Arsenic: an emerging role in adipose tissue dysfunction and muscle toxicity

Abstract

Arsenic is one of the heavy metals found in the environment and it is widely spread on the earth. This is due to the industrial and agricultural sectors and acts as an anthropogenic substance. This arsenic acts as both friend and foe. In this review, we have discussed the toxic effect of arsenic on adipose tissue and muscle. Arsenic is highly accumulated in the adipose tissue and muscle further leads to the deregulation of the lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, adipogenic differentiation, deregulated signaling events in the adipose tissue, augmented secretion of the adipokines. Along with that, it disturbs the mitochondrial metabolic capacity, bioenergetic events, and glycolytic activity in the muscle. This further leads to adipose tissue dysfunction and muscle toxicity.

Keywords:

• Arsenic
• adipogenesis
• lipid metabolism
• glucose metabolism
• muscle toxicity

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the VIT, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India, for supporting this work. The author Kaviyarasi Renu is grateful to ICMR for providing financial assistance in the form of a Senior Research Fellowship (SRF).

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The authors thank VIT for providing “VIT SEED GRANT” and ICMR National Task Force Project [F.No. 5/7/482/2010-RBMH&CH] for carrying out this work.