Abstract
In mice exposed to 74As-labeled trivalent or pentavalent inorganic arsenic, dimethylarsinic acid was found to be the major urinary metabolite. As(III) was methylated to a greater extent than As(V) but caused higher whole-body retention. Elimination, thus seems to be less dependent on methylation following exposure to As(V) than following exposure to As(III). Low doses of As(III) were methylated to such an extent (about 80% of the dose) that the retention was comparable to that of As(V). For both valence forms, retention increased with increasing dose, approximately parallel to a decrease in the methylation (in percentage of the dose). Whole-body retention of arsenic was about 20 times higher in rats than in mice. In vitro binding of arsenic to erythrocytes was similar in blood from rats and mice though considerably higher for As(III) than for As(V). Methylation was, however, much lower in the rats and the possibility that this might be one reason for the extremely high retention of arsenic in the rat is discussed.
Published Version
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