, cell apoptosis, and autophagy, and have displayed significant alleviating effects in most cardiovascular diseases. However, the effect of increased selenium intake on the risk of cancer remains unclear. Elevated serum selenium levels are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and this relationship is complex and nonlinear. Selenium supplementation seems beneficial to some extent; however, existing studies have not fully explained the influence of selenium on various diseases. Further, more intervention trials are needed to verify the beneficial or harmful effects of selenium supplementation in various diseases.

Keywords: brain function; cancer; cardiovascular disease; heavy metals; immune system; oxidative stress; selenium; selenoprotein; type 2 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Selenium from food is transformed in the liver and inserted into polypeptide chains, and the liver synthesises SELENOP to supply selenium to the whole body. Selenide is first phosphorylated, then transferred to the ribosomal A site under the recognition of SBP2, and finally recognised by the UGA codon under the decoding action of SECIS.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The role of selenium in the immune system. Selenium regulates the viability of NK cells, macrophages, DCs, granulocytes, mast cells, and microglia in innate immunity. Selenium affects the proliferation and differentiation of T cells, and regulates B cell differentiation and viability by affecting Tfh cells and 5-lipoxygenase activity.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mechanisms of selenium effects on brain functions. Selenium supplements promote neuronal activities and brain functions by increasing SELENOP, GPX4, and SELENOW levels in brain.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mechanisms of selenium effects on cardiovascular diseases. Selenium exerts protective effects against CVDs by affecting inflammatory responses, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, autophagy, and apoptosis in the cardiovascular system.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Mechanisms of selenium effects on T2DM. High concentration of Sepp1 induced by high selenium levels impairs insulin signaling and glucose metabolism; and high GPX1 induces T2DM-like phenotype. Inorganic selenium as an insulin analogue aggravates T2DM.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Mechanisms of selenium effects on heavy-metal-based illness. Oxidative stress is the primary toxic mechanism of heavy metals. Selenium detoxifies heavy metal ions by reducing the production of ROS; it can also compete directly with protein sulfhydryl groups for heavy metal ions and excrete them out of the body.
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Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant number: 82070376 and 81873491).
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