Selenite increases the activities of mitochondrial respiratory complexes I, II+III and IV.

<p>Oxygen consumption in digitonin permeabilized cells was measured using O2K oxygraph with addition of multiple substrates and inhibitors. The activities of each complex were calculated from the difference in reduction in oxygen content in the presence of specific substrates and inhibitors. Top panel is a polarograph recording showing mitochondrial respiratory activities of complex I, II+III and IV in control (red curve) and Se-treated (green curve) neurons. The mitochondrial enzyme activities were increased by selenite when counted both as oxygen flow rate per million cells (bar graph on left) and per milligram protein (bar graph on right). Values are means±s.d. **<i>P</i><0.01, ***<i>P</i><0.001 vs. non-se controls. AA, antimycin A; As, ascorbate; G+M, glutamate and malate; KCN, potassium cyanide; Rot, rotenone; Sc, succinate; TMPD, N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride.