ABSTRACT
Although association between high levels of arsenic (As) and diabetes mellitus (DM) has been established, inconsistent results have been reported in the association between low to moderate levels of As exposure and DM. The underlying mechanisms of As-induced DM remain to be clarified. We explored the dose-response relationship between As exposure and hyperglycemia or DM and the underlying mechanism of As exposure-related DM. Aiming these, we have conducted two studies on the same population recruited from high- and low-As exposed areas in Bangladesh. In the first study, we found that chronic As exposure increases the fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels in both male and female subjects, however, females showed greater susceptibility to As-related hyperglycemia than males. In the subsequent study, we found that chronic As exposure is associated with increased insulin resistance with decreasing skeletal muscle mass. Female subjects’ insulin resistance showed a greater susceptibility to the muscle mass reduction, possibly causing the greater risk of hyperglycemia than males. The results of the two consecutive studies suggest that chronic As exposure increases the risk of hyperglycemia with greater susceptibility in females than males and the reduction of skeletal muscle mass may be a potential mechanism of As exposure-related insulin resistance.
