Dimethylarsine and trimethylarsine are potent genotoxins in vitro

Increasing temperature and flooding enhance arsenic release and biotransformations in Swiss soils

Reductive dissolution is one of the main causes for arsenic (As) mobilisation in flooded soils while biomethylation and biovolatilisation are two microbial mechanisms that greatly influence the mobility and toxicity of As. Climate change results in more extreme weather events such as flooding and higher temperatures, potentially leading to an increase in As release and biotransformations. Here, we investigated the effects of flooding and temperature on As release, biomethylation and biovolatilisation from As-rich soils with different pH and source of As (one acidic and anthropogenic (Salanfe) and one neutral and geogenic (Liesberg)). Flooded soils incubated at 23 °C for two weeks showed a ~ 3-fold (Liesberg site) and ~ 7-fold (Salanfe site) increase in the total As concentration of soil solution compared to those incubated at 18 °C. Methyl- and thio-As species were found in the acidic soil and soil solution. High temperatures enhanced thiolation and methylation although inorganic As was predominant. We also show that volatile As fluxes increased more than 4-fold between treatments, from 18 ± 5 ng/kg/d at 18 °C to 75 ± 6 ng/kg/d at 23 °C from Salanfe soil. Our results suggest that high As soils with acidic pH can become an important source of As to the surrounding environment according to realistic climatic scenarios, and that biovolatilisation is very sensitive to increases in temperature. This study provides new data and further justifies further investigations into climate-induced changes on As release and speciation and its links to important factors such as microbial ecology and sulfate or iron biogeochemistry. SYNOPSIS: In the studied Swiss soils, elevated temperature increases arsenic mobility through volatilisation and methylation.

Biotransformation of arsenic and toxicological implication of arsenic metabolites

Arsenic is a well-known environmental carcinogen and chronic exposure to arsenic through drinking water has been reported to cause skin, bladder and lung cancers, with arsenic metabolites being implicated in the pathogenesis. In contrast, arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) is an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia, in which the binding of arsenite (iAs^III) to promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein is the proposed initial step. These findings on the two-edged sword characteristics of arsenic suggest that after entry into cells, arsenic reaches the nucleus and triggers various nuclear events. Arsenic is reduced, conjugated with glutathione, and methylated in the cytosol. These biotransformations, including the production of reactive metabolic intermediates, appear to determine the intracellular dynamics, target organs, and biological functions of arsenic.

Composition and emission of VOC from biogas produced by illegally managed waste landfills in Giugliano (Campania, Italy) and potential impact on the local population

The composition in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) of the biogas produced by seven landfills of Giugliano (Naples, Campania, Italy) was determined and VOC emission rates assessed to verify if these compounds represent a potential threat to the population living nearby. VOC composition in the biogas could not be predicted, as heterogeneous waste was dumped from the late 1980s to the early 2000s and then underwent biological degradation. No data are available on the amount and composition of VOC in the biogas before the landfills closure as no operational biogas collection system was present. In this study, VOC composition was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), after collecting samples from collection pipes and from soil fractures in cover soil or capping. Individual VOC were quantified and data compared with those collected at two landfills in Latium, when they were still in operation. Relevant differences were observed, mainly due to waste aging, but no specific VOC revealing toxic waste dumping was found, although the concurrent presence of certain compounds suggested that dumping of industrial wastes might have occurred. The average VOC emission was assessed and a dispersion model was run to find out if the emitted plume could affect the health of population. The results suggested that fugitive emissions did not represent a serious danger, since the concentrations simulated at the neighboring cities were below the threshold limits for acute and chronic diseases. However, VOC plume could cause annoyance at night when the steady state conditions of the atmosphere enhance pollutants accumulation in the lower layers. In addition, some of the emitted VOC, such as alkylbenzenes and monoterpenes, can contribute to tropospheric ozone formation.

Arsenic Mobilization from Historically Contaminated Mining Soils in a Continuously Operated Bioreactor: Implications for Risk Assessment

Concentrations of soil arsenic (As) in the vicinity of the former Złoty Stok gold mine (Lower Silesia, southwest Poland) exceed 1000 μg g(-1) in the area, posing an inherent threat to neighboring bodies of water. This study investigated continuous As mobilization under reducing conditions for more than 3 months. In particular, the capacity of autochthonic microflora that live on natural organic matter as the sole carbon/electron source for mobilizing As was assessed. A biphasic mobilization of As was observed. In the first two months, As mobilization was mainly conferred by Mn dissolution despite the prevalence of Fe (0.1 wt % vs 5.4 for Mn and Fe, respectively) as indicated by multiple regression analysis. Thereafter, the sudden increase in aqueous As[III] (up to 2400 μg L(-1)) was attributed to an almost quintupling of the autochthonic dissimilatory As-reducing community (quantitative polymerase chain reaction). The aqueous speciation influenced by microbial activity led to a reduction of solid phase As species (X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy) and a change in the elemental composition of As hotspots (micro X-ray fluorescence mapping). The depletion of most natural dissolved organic matter and the fact that an extensive mobilization of As[III] occurred after two months raises concerns about the long-term stability of historically As-contaminated sites.

Using publicly available data, a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model and Bayesian simulation to improve arsenic non-cancer dose-response

Publicly available data can potentially examine the relationship between environmental exposure and public health, however, it has not yet been widely applied. Arsenic is of environmental concern, and previous studies mathematically parameterized exposure duration to create a link between duration of exposure and increase in risk. However, since the dose metric emerging from exposure duration is not a linear or explicit variable, it is difficult to address the effects of exposure duration simply by using mathematical functions. To relate cumulative dose metric to public health requires a lifetime physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model, yet this model is not available at a population level. In this study, the data from the U.S. total diet study (TDS, 2006-2011) was employed to assess exposure: daily dietary intakes for total arsenic (tAs) and inorganic arsenic (iAs) were estimated to be 0.15 and 0.028μg/kg/day, respectively. Meanwhile, using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2011-2012) data, the fraction of urinary As(III) levels (geometric mean: 0.31μg/L) in tAs (geometric mean: 7.75μg/L) was firstly reported to be approximately 4%. Together with Bayesian technique, the assessed exposure and urinary As(III) concentration were input to successfully optimize a lifetime population PBPK model. Finally, this optimized PBPK model was used to derive an oral reference dose (Rfd) of 0.8μg/kg/day for iAs exposure. Our study also suggests the previous approach (by using mathematical functions to account for exposure duration) may result in a conservative Rfd estimation.

