ARS | Publication request: COMPARTMENTAL MODEL OF ARSENIC METABOLISM IN HAMSTERS AFTER ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF 73/74**AS

Submitted to: Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 14, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Male, Golden Syrian hamsters were fed a casein, ground corn-based diet containing 0.5 ug As (as As2O3)/g. After 10 weeks the hamsters were given an oral dose of 73/74**As (5 uCi 73**As, 0.4 uCi 74**As, 0.5 ug carrier arsenite). After dosing, five hamsters were placed in metabolic cages and whole body retention and fecal excretion of 74**As were determined for 10 days by whole body counting techniques. Absorption of arsenite was determined to be 66.3+/-5.7%. About 1% of the dose was retained after 5 days. The remaining hamsters were killed at various time points (10 minutes to 15 days) after dosing. After whole-body perfusion with saline, organs were counted for 73**As. For all organs, peak 73**As counts occurred within 30-60 minutes of dosing. Liver and muscle accounted for the largest % dose at peak times (about 8% each), brain and spleen the least (about 0.06% each). Data were modeled by using SAAM II. Three or more compartments were necessary to approximate the data for each organ or group of organs modeled. A steady-state model, based on an oral intake of 10 ug arsenite per day, predicted that liver and blood should contain about 0.21 and 0.12 ug arsenic, respectively; these numbers are close to analyzed values (0.19 and 0.08 ug, respectively). The model also predicted that the total body arsenic content in hamsters fed the indicated diet is 5.7 ug. Modeling studies provide information on homeostatic mechanisms of arsenic and thus are useful for the study of arsenic at physiologic, pharmacologic, and toxicologic concentrations.