Separation and identification of selenotrisulfides in epithelial cell homogenates by LC-ICP-MS and LC-ESI-MS after incubation with selenite

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

To elucidate how selenite is metabolised in the intestine after oral intake, it was incubated with homogenized epithelial cells from pigs. When the metabolites were analysed by LC-ICP-MS, two major selenium metabolites were separated in the supernatant from the homogenate. These metabolites were formed instantly but disappeared within 15 min. No other selenium-containing compounds appeared during this time. Hence, the secondary reaction products were either volatilised or precipitated. To verify the identity of the compounds, a larger amount of selenite was incubated with epithelial cells. The presence of Cys-Se-SG and GS-Se-SG was verified by LC-ESI-MS. Selenotrisulfides were synthesized by reaction of L-cysteine and L-glutathione with sodium selenite. The reaction mixture contained three main products: selenodicysteine (Cys-Se-Cys), selenocysteine glutathione (Cys-Se-SG), and selenodiglutathione (GS-Se-SG). The two transient selenium compounds in the epithelial cell incubation mixture co-eluted with the synthesized Cys-Se-SG and GS-Se-SG, respectively. The identities of these compounds were verified by LC-ESI-MS. Hence, these selenium metabolites have now been identified by ESI-MS after isolation from epithelial cells.
Original languageEnglish
JournalAnalytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
Volume384
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)697-702
Number of pages6
ISSN1618-2642
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2006

    Research areas

  • Animals, Chromatography, Liquid, Epithelial Cells, Mass Spectrometry, Selenium Compounds, Sensitivity and Specificity, Sodium Selenite, Sulfides, Swine

ID: 44053908