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Arsenic: An environmental toxicant-induced oxidative stress and carcinogenesis

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Handbook of Oxidative Stress in Cancer: Mechanistic Aspects

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Abstract

Inorganic arsenic is considered as an environmental toxicant and Group I carcinogen. Globally millions of people are suffering from adverse health complications due to the contamination of arsenic in drinking water. Chronic exposure to arsenic results in the accumulation of arsenic and its metabolites in different cells and tissues. Increased concentration of cellular arsenic leads to the upregulation of oxidative stress and other toxic complications. Epidemiological studies evidenced that chronic exposure of arsenic in drinking water was related to the incidence of skin, lung, kidney, liver, and bladder cancers in certain regions of the world. Arsenic-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation is considered as the initiator of its carcinogenic potential whereas; mitochondrial electron transport chain acts as the major source of arsenic-induced ROS production. Short-term exposure of arsenic-induced ROS upregulates inflammatory and pro-apoptotic pathways. But during prolonged exposure of arsenic-induced ROS generation was identified to be related to genotoxic and carcinogenic effects. However, there are many missing links in the switching between apoptotic to proliferative changes during prolonged arsenic exposure. The current chapter will focus to delineate how arsenic-induced ROS contributes to carcinogenesis. Furthermore, the understanding of the complex mechanism of arsenic-induced carcinogenesis may help to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Government Arts and Science College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

    Abhilash M

  2. Department of Surgery-Transplant, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Prathapan Ayyappan

  3. School of Biosciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India

    Harikumaran Nair R

  4. Department of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Mathews Valuparampil Varghese

Authors
  1. Abhilash M
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  2. Prathapan Ayyappan
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  3. Harikumaran Nair R
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  4. Mathews Valuparampil Varghese
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mathews Valuparampil Varghese .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Biophysic, University of Kalyani Department of Biochemistry and Biophysic, Kalyani, West Bengal, India

    Sajal Chakraborti

  2. Dept of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, College Vet, Columbia, MO, USA

    Bimal K Ray

  3. Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre & Research Ins, Kolkata, India

    Sushanta Roychowdhury

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M, A., Ayyappan, P., R, H.N., Valuparampil Varghese, M. (2021). Arsenic: An environmental toxicant-induced oxidative stress and carcinogenesis. In: Chakraborti, S., Ray, B.K., Roychowdhury, S. (eds) Handbook of Oxidative Stress in Cancer: Mechanistic Aspects. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4501-6_40-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4501-6_40-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-4501-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-4501-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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