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Subchronic Arsenic Exposure Through Drinking Water Alters Vascular Redox Homeostasis and Affects Physical Health in Rats

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Abstract

We evaluated whether arsenic can alter vascular redox homeostasis and modulate antioxidant status, taking rat thoracic aorta as a model vascular tissue. In addition, we evaluated whether the altered vascular biochemical homeostasis could be associated with alterations in the physical indicators of toxicity development. Rats were exposed to arsenic as 25, 50, and 100 ppm of sodium arsenite through drinking water for 90 consecutive days. Body weight, food intake, and water consumption were recorded weekly. On the 91st day, rats were sacrificed; vital organs and thoracic aorta were collected. Lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species generation, and antioxidants were assessed in the thoracic aorta. Arsenic increased aortic lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide generation while decreased reduced glutathione content in a dose-dependent manner. The activities of the enzymatic antioxidants superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase were decreased. Further, arsenic at 100 ppm decreased feed intake, water consumption, and body weight from the 11th week onward. At this concentration, arsenic increased the relative weights of the liver and kidney. The results suggest that arsenic causes dose-dependent oxidative stress, reduction in antioxidative defense systems, and body weight loss with alteration in hepato-renal organosomatic indices. Overall, subchronic arsenic exposure through drinking water causes alteration in vascular redox homeostasis and at high concentration affects physical health.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), New Delhi, India, for providing financial support in conducting the study. The fellowship awarded to the first author by the institute is gratefully acknowledged. The authors are also thankful to the Director of Indian Veterinary Research Institute for providing necessary facilities.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, 243122, India

    Prashantkumar Waghe, Thengumpallil Sasindran Sarath, Priyanka Gupta, Harikumar Sankaran Kutty, Kannan Kandasamy, Santosh Kumar Mishra & Souvendra Nath Sarkar

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  1. Prashantkumar Waghe
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  2. Thengumpallil Sasindran Sarath
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Correspondence to Souvendra Nath Sarkar.

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Waghe, P., Sarath, T.S., Gupta, P. et al. Subchronic Arsenic Exposure Through Drinking Water Alters Vascular Redox Homeostasis and Affects Physical Health in Rats. Biol Trace Elem Res 162, 234–241 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-014-0116-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-014-0116-3

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