Metabolomics Analysis of Chronic Exposure to Dimethylarsenic Acid in Mice and Toxicity Assessment of Organic Arsenic in Food

Dimethylarsenic acid is a natural organic arsenic in seafood and one of the important metabolites of inorganic arsenic, which is generally considered to have low or no toxicity. However, due to the controversy of the toxicity of organic arsenic, the food safety standard of organic arsenic has not been established until now, and the effects of organic arsenic on chronic toxicity and the overall metabolic level of animals are rarely reported. In our study, 64 female C57BL/6 mice were exposed to different concentrations of dimethylarsenic acid with water intake. Fifteen metabolites in serum were detected to be altered with the increase of arsenic concentration and exposure time. Dimethylarsenic acid exposure significantly affected the overall metabolic level of mice, and the related effects were not recovered shortly after the suspension of arsenic intake. Although arsenic was excreted largely in urine and feces, continued dimethylarsenic acid exposure could still lead to arsenic accumulation in the liver and kidneys and cause mild nephritis in mice.

Automated summary

Dimethylarsenic acid, a natural organic arsenic in seafood, is generally considered to have low toxicity. However, its effects on chronic toxicity and overall metabolic level are not well understood. Our study found that exposure to dimethylarsenic acid significantly altered the metabolic level of mice, and the effects were not fully restored after the cessation of arsenic intake.