Chronic Exposure to Methylated Arsenicals Stimulates Arsenic Excretion Pathways and Induces Arsenic Tolerance in Rat Liver Cells

Although inorganic arsenicals are toxic and carcinogenic in humans, inorganic arsenite has recently emerged as a highly effective chemotherapeutic agent for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Inorganic arsenicals are enzymatically methylated to monomethylarsonic acid (MMAsV), dimethylarsinic acid (DMAsV), and trimethylarsine oxide (TMAsVO) in mammals. We examined the effects of chronic exposure to methylated arsenicals on arsenic tolerance by using rat normal liver TRL 1215 cells. TRL 1215 cells were exposed for 20 weeks to MMAsV, DMAsV, or TMAsVO at levels that produced submicromolar cellular concentrations of arsenic. On chronic exposure to these methylated arsenicals, the cells acquired tolerance to acute arsenic cytolethality. Cellular arsenic uptake was reduced in these cells compared to passage-matched control cells. The long-term arsenic exposure increased glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity and cellular glutathione (GSH) levels. Glutathione S-transferase, multidrug resistance-associated proteins (Mrps; efflux transporters encoded by Mrp genes), and P-glycoprotein [P-gp; efflux transporter encoded by multidrug resistance gene (MDR)] had also increased in these cells at the transcript and protein levels. The depletion of cellular GSH and the inhibition of Mrps and P-gp functions increased cellular arsenic uptake and reduced arsenic tolerance in these cells. These results indicate that chronic exposure to methylated arsenicals induces a generalized arsenic tolerance that is caused by increased arsenic excretion. Because accumulation of methylated arsenicals may occur in patients with chronic arsenic poisoning and arsenic-treated APL patients, this study may provide important information regarding chronic arsenic poisoning and the latent risk of developing multidrug resistance in APL therapy using inorganic arsenite.