[Distribution of arsenic species and its DNA damage in subchronic arsenite-exposed mice].
OBJECTIVE
To study the arsenic distribution, speciation, its effects on the balance of other elements and the DNA damage by subchronic arsenite exposure in mice.


METHODS
The 8-week-old C57BL/6N mice were matched by weight and divided into control group and supplementation group, which were given 0 or 10 microg/ml of sodium arsenite in the drinking water, and continuous exposed for 6 months.


RESULTS
Arsenic was found in various tissues and organs. The highest ones were in the kidney, lung and liver, reached (563.9 +/- 222.5), (458.6 +/- 191.0) and (279.8 +/- 81.2) ng/g, respectively while the lowest in the blood and brain, reached (82.2 +/- 26.7) ng/ml and (101.8 +/- 30.1) ng/g, respectively. Arsenic exists mainly in the form of dimethylarsinous acid (DMA). Compared to the control group, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between arsenic and chromium, copper, zinc, selenium, lead in some organs of arsenic exposed group, but not cadmium. Furthermore, the 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) level of the exposed group was (149.1 +/- 1.0) ng/ml, which was significantly higher than the control group of (76.4 +/- 27.9) ng/ml.


CONCLUSIONS
Arsenic accumulated in various tissues and organs mainly in the form of DMA, which affected the balance of chromium, copper, zinc, selenium and lead in the body, and led to DNA damage after subchronic exposure.
Multi-Discipline Initiative Center, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. lihanjun@ihep.ac.cn
Hanjun
H
Li
Jing
J
Lin
Yufeng
Y
Li
Jinting
J
Yan
Bai
B
Li
Wei
W
Zhang
Zeqin
Z
Dong
Chunying
C
Chen
D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D018053:Arsenites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D002101:Cacodylic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D059550:Toxicity Tests, Subchronic; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
D018053:Arsenites; D060766:Drinking Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C472511:dimethylarsinous acid; D002101:Cacodylic Acid; C015001:arsenite; D001151:Arsenic