Pharmacokinetic and Genomic Effects of Arsenite in Drinking Water on Mouse Lung in a 30-Day Exposure

The 2 objectives of this subchronic study were to determine the arsenite drinking water exposure dependent increases in female C3H mouse liver and lung tissue arsenicals and to characterize the dose response (to 0, 0.05, 0.25, 1, 10, and 85 ppm arsenite in drinking water for 30 days and a purified AIN-93M diet) for genomic mouse lung expression patterns. Mouse lungs were analyzed for inorganic arsenic, monomethylated, and dimethylated arsenicals by hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy. The total lung mean arsenical levels were 1.4, 22.5, 30.1, 50.9, 105.3, and 316.4 ng/g lung tissue after 0, 0.05, 0.25, 1, 10, and 85 ppm, respectively. At 85 ppm, the total mean lung arsenical levels increased 14-fold and 131-fold when compared to either the lowest noncontrol dose (0.05 ppm) or the control dose, respectively. We found that arsenic exposure elicited minimal numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs; 77, 38, 90, 87, and 87 DEGs) after 0.05, 0.25, 1, 10, and 85 ppm, respectively, which were associated with cardiovascular disease, development, differentiation, apoptosis, proliferation, and stress response. After 30 days of arsenite exposure, this study showed monotonic increases in mouse lung arsenical (total arsenic and dimethylarsinic acid) concentrations but no clear dose-related increases in DEG numbers.

Integrated phytobial remediation for sustainable management of arsenic in soil and water

Arsenic (As), cited as the most hazardous substance by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR, 2005), is an ubiquitous metalloid which when ingested for prolonged periods cause extensive health effects leading to ultimate untimely death. Plants and microbes can help mitigate soil and groundwater As problem since they have evolved elaborate detoxification machineries against this toxic metalloid as a result of their coexistence with this since the origin of life on earth. Utilization of the phytoremediation and bioremediation potential of the plants and microbes, respectively, is now regarded as two innovative tools that encompass biology, geology, biotechnology and allied sciences with cutting edge applications for sustainable mitigation of As epidemic. Discovery of As hyperaccumulating plants that uptake and concentrate large amounts of this toxic metalloid in their shoots or roots offered new hope to As phytoremediation, solar power based nature's own green remediation. This review focuses on how phytoremediation and bioremediation can be merged together to form an integrated phytobial remediation which could synergistically achieve the goal of large scale removal of As from soil, sediment and groundwater and overcome the drawbacks of the either processes alone. The review also points to the feasibility of the introduction of transgenic plants and microbes that bring new hope for more efficient treatment of As. The review identifies one critical research gap on the importance of remediation of As contaminated groundwater not only for drinking purpose but also for irrigation purpose and stresses that more research should be conducted on the use of constructed wetland, one of the most suitable areas of application of phytobial remediation. Finally the review has narrowed down on different phytoinvestigation and phytodisposal methods, which constitute the most essential and the most difficult part of pilot scale and field scale applications of phytoremediation programs.

Arsenic-induced abnormalities in glucose metabolism: Biochemical basis and potential therapeutic and nutritional interventions

Health hazards due to the consumption of heavy metals such as arsenic have become a worldwide problem. Metabolism of arsenic produces various intermediates which are more toxic and cause toxicity. Arsenic exposure results in impairment of glucose metabolism, insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells, altered gene expressions and signal transduction, and affects insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in adipocytes or skeletal muscle cells. Arsenic toxicity causes abnormalities in glucose metabolism through an increase in oxidative stress. Arsenic interferes with the sulfhydryl groups and phosphate groups present in various enzymes involved in glucose metabolism including pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, and contributes to their impairment. Arsenic inhibits glucose transporters present in the cell membrane, alters expression of genes involved in glucose metabolism, transcription factors and inflammatory cytokines which stimulate oxidative stress. Some theories suggest that arsenic exposure under diabetic conditions inhibits hyperglycemia. However, the exact mechanism behind the behavior of arsenic as an antagonist or synergist on glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion is not yet fully understood. The present review delineates the relationship between arsenic and the biochemical basis of its relationship to glucose metabolism. This review also addresses potential therapeutic and nutritional interventions for attenuating arsenic toxicity. Several other potential nutritional supplements are highlighted in the review that could be used to combat arsenic toxicity.

Biovolatilisation: a poorly studied pathway of the arsenic biogeochemical cycle

It has been known for over a hundred years that microorganisms can produce volatile arsenic (As) species, termed "arsines". However, this topic has received relatively little attention compared to As behaviour in soils and biotransformation through the trophic level in the marine and terrestrial environment. We believe this is due to long-standing misconceptions regarding volatile As stability and transport as well as an absence, until recently, of appropriate sampling methods. First and foremost, an attempt is made to unify arsines' designations, notations and formulas, taking into account all the different terms used in the literature. Then, the stability of As volatile species is discussed and new analytical developments are explored. Further, the special cases of diffuse low-level emissions (e.g. soil and sediment biovolatilisation), and point sources with high-level emissions (geothermal environments, landfills, and natural gas) are comprehensively reviewed. In each case, future possible areas of research and unknown mechanisms are identified and their importance towards the global As biogeochemical cycle is explored. This review gathers new information regarding mechanisms, stability, transport and sampling of the very elusive arsines and shows that more research should be conducted on this important process.

Metabolism of arsenic and its toxicological relevance

Arsenic is a worldwide environmental pollutant and a human carcinogen. It is well recognized that the toxicity of arsenicals largely depends on the oxidoreduction states (trivalent or pentavalent) and methylation levels (monomethyl, dimethyl, and trimethyl) that are present during the process of metabolism in mammals. However, presently, the specifics of the metabolic pathway of inorganic arsenicals have yet to be confirmed. In mammals, there are two possible mechanisms that have been proposed for the metabolic pathway of inorganic arsenicals, oxidative methylation, and glutathione conjugation. Oxidative methylation, which was originally proposed in fungi, is based on findings that arsenite (iAs(III)) is sequentially converted to monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)) in both humans and in laboratory animals such as mice and rats. However, recent in vitro observations have demonstrated that arsenic is only methylated in the presence of glutathione (GSH) or other thiol compounds, which strongly suggests that arsenic is methylated in trivalent forms. The glutathione conjugation mechanism is supported by findings that have shown that most intracellular arsenicals are trivalent and excreted from cells as GSH conjugates. Since non-conjugated trivalent arsenicals are highly reactive with thiol compounds and are easily converted to less toxic corresponding pentavalent arsenicals, the arsenic-glutathione conjugate stability may be the most important factor for determining the toxicity of arsenicals. In addition, "being a non-anionic form" also appears to be a determinant of the toxicity of oxo-arsenicals or thioarsenicals. The present review discusses both the metabolism of arsenic and the toxicity of arsenic metabolites.

