Effect of chronic intake of arsenic on the Na, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As and Br distribution in rat organs

PÉREZ C.A.; PEREZ, R.D; RUBATO BIRRI, P.N.; RUBIO, M.; BONGIOVANNI G. A.

Göteborg

Conferencia; 13th conference on Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis and Related Methods; 2009

Arsenical is widespread in the environment and human expose by ingestion of contaminated foods and water. The disease ascribed to arsenic contamination in Argentina was called ?chronic endemicregional hydroarsenism? (HACRE, ?hidroarsenisismo crónico regional endemic?, in Spanish). The arsenic accumulation in rat liver and kidney, but not in brain or pancreas, induced by arsenic exposure was previously corroborated by SR-microXRF. Since the arsenic exerts multiples toxic effects, as inactivating enzymes and increased free radical formation, the cellular target to arsenic incorporation was determinate. Multielemental analysis was performed in cytosolic (CF) and total membrane (MF) fractions from rat brain, pancreas, kidney and liver by SR-TXRF at the National Laboratory of Light Synchrotron Radiation (LNLS, Campinas, Brazil). We observed an altered proportion of Na, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn and Br in all studied organs.  Mainly, an increase of Cu in brain (CF) and kidney (MF) was found. As was higher in CF than MF in pancreas, liver and kidney, we conclude that arsenic is mainly accumulated in soluble components of cells and that chronic intake of arsenic induce in mobilization of  several elements (free or associated to other molecules) which could play a role in arsenic toxicity.