Metabolomics of arsenic exposure: The Man vs. the mouse

摘要

Mice have been used as laboratory models to study adverse effects associated with human exposures to Arsenic (As). However, differences exist between mice and humans in As metabolism and susceptibility to As toxicity. This paper compares data from two independent studies that examined changes in the mouse and human metabolomes in response to As exposure. In one study, C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 0 or 1 ppm As; the other study involved 86 residents of Chihuahua (Mexico) exposed to 0.1 to 285 ppb As in drinking water. Identical analytical techniques were used to analyze urine and plasma metabolomes in both studies. The numbers of plasma/urinary metabolites associated with As exposure were lower in mice (N = 12/23) as compared to humans (N = 15/61) in spite of the higher exposure level; differences were also found in the pathways enriched for these metabolites. This comparison suggests that the metabolic shifts associated with As exposure differ between mice and humans.