Induction of cyclin D1 by arsenite and UVB-irradiation in human keratinocytes

Arsenic is an environmental pollutant with carcinogenic properties that is found in many regions of the world but that poses a health risk primarily in economically disadvantaged areas. In these areas, arsenic ingestion affects various tissues, especially skin in which it acts as a comutagen with the ultraviolet component of solar radiation. Both epidemiological and experimental evidence indicates that arsenic and ultraviolet radiation act on signaling pathways that effect the expression of cyclin D1. We have previously employed an in vitro model system of human epidermal keratinocytes to study the effects of submicromolar concentrations of sodium arsenite on cyclin D1 expression. Here, we employed this system to demonstrate concordant cyclin D1-related induction profiles of ultraviolet B radiation and arsenite using cDNA microarray analysis. We also show that both of these agents act epigenetically to bring about demethylation of the cyclin D1 promoter.

Toxicity of volatile methylated species of bismuth, arsenic, tin, and mercury in Mammalian cells in vitro

The biochemical transformation of mercury, tin, arsenic and bismuth through formation of volatile alkylated species performs a fundamental role in determining the environmental processing of these elements. While the toxicity of inorganic forms of most of these compounds are well documented (e.g., arsenic, mercury) and some of them are of relatively low toxicity (e.g., tin, bismuth), the more lipid-soluble organometals can be highly toxic. In the present study we investigated the cyto- and genotoxicity of five volatile metal(loid) compounds: trimethylbismuth, dimethylarsenic iodide, trimethylarsine, tetramethyltin, and dimethylmercury. As far as we know, this is the first study investigating the toxicity of volatile metal(loid) compounds in vitro. Our results showed that dimethylmercury was most toxic to all three used cell lines (CHO-9 cells, CaCo, Hep-G2) followed by dimethylarsenic iodide. Tetramethyltin was the least toxic compound; however, the toxicity was also dependend upon the cell type. Human colon cells (CaCo) were most susceptible to the toxicity of the volatile compounds compared to the other cell lines. We conclude from our study that volatile metal(loid) compounds can be toxic to mammalian cells already at very low concentrations but the toxicity depends upon the metal(loid) species and the exposed cell type.

Investigation of biomethylation of arsenic and tellurium during composting

Though the process of composting features a high microbiological activity, its potential to methylate metals and metalloids has been little investigated so far in spite of the high impact of this process on metal(loid) toxicity and mobility. Here, we studied the biotransformation of arsenic, tellurium, antimony, tin and germanium during composting. Time resolved investigation revealed a highly dynamic process during self-heated composting with markedly differing time patterns for arsenic and tellurium species. Extraordinary high concentrations of up to 150 mg kg(-1) methylated arsenic species as well as conversion rates up to 50% for arsenic and 5% for tellurium were observed. In contrast, little to no conversion was observed for antimony, tin and germanium. In addition to experiments with metal(loid) salts, composting of arsenic hyperaccumulating ferns Pteris vittata and P. cretica grown on As-amended soils was studied. Arsenic accumulated in the fronds was efficiently methylated resulting in up to 8 mg kg(-1) methylated arsenic species. Overall, these studies indicate that metal(loid)s can undergo intensive biomethylation during composting. Due to the high mobility of methylated species this process needs to be considered in organic waste treatment of metal(loid) contaminated waste materials.

Atmospheric stability of arsine and methylarsines

Arsenic (As) occurs in a variety of different chemical forms, among them volatile (gaseous) species, usually referred to as arsine and methylarsines. Here we demonstrate that arsine and methylarsines are stable in air in concentrations at the μg/L gas level. We determined half-lives of approximately 8 h under daytime conditions (UV light) for all methylated arsines, while the same species were found to be considerably more stable in night-time (dark) conditions. Arsine (AsH₃) showed under both day and night-time conditions, considerably higher stabilities than methylated arsines. We show here that volatile As species seem stable enough to travel considerable distances in the atmosphere from a point source before converting into nonvolatile, oxidized compounds. Also, the degradation pathway leading to the conversion to nonvolatile compounds was investigated using computational chemistry. Arsine and methylarsines' reactions with the hydroxyl radical (•OH) as well as As-C and As-H bonds strengths in the species studied were modeled. Results showed that conversion could not be explained by H abstraction, nor by OH addition. Moreover, it was found that As-C and As-H bonds strengths are not the determining factor responsible for the decrease in stability with ascending methylation of the different volatile arsine species, as previously suggested.

Arsenic-induced carcinogenesis--oxidative stress as a possible mode of action and future research needs for more biologically based risk assessment

Exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) induces cancer in human lungs, urinary bladder, skin, kidney, and liver, with the majority of deaths from lung and bladder cancer. To date, cancer risk assessments for iAs have not relied on mechanistic data, as we have lacked sufficient understanding of arsenic's pharmacokinetics and mode(s) of carcinogenic action (MOA). Furthermore, while there are vast amounts of toxicological data on iAs, relatively little of it has been collected using experimental designs that efficiently support development of biologically based dose-response (BBDR) models and subsequently risk assessment. This review outlines an efficient approach to the development of a BBDR model for iAs that would reduce uncertainties in its cancer risk assessment. This BBDR-based approach is illustrated by using oxidative stress as the carcinogenic MOA for iAs but would be generically applicable to other MOAs. Six major research needs that will facilitate BBDR model development for arsenic-induced cancer are (1) MOA research, which is needed to reduce the uncertainty in risk assessment; (2) development and integration of the pharmacodynamic component (MOA) of the BBDR model; (3) dose-response and extrapolation model selection; (4) the determination of internal human speciated arsenical concentrations to improve physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models; (5) animal models of arsenic carcinogenesis; and (6) the determination of the low dose human relationship for death from cancer, particularly in lungs and urinary bladder. The major parts of the BBDR model are arsenic exposure, a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model, reactive species, antioxidant defenses, oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, growth factors, transcription factors, DNA damage, chromosome damage, cell proliferation, mutation accumulation, and cancer. The BBDR model will need to be developed concurrently with data collection so that model uncertainties can be identified and addressed through an iterative process of targeted additional research.

