Abstract
Chronic arsenic exposure is a critical public health issue in many countries. The metabolism of arsenic in vivo is complicated because it can be influenced by many factors. In the present meta-analysis, two researchers independently searched electronic databases, including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Springer, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, to analyze factors influencing arsenic methylation. The concentrations of the following arsenic metabolites increase (p< 0.000001) following arsenic exposure: inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethyl arsenic (MMA), dimethyl arsenic (DMA), and total arsenic. Additionally, the percentages of iAs (standard mean difference (SMD): 1.00; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.60–1.40; p< 0.00001) and MMA (SMD: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.21–0.77; p = 0.0006) also increase, while the percentage of DMA (SMD: −0.57; 95% CI: −0.80–−0.31; p< 0.0001), primary methylation index (SMD: −0.57; 95% CI: −0.94–−0.20; p = 0.002), and secondary methylation index (SMD: −0.27; 95% CI: −0.46–−0.90; p = 0.004) decrease. Smoking, drinking, and older age can reduce arsenic methylation, and arsenic methylation is more efficient in women than in men. The results of this analysis may provide information regarding the role of arsenic oxidative methylation in the arsenic poisoning process.
Highlights
Arsenic is a toxic metalloid element that is ubiquitous in the environment
Using meta-analysis based on the eligibility and exclusion criteria
The present study indicated that higher body mass index (BMI) were associated with a lower monomethyl arsenic arsenic (MMA)%, suggesting that BMI might be positively related with methylation ability
Summary
Arsenic is a toxic metalloid element that is ubiquitous in the environment. The World HealthOrganization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have identified it and its compounds as human carcinogens [1,2]. Arsenic is a toxic metalloid element that is ubiquitous in the environment. Arsenic enters an organism via the respiratory tract, alimentary canal, and skin, and it is primarily metabolized in the liver [3]. The metabolic pattern has primarily been regarded as occurring through oxidative methylation [4], which was formerly considered a detoxification pattern [5]. Monomethylarsonous acid (MMAIII ) and dimethylarsonous acid (DMAIII ) have recently been shown to be more poisonous than inorganic arsenic (iAs) [6,7]. Arsenic toxicity is closely related to its metabolism, which in turn is highly dependent on the methylation status and valence states of its metabolites. Research has increasingly focused on the factors influencing arsenic methylation. In addition to the dosage of arsenic exposure, an individual’s ethnicity [8], age, sex [9], body mass index (BMI) [10], lifestyle and dietary history [11], and inherited genetic characteristics [12] were related with the arsenic
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