Investigating the effect of sodium selenite treatment on human adipocyte homeostasis

Background The current global obesity pandemic is the leading cause of the soaring rates of metabolic diseases, especially diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. White adipose tissue (WAT) as an essential endocrine organ is vital for regulating and maintaining adequate glucose and lipid homeostasis. WAT dysfunction occurs due to buildup of oxidative stress and inflammation. The trace element selenium exhibits its antioxidant capacity via Selenoproteins (such as Glutathione peroxidases [GPX]). Preventive selenium application has recently been identified to protect against the development of diet-induced insulin resistance in WAT by increasing GPx3 and Insulin receptor (IR) expression. Translational approaches to validate mouse data and its applicability to humans are not well understood.