Selenium levels in the kidneys of male and female rats

Conventional instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was used to determine selenium concentrations in the kidneys of 20-day-old and 86-day-old male and female rats. The females exhibited a more pronounced increase in kidney selenium concentration during maturation. Adult rats evinced a sex-dependent difference in kidney selenium concentration. Kidney selenium concentrations were also determined in male rats subjected, in the early post-natal period, to interventions that were known to affect the toxicity or metabolism of selenium compounds. The content of selenium in the laboratory diet was determined for each experiment by a multiparameter analysis which eliminated the effect of spurious energy interferences on the determination of low selenium concentrations by INAA. Flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry was employed as a reference method for the assay of low selenium levels. (author)