TIME-COURSE EFFECTS OF LOW-LEVELS ARSENIC ON ELECTROLYTES AND LIPIDS IN MALE ALBINO RATS

his study was conducted to investigate the time-course effects of low levels of organic arsenic on electrolytes balance and lipid profiles in different organs of male rats. Animals were exposed to arsenic (As) as Dimethylarsenate (DMA) in their drinking water for 5, 10 and 15 weeks at doses 20 and 40 ppm. Lipids (Triacylglycerol (TAG), total cholesterol, phospholipids) and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium) levels were determined in the hepatic, renal, brain and cardiac tissues of experimental animals. Potassium significantly (p<0.05) increased in the hepatic, renal and cardiac tissues after 5 weeks exposure to 40 ppm arsenic. Significant (p<0.05) increase observed in hepatocytes calcium level was shown to be dose-dependent. While there was no observed significant (p>0.05) difference in hepatic and renal magnesium after 15 weeks exposure, magnesium significantly altered in the brain and cardiac tissues after 15 weeks. TAG concentration in most of the organs studied was significantly (p<0.05) altered after 5 weeks exposure to 20 ppm arsenic. Phospholipids in the renal and hepatic tissues were also significantly (p<0.05) decreased after 15 weeks of exposure to As. However, only in the renal tissues was hypocholesterolemia observed in 40 ppm groups at 5, 10 and 15 weeks of exposure. Our findings indicate exposure to progressively low-levels arsenic can result in electrolytes imbalance and dyslipidemia in different organs in rats.