Oncogene expression profiles in K6/ODC mouse skin and papillomas following a chronic exposure to monomethylarsonous acid

We have previously observed that a chronic drinking water exposure to monomethylarsonous acid [MMA(III)], a cellular metabolite of inorganic arsenic, increases tumor frequency in the skin of keratin VI/ornithine decarboxylase (K6/ODC) transgenic mice. To characterize gene expression profiles predictive of MMA(III) exposure and mode of action of carcinogenesis, skin and papilloma RNA was isolated from K6/ODC mice administered 0, 10, 50, and 100 ppm MMA(III) in their drinking water for 26 weeks. Following RNA processing, the resulting cRNA samples were hybridized to Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430A 2.0 GeneChips(R). Micoarray data were normalized using MAS 5.0 software, and statistically significant genes were determined using a regularized t-test. Significant changes in bZIP transcription factors, MAP kinase signaling, chromatin remodeling, and lipid metabolism gene transcripts were observed following MMA(III) exposure as determined using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery 2.1 (DAVID) (Dennis et al., Genome Biol 2003;4(5):P3). MMA(III) also caused dose-dependent changes in multiple Rho guanine nucleotide triphosphatase (GTPase) and cell cycle related genes as determined by linear regression analyses. Observed increases in transcript abundance of Fosl1, Myc, and Rac1 oncogenes in mouse skin support previous reports on the inducibility of these oncogenes in response to arsenic and support the relevance of these genomic changes in skin tumor induction in the K6/ODC mouse model.

Methylated Metal(loid) Species in Humans

While the metal(loid)s arsenic, bismuth, and selenium (probably also tellurium) have been shown to be enzymatically methylated in the human body, this has not yet been demonstrated for antimony, cadmium, germanium, indium, lead, mercury, thallium, and tin, although the latter elements can be biomethylated in the environment. Methylated metal(loid)s exhibit increased mobility, thus leading to a more efficient metal(loid) transport within the body and, in particular, opening chances for passing membrane barriers (blood-brain barrier, placental barrier). As a consequence human health may be affected. In this review, relevant data from the literature are compiled, and are discussed with respect to the evaluation of assumed and proven health effects caused by alkylated metal(loid) species.

Global Gene Expression Profiling of Hyperkeratotic Skin Lesions from Inner Mongolians Chronically Exposed to Arsenic

The skin is an organ that is highly sensitive to chronic arsenic (As) exposure. Skin lesions such as hyperkeratoses (HKs) are common early manifestations of arsenicosis in humans. HKs can be precursor lesions of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), but the driving forces behind their formation and how they may ultimately progress to NMSCs are unknown. The goal of this study was to examine the global gene expression profiles of As-related HKs in an effort to better understand gene expression changes that are potentially associated with early stages of As carcinogenesis. HK biopsies were removed from individuals living in an arsenicosis-endemic region in Inner Mongolia who had been exposed to high As levels in their drinking water for >20 years. Gene expression profiling was performed on RNA isolated from 7 individuals in this group and from 4 lesion-free skin samples from healthy individuals. Consistent with the pathological characteristics of the HK lesions, major functional categories and known canonical pathways represented by altered transcripts include those involved in development, differentiation, apoptosis, proliferation, and stress response. The results of this study may help define a signature profile of gene expression changes associated with long-term As exposure in the skin.

Biovolatilization of metal(loid)s by intestinal microorganisms in the simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem

Methylation and hydrogenation of metal(loid)s by microorganisms are widespread and well-known processes in the environment by which mobility and in most cases toxicity are significantly enhanced in comparison to inorganic species. The human gut contains highly diverse and active microbiocenosis, yet little is known about the occurrence and importance of microbial metal(loid) methylation and hydrogenation. In this study, an in vitro gastrointestinal model, the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME),was used for investigating volatilization of metal(loid)s by intestinal microbiota. Suspensions from different compartments of the SHIME system analogous to different parts of the human intestinal tract were incubated with different concentrations of inorganic Ge, As, Se, Sn, Sb, Te, Hg, Pb, and Bi and analyzed by gas chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC-ICP-MS). Significant volatilization was found for Se, As, and Te (maximal hourly production rates relative to the amount spiked; 0.6, 2, and 9 ng/mg/h, respectively). In addition, volatile species of Sb and Bi were detected. The occurrence of AsH3 and (CH3)2Te was toxicologically important. Furthermore, mixed Se/S and mixed As/S metabolites were detected in significant amounts in the gas phase of the incubation experiments of which two metabolites, (CH3)2AsSSCH3 and CH3As(SCH3)2, are described for the first time in environmental matrices. The toxicology of these species is unknown. These data show that the intestinal microbiota may increase the mobility of metal(loid)s, suggesting a significant modulation of their toxicity. Our research warrants further studies to investigate the extent of this process as well as the availability of metal(loid)s from different sources for microbial transformations.

Arsenite and its mono- and dimethylated trivalent metabolites enhance the formation of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-DNA adducts in Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A cells

Recently, inorganic arsenite (iAs(III)) and its mono- and dimethylated metabolites have been examined for their interference with the formation and repair of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE)-induced DNA adducts in human cells (Schwerdtle, ., Walter, I., and Hartwig, A. (2003) DNA Repair 2, 1449 - 1463). iAs(III) and monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)) were found to be able to enhance the formation of BPDE-DNA adducts, whereas dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) had no enhancing effect at all. The anomaly manifested by DMA(III) prompted us to further investigate the effects of the three trivalent arsenic species on the formation of BPDE-DNA adducts. Use of a nucleotide excision repair (NER)-deficient Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A cell line (GM04312C) allowed us to dissect DNA damage induction from DNA repair and to examine the effects of arsenic on the formation of BPDE-DNA adducts only. At concentrations comparable to those used in the study by Schwerdtle et al., we found that each of the three trivalent arsenic species was able to enhance the formation of BPDE-DNA adducts with the potency in a descending order of MMA(III) > DMA(III) > iAs(III), which correlates well with their cytotoxicities. Similar to iAs(III), DMA(III) modulation of reduced glutathione (GSH) or total glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity could not account for its enhancing effect on DNA adduct formation. Additionally, the enhancing effects elicited by the trivalent arsenic species were demonstrated to be highly time-dependent. Thus, although our study made use of short-term assays with relatively high doses, our data may have meaningful implications for carcinogenesis induced by chronic exposure to arsenic at low doses encountered environmentally.

