[Effect of glutathione and sodium selenite on the metabolism of arsenic in mice exposed to arsenic through drinking water].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of glutathione (GSH) and sodium selenite on the metabolism of arsenic in the liver, kidney and blood of mice exposed to iAsIII through drinking water.


METHODS
The mice were randomly divided into control, arsenic, GSH and sodium selenite group, respectively. And each group had eight mice and the mice were exposed to 50 mg/L arsenite by drinking water for 4 weeks. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with GSH (600 mg/kg) and sodium selenite (1 mg/kg) for seven days from the beginning of the fourth week. At the end of the fourth week, liver, kidney and blood were sampled to assess the concentrations of inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsenic acid (MMA), dimethylarsenic acid (DMA) by hydride generation trapping by ultra-hypothermia coupled with atomic absorption spectrometry.


RESULTS
The liver DMA (233.76 +/- 60.63 ng/g) concentration in GSH group was significantly higher than the arsenic group (218.36 +/- 42.71 ng/g). The concentration of DMA (88.52 +/- 30.86 ng/g) and total arsenic (TAs) (162.32 +/- 49.45 ng/g) in blood of GSH group was significantly higher than those [(45.32 +/- 12.19 ng/g), (108.51 +/- 18.00 ng/g), respectively] of arsenic groups(q values were 3.06, 6.40, 10.72 respectively, P < 0.05). The primary methylated index (PMI) (0.65 +/- 0.050) and secondary methylated index (SMI) (0.55 +/- 0.050) in liver sample of GSH group were significantly higher than those (0.58 +/- 0.056, 0.44 +/- 0. 093) in arsenic group. In blood samples, the PMI (0.85 +/- 0.066) in GSH group was significantly higher than that (0.54 +/- 0.113) in arsenic group (q values were 3.75, 5.26, 4.21 respectively, P < 0.05). However, no significant difference was identified between sodium selenite and arsenic groups in liver, kidney or blood samples. And no significant difference was detected in kidney samples among all arsenic exposing groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Exogenous GSH could promote the methylated metabolism of iAsIII, but sodium selenite showed no significant effects.
Yu
Xiao-Yun
XY
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.
Zhong
Yuan
Y
Niu
Yu-Hong
YH
Qu
Chun-Qing
CQ
Li
Ge-Xin
GX
Lü
Xiu-Qiang
XQ
Sun
Gui-Fan
GF
Jin
Ya-Ping
YP
D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000378:metabolism*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D018038:Sodium Selenite / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014881:Water Supply
D005978:Glutathione; D018038:Sodium Selenite; D001151:Arsenic