Type-1 5'-iodothyronine deiodinase (5'-DI) is responsible for conversion of T4 to T3. Selenium (Se) is an integral part of this enzyme. Keeping in view the strong association between atherosclerosis and hypothyroidism, the present study examined the behavior of 5'-DI in liver, aorta and thyroid during hypercholesterolemia following different Se status, i.e., Se deficiency (0.02ppm), adequate (0.2ppm) and excess dose (1ppm) in SD male rats. Animals were fed a control or high-cholesterol diet (2%) for 1 and 2 months. 5'-DI activity and mRNA expression was measured by RIA and RT-PCR respectively. In liver and aorta, 5'-DI expression significantly decreased with the Se-deficient and the high-cholesterol diet. The trend was opposite in thyroid, i.e., mRNA... |