Arsenate toxicity in human erythrocytes: characterization of morphologic changes and determination of the mechanism of damage.

Chronic arsenic exposure is associated with alterations in peripheral circulation and vascular disease. Toxicity to the vasculature is documented, but the effect of arsenic on the erythrocyte has not been evaluated. To determine if arsenic was toxic to human erythrocytes and whether this could contribute to vascular disease, human erythrocytes were incubated in vitro with sodium arsenate, As(V), or sodium arsenite, As(III), and assessed for damage. After 5 h of incubation with 10 mM As(V) or As(III), significant cell death (hemolysis) only occurred in the As(V) treated cells. Morphologic changes were assessed by scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. As(V) induced a classic discocyte-echinocyte transformation extending to the formation of sphero-echinocytes; these changes were concentration dependent. As(III) treatment also resulted in echinocyte formation but less extensive than in As(V) treated cells, and no sphero-echinocytes were formed. The observed damage was consistent with reported changes induced by ATP depletion, and measurement of ATP in these samples confirmed this as a mechanism of damage. As(V) treatment at concentrations as low as 0.01 mM for 5 h significantly depleted ATP, and As(III) was relatively ineffective in causing ATP depletion. Based on these three parameters, the erythrocyte was estimated to be as much as 1000 times more susceptible to As(V) than As(III). ATP is required for the cell to maintain membrane integrity and deform efficiently in circulation. The changes described here could contribute to vascular occlusion, ischemia, and tissue death associated with arsenic circulatory disorders.