Arsenic Accumulation of Realgar Altered by Disruption of Gut Microbiota in Mice

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of gut microbiota on arsenic accumulation of realgar in mice. METHODS: Mice were treated with antibiotics to form a mouse model of gut microbial disruption. Antibiotic-treated and normally raised mice were given 15 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg, and 750 mg/kg realgar by gavage and 0.2 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg arsenic solution by subcutaneous injection for 7 days. The concentration of arsenic in mice whole blood was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Arsenic accumulation in antibiotic-treated mice and normally raised mice was compared. RESULTS: After exposure to low dose (15 mg/kg) and middle dose (150 mg/kg) of realgar, significantly, more arsenic was accumulated in the whole blood of antibiotic-treated mice compared to normally raised counterparts, which indicated that the disruption of gut microbiota could lead to higher arsenic load of realgar in mice. The homeostasis of gut microbiota was supposed to be disrupted by high dose (750 mg/kg) of realgar because after exposure to high dose of realgar, there was no significant difference in arsenic accumulation between antibiotic-treated and normally raised mice. Furthermore, arsenic solution was administered by subcutaneous injection to mice to investigate the influence of gut microbial differences on arsenic accumulation in addition to the absorption process, and there was no significant difference in arsenic accumulation between mice with these two different statuses of gut microbiota. CONCLUSIONS: Gut microbiota disruption could increase arsenic accumulation of realgar in mice.