Inorganic arsenic is a well-known human skin carcinogen. Chronic arsenic exposure results in various types of human skin lesions, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). To investigate whether mutant stem cells participate in arsenic-associated carcinogenesis, we repeatedly exposed the HaCaT cells line to an environmentally relevant level of arsenic (0.05 ppm) in vitro for 18 weeks. Following ...

BACKGROUND Consumption of drinking water with high levels of inorganic arsenic (over 500 μg/L) has been associated with type II diabetes mellitus (DM), but previous studies have been inconclusive about risks at lower levels (<100 μg/L). We present a case-cohort study based on individual estimates of lifetime arsenic exposure to examine the relationship between chronic low-level arsenic exposure...

To elucidate the role of genetic factors in arsenic metabolism, we investigated associations of genetic polymorphisms in the members of glutathione S-transferase (GST) superfamily with the arsenic concentrations in hair and urine, and urinary arsenic profile in residents in the Red River Delta, Vietnam. Genotyping was conducted for GST omega1 (GSTO1) Ala140Asp, Glu155del, Glu208Lys, Thr217Asn, ...

Background: Arsenic and heavy metals are implicated in causation of CKDu among farmers in dry zone of Sri Lanka. Rice has been identified as a major source of arsenic in research carried out in other countries. We analyzed 120 samples of new improved varieties (NIVs) and 50 samples of traditional varieties (TV) of rice for total arsenic content. Findings: Rice cultivated in Sri Lanka is contami...

Arsenic from two sources--arsanilic acid and 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid (3-nitro)--was fed to mature wethers and lactating dairy cows, and the uptake and depletion of arsenic in tissues and milk were determined. In experiments with sheep, arsenic concentration in liver, kidney and blood increased as the level of arsenic from arsanilic acid and 3-nitro was increased in feed. Muscle arse...

AIM The study investigated the effect of Terminalia arjuna bark powder on some diagnostic enzymes related to hepatic and muscle function in buffaloes ingesting arsenic contaminated water and fodder in an arsenic affected area. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 25 samples of tube well water, fodder and buffalo blood were collected through a survey from arsenic contaminated areas and 20 samples ...

CONTEXT High chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic in drinking water has been related to diabetes development, but the effect of exposure to low to moderate levels of inorganic arsenic on diabetes risk is unknown. In contrast, arsenobetaine, an organic arsenic compound derived from seafood intake, is considered nontoxic. OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of arsenic exposure, as measure...

Christine, a 40-year-old white woman, suffered from acute gastrointestinal pain, diarrhea, malaise, and fatigue shortly after receiving oral herbal treatment and drank eight glasses of clear liquid in a clinic in California. On October 19, 2004 between 1540 and 1730, she was given Uro-well herbal supplement prescribed by her physician as a kidney-cleansing agent. Christine was transported by am...

According to recent reports, millions of people across the globe are suffering from arsenic (As) toxicity. Arsenic is present in different oxidative states in the environment and enters in the food chain through soil and water. In the agricultural field, irrigation with arsenic contaminated water, that is, having a higher level of arsenic contamination on the top soil, which may affects the qua...

Chronic exposure to arsenic affects more than 200 million people worldwide, and has been associated with many adverse health effects, including cancer in several organs. There is accumulating evidence that arsenic biotransformation, a step in the elimination of arsenic from the human body, can induce changes at a genetic and epigenetic level, leading to carcinogenesis. At the genetic level, ars...