| Compound Description | Sodium selenite appears as a white colored crystalline solid. Soluble in water and more dense than water. Contact may irritate skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Toxic by ingestion, inhalation and skin absorption.Disodium selenite is an inorganic sodium salt composed of sodium and selenite ions in a 2:1 ratio. It has a role as a nutraceutical. It is a selenite salt and an inorganic sodium salt.Sodium Selenite is an inorganic form of the trace element selenium with potential antineoplastic activity. Selenium, administered in the form of sodium selenite, is reduced to hydrogen selenide in the presence of glutathione and subsequently generates superoxide radicals upon reaction with oxygen. This may inhibit the expression and activity of the transcription factor Sp1; in turn Sp1 down-regulates androgen receptor expression and blocks AR signaling. Eventually, selenium may induce apoptosis in prostate cancer cells and inhibit tumor cell proliferation.Sodium selenite is a chemical compound of sodium and selenium. It is the most common water-soluble form of selenium. Together with the related barium and zinc salts, sodium selenite is mainly used in the manufacture of colorless glass. Its pink coloration cancels out the green color imparted by iron impurities. Selenium is a nonmetal element with the atomic number 34 and the chemical symbol Se. Selenium rarely occurs in its elemental state in nature and is usually found in sulfide ores such as pyrite, partially replacing the sulfur in the ore matrix. It may also be found in silver, copper, lead, and nickel minerals. Though selenium salts are toxic in large amounts, trace amounts of the element are necessary for cellular function in most animals, forming the active center of the enzymes glutathione peroxidase, thioredoxin reductase, and three known deiodinase enzymes. The disodium salt of selenious acid. It is used therapeutically to supply the trace element selenium and is prepared by the reaction of SELENIUM DIOXIDE with SODIUM HYDROXIDE.See also: Selenite ion ; Sodium Selenite; Vitamin E ... View More ... |
