Chronic Low-Level Arsenite Exposure through Drinking Water Increases Blood Pressure and Promotes Concentric Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Female Mice

• Published in: Toxicologic pathology Vol. 40; no. 3; pp. 504 - 512
• Main Authors: Sanchez-Soria, Pablo, Broka, Derrick, Monks, Sarah L., Camenisch, Todd D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-04-2012; Sage Publications
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Analysis of Variance; Animal models; Animals; Arsenic; Arsenite; Arsenites - administration & dosage; Arsenites - toxicity; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular diseases; Chemical agents; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Drinking water; Drinking Water - standards; Echocardiography; Female; Heart; Histocytochemistry; Hypertension; Hypertension - chemically induced; Hypertrophy; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular - chemically induced; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular - pathology; imaging; Medical sciences; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Mice; Mortality; Risk factors; Sodium arsenite; Sodium Compounds - administration & dosage; Sodium Compounds - toxicity; Toxicity Tests, Chronic; Toxicology; Tumors; Ventricle; cardiovascular system; arsenic; concentric hypertrophy; hypertension; heart; environmental toxicology; Heart; Drinking water; Arsenic; Cardiovascular disease; Toxicology; Female; Arterial pressure; Blood pressure; Human; Hypertension; Low dose; Rodentia; Increase; Exposure; Left ventricle; Arsenites; Carcinogen; Vertebrata; Chronic; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Environment; Circulatory system; Hemodynamics; Hypertrophy
• ISSN: 0192-6233; 1533-1601
• DOI: 10.1177/0192623311432297

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide. High incidence of cardiovascular diseases has been linked to populations with elevated arsenic content in their drinking water. Although this correlation has been established in many epidemiological studies, a lack of experimental models to study mechanisms of arsenic-related cardiovascular pathogenesis has limited our understanding of how arsenic exposure predisposes for development of hypertension and increased cardiovascular mortality. Our studies show that mice chronically exposed to drinking water containing 100 parts per billion (ppb) sodium arsenite for 22 weeks show an increase in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Echocardiographic analyses as well as histological assessment show concentric left ventricular hypertrophy, a primary cardiac manifestation of chronic hypertension. Live imaging by echocardiography shows a 43% increase in left ventricular mass in arsenic-treated animals. Relative wall thickness (RWT) was calculated showing that all the arsenic-exposed animals show an RWT greater than 0.45, indicating concentric hypertrophy. Importantly, left ventricular hypertrophy, although often associated with chronic hypertension, is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular-related mortalities. These results suggest that chronic low-level arsenite exposure promotes the development of hypertension and the comorbidity of concentric hypertrophy.