Methylated Arsenicals: The Implications of Metabolism and Carcinogenicity Studies in Rodents to Human Risk Assessment

Monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)) are active ingredients in pesticidal products used mainly for weed control. MMA(V) and DMA(V) are also metabolites of inorganic arsenic, formed intracellularly, primarily in liver cells in a metabolic process of repeated reductions and oxidative methylations. Inorganic arsenic is a known human carcinogen, inducing tumors of the skin, urinary bladder, and lung. However, a good animal model has not yet been found. Although the metabolic process of inorganic arsenic appears to enhance the excretion of arsenic from the body, it also involves formation of methylated compounds of trivalent arsenic as intermediates. Trivalent arsenicals (whether inorganic or organic) are highly reactive compounds that can cause cytotoxicity and indirect genotoxicity in vitro. DMA(V) was found to be a bladder carcinogen only in rats and only when administered in the diet or drinking water at high doses. It was negative in a two-year bioassay in mice. MMA(V) was negative in 2-year bioassays in rats and mice. The mode of action for DMA(V)-induced bladder cancer in rats appears to not involve DNA reactivity, but rather involves cytotoxicity with consequent regenerative proliferation, ultimately leading to the formation of carcinoma. This critical review responds to the question of whether DMA(V)-induced bladder cancer in rats can be extrapolated to humans, based on detailed comparisons between inorganic and organic arsenicals, including their metabolism and disposition in various animal species. The further metabolism and disposition of MMA(V) and DMA(V) formed endogenously during the metabolism of inorganic arsenic is different from the metabolism and disposition of MMA(V) and DMA(V) from exogenous exposure. The trivalent arsenicals that are cytotoxic and indirectly genotoxic in vitro are hardly formed in an organism exposed to MMA(V) or DMA(V) because of poor cellular uptake and limited metabolism of the ingested compounds. Furthermore, the evidence strongly supports a nonlinear dose-response relationship for the biologic processes involved in the carcinogenicity of arsenicals. Based on an overall review of the evidence, using a margin-of-exposure approach for MMA(V) and DMA(V) risk assessment is appropriate. At anticipated environmental exposures to MMA(V) and DMA(V), there is not likely to be a carcinogenic risk to humans.

Induction of cyclin D1 by submicromolar concentrations of arsenite in human epidermal keratinocytes

Arsenic is a prevalent environmental carcinogen but arsenic is not directly mutagenic and the mechanism by which arsenite brings about oncogenic transformation is poorly understood. To gain insight into the oncogenic properties of arsenic, we studied the expression of cyclin D1 in cultured human epidermal keratinocytes treated with submicromolar concentrations of sodium arsenite. Arsenite at concentrations between 200 and 800 nM over a 3-day period brought about an increase in cell growth rate. Uptake of the vital stain, neutral red, arsenite at 200 and 400 nM concentrations brought about a parallel increase in cell viability over the same treatment period. Analysis of cell cycle parameters by flow cytometry showed that the growth stimulation was accompanied by a concomitant shift from the G1 into the S/G2 cell cycle compartment in the arsenite-treated cells. Real-time PCR analysis of cyclin D1 transcription showed that there was an induction of more than three-fold in cells exposed to 400 nM arsenite for 3 days. Quantitation of cyclin D levels in Western blots showed that arsenite treatment caused a time-dependent induction of cyclin D proteins representing an induction of about 2.0-fold after a 7 day treatment period. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) showed that arsenite also stimulated binding of the transcription factors, AP1 and CREBP to their respective binding motifs within 3 days. This supports a mechanism of oncogenesis based on persistent upregulation of D type cyclins leading to a concomitant loss of G1/S checkpoint control.

Arsenic in the aetiology of cancer

Arsenic, one of the most significant hazards in the environment affecting millions of people around the world, is associated with several diseases including cancers of skin, lung, urinary bladder, kidney and liver. Groundwater contamination by arsenic is the main route of exposure. Inhalation of airborne arsenic or arsenic-contaminated dust is a common health problem in many ore mines. This review deals with the questions raised in the epidemiological studies such as the dose-response relationship, putative confounders and synergistic effects, and methods evaluating arsenic exposure. Furthermore, it describes the metabolic pathways of arsenic, and its biological modes of action. The role of arsenic in the development of cancer is elucidated in the context of combined epidemiological and biological studies. However, further analyses by means of molecular epidemiology are needed to improve the understanding of cancer aetiology induced by arsenic.

Metabolism of arsenic in Drosophila melanogaster and the genotoxicity of dimethylarsinic acid in the Drosophila wing spot test

Inorganic arsenic is nongenotoxic in the Drosophila melanogaster wing somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART). Recent evidence in mammalian systems indicates that methylated metabolites of arsenic are more genotoxic than inorganic arsenic. Thus, we hypothesized that inorganic arsenic is nongenotoxic in Drosophila because they are unable to biotransform arsenic to methylated forms. In the present study, we fed trivalent and pentavalent inorganic arsenic to Drosophila larvae and adults and measured the production of methylated derivatives. No biomethylated arsenic species were found in the organisms or in the growth medium, which suggests that Drosophila are unable to biomethylate inorganic arsenic. Exposure of Drosophila to the methylated arsenic derivative dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)) resulted in incorporation of this organoarsenic compound without demethylation. In addition, we used the SMART wing spot assay, which measures loss of heterozygosity (LOH) resulting from gene mutation, chromosomal rearrangement, chromosome breakage, and chromosome loss, to evaluate the genotoxicity of DMA. DMA by itself induced significant increases in the frequency of total spots, small spots, and large single spots. These results are consistent with the important role of arsenic biomethylation as a determinant of the genotoxicity of arsenic compounds. The absence of biomethylation in Drosophila could explain the lack of genotoxicity for inorganic arsenic and the genotoxicity of methylated arsenic species in the SMART wing spot assay.

Dissociation of arsenite-peptide complexes: Triphasic nature, rate constants, half-lives, and biological importance

We determined the number and the dissociation rate constants of different complexes formed from arsenite and two peptides containing either one (RVCAVGNDYASGYHYGV for peptide 20) or three cysteines (LECAWQGK CVEGTEHLYSMKCK for peptide 10) via radioactive 73As-labeled arsenite and vacuum filtration methodology. Nonlinear regression analysis of the dissociation of both arsenite-peptide complexes showed that triphasic fits gave excellent r2 values (0.9859 for peptide 20 and 0.9890 for peptide 10). The first phase of arsenite-peptide dissociation had the largest span (decrease in binding), and the rate was too fast to be measured using vacuum filtration methods. The dissociation rate constants of arsenite-peptide complexes for the second phase were 0.35 and 0.54 min(-1) and for the third phase were 0.0071 and 0.0045 min(-1) for peptides 20 and 10, respectively. For peptide 20, the three spans of triphasic decay were 85%, 9%, and 7% of the total binding of 16.1 nmol/mg protein. For peptide 10, which can bind in both an intermolecular and intramolecular manner, the three spans of triphasic decay were 59%, 16%, and 25% of the total binding of 43.7 nmol/mg protein. Binding of trivalent arsenicals to peptides and proteins can alter their structure and function and contribute to adverse health outcomes such as toxicity and carcinogenicity.

Tissue dosimetry, metabolism and excretion of pentavalent and trivalent monomethylated arsenic in mice after oral administration

Exposure to monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)) and monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)) can result from their formation as metabolites of inorganic arsenic and by the use of the sodium salts of MMA(V) as herbicides. This study compared the disposition of MMA(V) and MMA(III) in adult female B6C3F1 mice. Mice were gavaged p.o. with MMA(V), either unlabeled or labeled with 14C at two dose levels (0.4 or 40 mg As/kg). Other mice were dosed p.o. with unlabeled MMA(III) at one dose level (0.4 mg As/kg). Mice were housed in metabolism cages for collection of excreta and sacrificed serially over 24 h for collection of tissues. MMA(V)-derived radioactivity was rapidly absorbed, distributed and excreted. By 8 h post-exposure, 80% of both doses of MMA(V) were eliminated in urine and feces. Absorption of MMA(V) was dose dependent; that is, there was less than a 100-fold difference between the two dose levels in the area under the curves for the concentration-time profiles of arsenic in blood and major organs. In addition, urinary excretion of MMA(V)-derived radioactivity in the low dose group was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than in the high dose group. Conversely, fecal excretion of MMA(V)-derived radioactivity was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in the high dose group than in the low dose group. Speciation of arsenic by hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry in urine and tissues of mice administered MMA(V) or MMA(III) found that methylation of MMA(V) was limited while the methylation of MMA(III) was extensive. Less than 10% of the dose excreted in urine of MMA(V)-treated mice was in the form of methylated products, whereas it was greater than 90% for MMA(III)-treated mice. In MMA(V)-treated mice, 25% or less of the tissue arsenic was in the form of dimethylarsenic, whereas in MMA(III)-treated mice, 75% or more of the tissue arsenic was in the form of dimethylarsenic. Based on urinary analysis, administered dose of MMA(V) did not affect the level of its metabolites excreted. In the tested range, dose affects the absorption, distribution and route of excretion of MMA(V) but not its metabolism.

Gene expression profiling of responses to dimethylarsinic acid in female F344 rat urothelium

Gene expression profiling has been shown to be useful for identifying underlying mechanisms of toxicity, determining patterns of biological response, and elucidating candidate markers of exposure and response. Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a human carcinogen and epidemiologic evidence implicates it in the development of urinary bladder cancer. Dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), the major excreted metabolite of iAs in humans, is a known rat bladder carcinogen. To examine the changes associated with DMA exposure, microarray analysis of the urothelium was performed in female F344 rats exposed to non-toxic and toxic doses of DMA in their drinking water for 28 days. A novel method for isolating predominantly urothelial cells was developed. Gene expression profiling of the urothelium using a custom 2-dye spotted array revealed that DMA treatment modulated the expression of transcripts of genes that regulate apoptosis, cell cycle regulation and the oxidative stress response. Expression of genes mapping to pathways involved in cancer control processes were also altered after DMA exposure. Morphological data suggested a dose dependent increase in cellular toxicity. Significant changes in differential gene expression were present after all treatments event at doses where standard toxicological responses were not detectable. The greatest perturbation in gene expression was present in rats after treatment with 40 ppm DMA. Doses which produced no histologic or ultrastructural evidence of toxicity (non-toxic) could be differentiated from toxic doses based on the expression of a subset of genes, which control cell signaling and the stress response. These reported changes in gene expression show similarities between the mechanisms of action of DMA in vivo and those previously described for iAs in vitro. These data illustrate the utility of transcriptional profiling and its potential in predicting key mechanistic pathways involved in toxicity and as a time efficient tool to inform the mode of action analysis in risk assessment.

Oxidation and methylation status determine the effects of arsenic on the mitotic apparatus

We investigated the spindle inhibitory properties of six arsenicals differing in their methylation or oxidation state. Human lymphoblasts were exposed for 6 h to either sodium arsenate (NaAs(V)), sodium arsenite (NaAs(III)), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)), monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)), or dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)). After exposure slides were prepared, and the mitotic indices (MI) were assessed. We also exposed tubulin directly to each arsenical and spectrophotometrically measured its effect on polymerization. NaAs(V) caused a small but significant increase in MI. MMA(V) also caused only a slight increase in MI that just reached statistical significance. In contrast, DMA(V) caused a significant increase in MI, producing approximately 75% the MI of demecolcine and approximately 4 times the MI of the control. NaAs(III) had no significant effect on MI and was quite toxic. MMA(III) induced more than a twofold increase in MI compared to the control, which was about 40% that caused by demecolcine. On a micromolar basis, MMA(III) was the most potent of the arsenicals tested. DMA(III) gave inconsistent results. None of the pentavalent arsenicals had a substantial effect (either inhibition or enhancement) on GTP-induced polymerization of tubulin. In contrast, NaAs(III) inhibited polymerization at concentrations of 1 mM and above and MMA(III) and DMA(III) at 10 microM and above. Taken together, these results present a complex picture of how arsenicals may affect cells. These studies demonstrate that the metabolites of arsenic are active not only as chromosome breaking and DNA damaging agents but can also interfere with cell division via tubulin disruption.

