Short-term (6-week) oral toxicity study of selenium in Syrian hamsters

The subacute toxicity of selenium was tested by feeding sodium selenite to Syrian hamsters at dietary levels of 0.1, 1, 5, 10 and 20 ppm selenium for 42 days. General health, survival and organ weights were not adversely affected at any of the dose levels. Weight gain and food intake were relatively low in males fed the highest dose level. The differences from the control values were not statistically significant and there was no similar effect in females. Hamsters fed 10 or 20 ppm retained considerably higher levels of selenium in the liver than did the controls. Microscopic examination of the liver revealed degenerative changes in males and females in the 20-ppm group. The no-toxic-effect level of selenium fed in the diet for 42 days to Syrian hamsters was found to be 10 ppm, equivalent to an intake of about 0.7 mg selenium/kg body weight/day.