Molecular Mechanisms in Arsenic Toxicity

Environmental arsenic exposure is a world-wide human health problem. Arsenic is associated with a wide range of diseases, including skin lesions, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and cancers of the skin, lung, liver, and bladder. Metabolism of arsenic yields a variety of molecular species, each of which can have different biological effects. This review will discuss the reactivity of different chemical forms of arsenic with distinct molecular targets of toxicological relevance. A particular emphasis will be given to studies investigating the roles of arsenic–sulfur interactions in the etiology of disease.