Prolonged exposure to diphenylarsinic acid induced aberrant activation of cultured normal human cerebellar astrocytes: Phosphorylation of MAP kinases, upregulation of transcription factors and oxidative stress response factors, and secretion of glutathione

Abstract

Diphenylarsinic acid (DPAA) is a non-natural organic arsenic compound detected in the well water in Kamisu, Ibaraki, Japan. People having used this well water developed cerebellar symptoms. In the present study we evaluated the aberrant activation of cultured normal human cerebellar astrocytes (NHA) by prolonged exposure to DPAA. NHA were exposed to 10 μM DPAA for 96, 144, 192, 240, or 288 h, and protein expression and glutathione secretion were evaluated. Exposure to 10 μM DPAA for 96 h little activated NHA, but it for 288 h could induce significant aberrant activation.