Role of the Alkali Labile Sites, Reactive Oxygen Species and Antioxidants in DNA Damage Induced by Methylated Trivalent Metabolites of Inorganic Arsenic

In the last decade arsenic metabolism has become an important matter of discussion. Methylation of inorganic arsenic (iAs) to monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)) is considered to decrease arsenic toxicity. However, in addition to these pentavalent metabolites, the trivalent metabolites monomethylarsonous (MMA(III)) and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) have been identified recently as intermediates in the metabolic pathway of arsenic in cultured human cells. To examine the role of oxidative damage in the generation of DNA strand breaks by methylated trivalent arsenic metabolites, we treated human lymphocytes with both metabolites at non-cytotoxic concentrations. We further tested whether these effects are sensitive to modulation by the antioxidants ascorbate (Vitamin C) and selenomethionine (Se-Met). Both trivalent metabolites produced oxidative stress related DNA damage, consisting of single strand breaks and alkali-labile sites, with MMA(III) being more potent at low concentrations than DMA(III). Neither MMA(III) nor DMA(III) induced DNA-double strand breaks. The oxidative stress response profiles of the metabolites were parallel as determined by lipid peroxidation induction. MMA(III) induced peroxidation from the lowest concentration tested, while effects of DMA(III) were apparent only at concentrations above 10 muM. The antioxidant Se-Met exhibited a more pronounced inhibition of trivalent arsenic metabolite-induced oxidative-DNA damage than did vitamin C. The present findings suggest that DNA damage by methylated trivalent metabolites at non-cytotoxic concentrations may be mediated by a mix of reactive oxygen and nitrogen oxidized species.

Arsenite binding to synthetic peptides based on the Zn finger region and the estrogen binding region of the human estrogen receptor-alpha

We selected the estrogen receptor protein for study because of prior results indicating that arsenite is a "potential nonsteroidal environmental estrogen". We utilized radioactive (73)As-labeled arsenite and vacuum filtration methodology to determine the binding affinity of arsenite to synthetic peptides. A zinc finger region containing four free sulfhydryls and the hormone binding region containing three free sulfhydryls based on the human estrogen receptor-alpha were studied. Peptide 15 (RYCAVCNDYASGYHYGVWSCEGCKA) bound arsenite with a K(d) of 2.2 microM and B(max) (maximal binding capacity) of 89 nmol/mg protein. Peptide 10 (LECAWQGKCVEGTEHLYSMKCKNV) had a K(d) of 1.3 microM and B(max) of 59 nmol/mg protein. In contrast, the monothiol peptide 19 (LEGAWQGKGVEGTEHLYSMKCKNV) bound arsenite with a higher K(d) of 124 microM and a B(max) of 26 nmol/mg protein. In our studies, amino acids other than cysteine (including methionine and histidine) did not bind arsenite at all. Peptides modeled on the estrogen receptor with two or more nearby free sulfhydryls (two or five intervening amino acids) had low K(d) values in the 1-4 microM range. Peptides containing single sulfhydryls or two sulfhydryls spaced 17 amino acids apart had higher K(d) values in the 100-200 microM range, demonstrating lower affinity. With the exception of peptide 24 which had an unusually high B(max) value of 234 nmol/mg, the binding capacity of the studied peptides was proportional to the number of free cysteines. Binding of trivalent arsenicals to peptides and proteins can contribute to arsenic toxicity and carcinogenicity via altered peptide/protein structure and enzyme function.

The role of trivalent dimethylated arsenic in dimethylarsinic acid-promoted skin and lung tumorigenesis in mice: tumor-promoting action through the induction of oxidative stress

We investigated the relationship between lung- and skin-tumor promotion and oxidative stress caused by administration of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)) in mice. The incidence of lung tumors induced by lung tumor initiator (4NQO) and DMA(V) were, as well as 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), suppressed by cotreatment with (-)epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). When mice were topically treated with trivalent dimethylated arsenic (DMA(III)), a further reductive metabolite of DMA(V), not only an increase in skin tumors but also an elevation of 8-oxodG in epidermis were observed. These results suggest that tumor promotion due to DMA(V) administration is mediated by DMA(III) through the induction of oxidative stress.

Vibrational frequencies and structural determination of trimethylarsine oxide

The normal mode frequencies and corresponding vibrational assignments of trimethylarsine oxide are examined theoretically using the Gaussian 98 set of quantum chemistry codes. All normal modes were successfully assigned to one of eight types of motion (As-C stretch, As=O stretch, C-H stretch, C-As-C bend, As=O bend, H-C-H bend, CH3 wag, and CH3 twist) utilizing the C3v symmetry of the molecule. Calculations were performed at the Hartree-Fock, DFT(B3LYP), and MP2 levels of theory using the standard 6-311G** basis. Calculated infrared intensities and Raman activities are reported.

Speciation of dimethylarsinous acid and trimethylarsine oxide in urine from rats fed with dimethylarsinic acid and dimercaptopropane sulfonate

Speciation of arsenic in urine from rats treated with dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)) alone or in combination with dimercaptopropane sulfonate (DMPS) were studied. Methods were developed for the determination of the methylarsenic metabolites, especially trace levels of dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) and trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO), in the presence of a large excess of DMA(V). Success was achieved by using improved ion-exchange chromatographic separation combined with hydride generation atomic fluorescence detection. Micromolar concentrations of DMA(III) were detected in urine of rats fed with a diet supplemented with either 100 microg/g of DMA(V) or a mixture of 100 microg/g of DMA(V) and 5600 microg/g of DMPS. No significant difference in the DMA(III) concentration was observed between the two groups; however, there was a significant difference in TMAO concentrations. Urine from rats fed with the diet supplemented with DMA(V) alone contained 73 +/- 30 microM TMAO, whereas urine from rats fed with the diet supplemented with both DMA(V) and DMPS contained only 2.8 +/- 1.4 microM TMAO. Solutions containing mixtures of 100 microg/L DMA(V) or TMAO and 5600 microg/L DMPS did not show reduction of DMA(V) and TMAO. The significant decrease (p < 0.001) of the TMAO concentration in rats administered with both DMA(V) and DMPS suggests that DMPS inhibits the biomethylation of arsenic.

