Role of selenium in neural physiology of avian species. 2. The distribution of 75Se from injected selenomethionine--75Se in the tissues and its fate in livers of chickens

Both male and female chickens were injected with a dose of selenomethionine-75 Se two hours before killing and the total selenium and the radioactivity in various tissues were determined. For the sexes the tissues can be ranked as follows for total selenium content/gm. fresh tissue: (males) pituitary, pineal, adrenals, kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas, retina, diencephalon, blood, cerebrum, testes, cerebellum and pectoral muscle; (females) pituitary, pineal, adrenals, kidneys, diencephalon, spleen, pancreas, liver, oviduct, cerebellum, ovary, cerebrum, pectoral muscle and blood. The specific activity of 75 Se was highest in testes, pancreas, liver, kidneys and spleen of males; and pancreas, oviduct, blood, kidneys and liver of females. About 82% of the radioactivity was associated with a T.C.A. insoluble fraction in liver.