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Selenium Deficiency Induces Apoptosis, Mitochondrial Dynamic Imbalance, and Inflammatory Responses in Calf Liver

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Abstract

Selenium (Se) deficiency significantly impacts the cow breeding industry by reducing the milk quality of dairy cows and affecting the health of calves. The molecular mechanism of Se deficiency-induced damage to calves, however, remains unclear. The present study investigated whether Se deficiency induces oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation in calf liver tissues. We collected the liver tissues of calves with Se deficiency. Experimental results showed that Se deficiency weakened the activity of antioxidant enzymes and increased the accumulation of oxidation products in the liver. Se deficiency also led to excessive fission of the mitochondria and downregulated the expression of the Mfn2 and Opa1 genes in the calf liver. Mitochondrial damage-induced apoptosis by increasing the expression of pro-apoptotic genes such as CytC, Cas3, Cas9, fas, and Cas8, leading to a decrease in energy metabolism. Se deficiency also triggered the expression of inflammatory-related factors such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and NF-κB. Taken together, the results suggest that Se deficiency causes oxidative stress, triggers an inflammatory response, disrupts mitochondrial dynamic balance, and then induces apoptosis, eventually leading to calf liver damage. These findings might provide valuable clues for elucidating the mechanism of Se deficiency-induced injury in domestic animals.

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Data Availability Statement

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their sincere thanks to the members of the veterinary surgery laboratory at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University for their help in collecting the samples. This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2016YFD051310).

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China,No. 2016YFD051310,Yun Liu

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People’s Republic of China

    Shuang Wang, Xingyao Liu, Lei Lei, Dong Wang & Yun Liu

  2. Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Laboratory Animals and Comparative Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People’s Republic of China

    Yun Liu

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  1. Shuang Wang
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  2. Xingyao Liu
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  3. Lei Lei
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  4. Dong Wang
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Correspondence to Yun Liu.

Ethics declarations

The experimental animals involved in this study are calves that have been diagnosed with selenium deficiency in a ranch. Ranch Manager provided their verbal informed consent for animal tissue sampling. The study protocol was assessed and approved by Northeast Agricultural University, research and extension office. Collection of tissue samples was carried out by veterinarians adhering to the regulations and guidelines on animal husbandry and welfare.

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Wang, S., Liu, X., Lei, L. et al. Selenium Deficiency Induces Apoptosis, Mitochondrial Dynamic Imbalance, and Inflammatory Responses in Calf Liver. Biol Trace Elem Res 200, 4678–4689 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-021-03059-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-021-03059-5

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