Role of oxidative damage in the genotoxicity of arsenic

Arsenic is a well-established human carcinogen and is ubiquitous in the environment. For decades, arsenic has been considered to be a nongenotoxic carcinogen because it is only weakly active or, more often, completely inactive in bacterial and mammalian cell mutation assays. In this review, evidence is presented that when assayed using model systems in which both intragenic and multilocus mutations can readily be detected, arsenic is, indeed, found to be a strong, dose-dependent mutagen which induces mostly multilocus deletions. Furthermore, the roles of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species in mediating the genotoxic response are presented in a systematic and logical fashion in support of a working model. The data suggest that antioxidants may be a useful interventional treatment in reducing the deleterious effects of arsenic.

Do arsenosugars pose a risk to human health? The comparative toxicities of a trivalent and pentavalent arsenosugar

Seafood frequently contains high concentrations of arsenic (approximately 10-100 mg/kg dry weight). In marine algae (seaweed), this arsenic occurs predominantly as ribose derivatives known collectively as arsenosugars. Although it is clear that arsenosugars are not acutely toxic, there is a possibility of arsenosugars having slight chronic toxicity. In general, trivalent arsenicals are more toxic than their pentavalent counterparts, so in this work we examine the hypothesis that trivalent arsenosugars might be significantly more toxic than pentavalent arsenosugars in vitro. We compared the in vitro toxicity of (R)-2,3-dihydroxypropyl-5-deoxy-5-dimethylarsinoyl-beta-D-riboside, a pentavalent arsenosugar, to that of its trivalent counterpart, (R)-2,3-dihydroxypropyl-5-deoxy-5-dimethylarsino-beta-D-riboside. The trivalent arsenosugar nicked plasmid DNA, whereas the pentavalent arsenosugar did not. The trivalent arsenosugar was more cytotoxic (IC50 = 200 microM, 48 h exposure) than its pentavalent counterpart (IC50 > 6000 microM, 48 h exposure) in normal human epidermal keratinocytes in vitro as determined via the neutral red uptake assay. However, both the trivalent and the pentavalent arsenosugars were significantly less toxic than MMA(III), DMA(III), and arsenate. Neither the pentavalent arsenosugar nor the trivalent arsenosugar were mutagenic in Salmonella TA104. The trivalent arsenosugar was readily formed by reaction of the pentavalent arsenosugar with thiol compounds, including, cysteine, glutathione, and dithioerythritol. This work suggests that the reduction of pentavalent arsenosugars to trivalent arsenosugars in biology might have environmental consequences, especially because seaweed consumption is a significant environmental source for human exposure to arsenicals.

Plasmid DNA damage caused by stibine and trimethylstibine

Antimony is classified as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" and there is also sufficient evidence for antimony carcinogenicity in experimental animals. Stibine is a volatile inorganic antimony compound to which humans can be exposed in occupational settings (e.g., lead-acid battery charging). Because it is highly toxic, stibine is considered a significant health risk; however, its genotoxicity has received little attention. For the work reported here, stibine was generated by sodium borohydride reduction of potassium antimony tartrate. Trimethylstibine is a volatile organometallic antimony compound found commonly in landfill and sewage fermentation gases at concentrations ranging between 0.1 and 100 microg/m3. Trimethylstibine is generally considered to pose little environmental or health risk. In the work reported here, trimethylstibine was generated by reduction of trimethylantimony dichloride using either sodium borohydride or the thiol compounds, dithioerythritol (DTE), L-cysteine, and glutathione. Here we report the evaluation of the in vitro genotoxicities of five antimony compounds-potassium antimony tartrate, stibine, potassium hexahydroxyantimonate, trimethylantimony dichloride, and trimethylstibine-using a plasmid DNA-nicking assay. Of these five antimony compounds, only stibine and trimethylstibine were genotoxic (significant nicking to pBR 322 plasmid DNA). We found stibine and trimethylstibine to be about equipotent with trimethylarsine using this plasmid DNA-nicking assay. Reaction of trimethylantimony dichloride with either glutathione or L-cysteine to produce DNA-damaging trimethylstibine was observed with a trimethylantimony dichloride concentration as low as 50 microM and L-cysteine or glutathione concentrations as low as 500 and 200 microM, respectively, for a 24 h incubation.

Methylated trivalent arsenicals as candidate ultimate genotoxic forms of arsenic: induction of chromosomal mutations but not gene mutations

Arsenic is a prevalent human carcinogen whose mutagenicity has not been characterized fully. Exposure to either form of inorganic arsenic, As(III) or As(V), can result in the formation of at least four organic metabolites: monomethylarsonic acid, monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)), dimethylarsinic acid, and dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)). The methylated trivalent species, as well as some of the other species, have not been evaluated previously for the induction of chromosome aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges (SCE), or toxicity in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes; for mutagenicity in L5178Y/Tk(+/-) mouse lymphoma cells or in the Salmonella reversion assay; or for prophage-induction in Escherichia coli. Here we evaluated the arsenicals in these assays and found that MMA(III) and DMA(III) were the most potent clastogens of the six arsenicals in human lymphocytes and the most potent mutagens of the six arsenicals at the Tk(+/-) locus in mouse lymphoma cells. The dimethylated arsenicals were also spindle poisons, suggesting that they may be ultimate forms of arsenic that induce aneuploidy. Although the arsenicals were potent clastogens, none were potent SCE inducers, similar to clastogens that act via reactive oxygen species. None of the six arsenicals were gene mutagens in Salmonella TA98, TA100, or TA104; and neither MMA(III) nor DMA(III) induced prophage. Our results show that both methylated As(V) compounds were less cytotoxic and genotoxic than As(V), whereas both methylated As(III) compounds were more cytotoxic and genotoxic than As(III). Our data support the view that MMA(III) and DMA(III) are candidate ultimate genotoxic forms of arsenic and that they are clastogens and not gene mutagens. We suggest that the clastogenicity of the other arsenicals is due to their metabolism by cells to MMA(III) or DMA(III).