Arsenic mutagenic effects

Deknudt, G., A. Leonard, J. Arany, G.J. Du Buisson, and E. Delavignette. 1986. In vivo studies in male mice on the mutagenic effects of inorganic arsenic. Mutagenesis 1 33-34. 

Genetic and Neonatal Toxicity. The ability of heavy metals readily to cross the placenta and disrupt nucleic acids coupled with the high sensitivity of the fetus and neonate increases the potential dangers of congenital and neonatal toxicity. In mammalian leukocyte cultures, chromosomal aberrations have been reported with lead (112), arsenic (113), mercury (114), and methylmercury (115). Charbonneau, et al. (116) reported a lack of mutagenic effect for methylmercury. 

Okui, T. and Fujiwara, Y. (1986) Inhibition of human excision DNA repair by inorganic arsenic and the co-mutagenic effect in V79 Chinese hamster cells. Mutation Research, 172(1), 69-76. 

In genotoxic assays inorganic arsenicals are either inactive or weak mutagens but are able to produce chromosomal effects including aberrations and sister chromatid exchange in most test systems. Studies of exposed human have detected higher incidences of chromosomal aberrations in peripheral lymphocytes and increases in the frequency of micronuclei in the oral mucosa cells, urothelial cells, and peripheral blood lymphocytes. ... 

A large amount of data has been obtained from examinations of the modifying effect of metals and metal compounds on the mutagenic action of physical and chemical agents (Table 9.4). Most of these findings are certainly attributable to one or more of the mechanisms presented above. Arsenic which per se is toxic rather than mutagenic. 

Haetmann A and Speit G (1996) Effect of arsenic and cadmium on the persistence of mutagen-induced DNA-lesions in human cells. Environ Mol Mutagen 27 98-104. 

Another modern aspect of genetic activity is the effect of carcinogens and mutagens on gene expression Beyersmann (2002) reviewed the effects of arsenic on the expression of selected genes by their induction, their enhanced transcription and their inhibition. Actions on genes whose products are involved in the various repair systems (Vogt and Rossman 2001) are specific examples for these activities of arsenic. 

Maki-Paakkanen J, Kurttio P, Paldy A and Pek-KANEN J (1998) Association between the dastogenic effect in peripheral lymphocytes and human exposure to arsenic through drinking water. Environ Mol Mutagen 32 301-313. 

Lee YW, Pons C, Tummolo DM, Klein CB, Rossman TG, Christie NT (1993) Mutagenicity of soluble and insoluble nickel compounds at the gpt locus in G12 Chinese hamster cells. Environ Mol Mutagen 21 365-371 Lee-Chen SF, Yu CT, Jan KY (1992) Effect of arsenite on the DNA repair of UV-irradiated Chinese hamster ovary cells. Mutagenesis 7 51-55 Leonard A (1984) Recent advances in arsenic mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. Toxicol Environ Chem 7 241-250... 

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