Factors Affecting the Toxicity and Metabolism of Organic Arsenicals (Roxarsone, Copper, Cysteine)
Experiments were conducted to examine factors affecting the metabolism and toxicity of the organic arsenical, roxarsone (3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenyl-arsonic acid). In experiments with chicks, cysteine enhanced the toxicity of the organic arsenicals, roxarsone and phenylarsonic acid. However, it had little effect on the toxicity of the inorganic arsenicals As(,2)O(,3) and As(,2)O(,5) or the trivalent form of phenylarsonic acid, i.e., phenylarsine oxide. Supplementation of the diet with cystine, methionine or K(,2)SO(,4) did not exacerbate roxarsone toxicity. Reduced glutathione and ascorbic acid, however, each exacerbated roxarsone toxicity. Therefore the potentiation of toxicity requires pentavalent organic arsenicals and compounds which can act as reducing agents. It was concluded that cysteine exacerbates roxarsone toxicity by reducing it to the more toxic trivalent state.
Agriculture, Animal Culture and Nutrition
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign