1997 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Risk factors of chronic arseniasis in developing countries
| Project/Area Number |
08670396
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Hygiene
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| Research Institution | Kyushu University |
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Principal Investigator |
HIRATA Miyuki Faculty of Medicine, Research Associate, 医学部, 助手 (30156674)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
OMURA Minoru Faculty of Medicine, Research Associate, 医学部, 助手 (50243936)
TANAKA Akiyo Faculty of Medicine, Assistant Professor, 医学部, 講師 (10136484)
MAKITA Yuzi Faculty of Medicine, Associate Professor, 医学部, 助教授 (30209407)
INOUE Naohide Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University Professor, 医学部, 教授 (00131904)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1996 – 1997
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| Keywords | Arsenic / Chronic arseniasis / Arenic methylation / Water pollution / Developing country / Risk Assessment / Arsenic speciation / Urinary arsenic |
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| Research Abstract |
Arsenic is introduced into water thorough the dissolution of minerals and ores. Oral exposure from chinking arsenic contaminated in drinking water leads to development of skin cancer and other cancers. In Taiwan and Mexico, toxic effects (blackfoot disease, cancers) are reported in human exposed to arsenic in clinking water at exceeded 200 mu g/l. However, people exposed to high concentration of arsenic in drinking water (100-200 mu g/l ), have not been reported to develop blackfoot disease or skin cancer in developed countries. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between arsenic exposure via clinking water and urinary patterns of arsenic metabolites in developing countries.
Most absorbed arsenic is efficiently excreted in urine as a mixture of inorganic arsenic, MMA, DMA and trimethylated derivatives such as arsenobetaine. DMA is the major excreted metabolite of ingested inorganic arsenic in clinking water. Arsenobetaine is the other major component in urinary arsenic, and comes from seafood not from drinking water. It thus should be excluded in arsenic assays of urinary samples. The sum of metabolites of inorganic arsenic (=inorganic arsenic + MMA +DMA) in urine is the best biomarker of current or past exposure to inorganic arsenic. The ratio of MMA to DMA in urine which is higher in the exposed group than in controls. is a valuable indicator of arsenic methylation capability. This could be explained by the inhibition of the second methylation step.
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