High-resolution magic angle spinning ¹H-NMR spectroscopy studies on the renal biochemistry in the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) and the effects of arsenic (As³⁺) toxicity

Abstract

1. High-resolution magic angle spinning (MAS) ¹H-NMR spectroscopy was used to study renal metabolism and the toxicity of As³⁺, a common environmental contaminant, in the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus), a wild species of rodent. 2. Following a 14-day exposure to an environmentally relevant dose of As₂O₃ (28 mg kg ^-1 feed), voles displayed tissue damage at autopsy. MAS ¹H spectra indicated abnormal lipid profiles in these samples. 3. Tissue necrosis was also evident from measurements of the apparent diffusion coefficient of water in the intact tissue using MAS ¹H diffusion-weighted spectroscopy, its first application to toxicology. 4. Comparison of renal tissue from the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) exposed to identical exposure levels of As³⁺ suggested that the bank vole is particularly vulnerable to As³⁺ toxicity.