In some cases arsenic exposure reduced body weight gain and caused mortality (including moribundity).
During the exposure to arsenic, mortality, moribundity, clinical symptoms, body weight, and water intake of the mice were monitored.
During the 17 weeks of arsenical exposure, several arsenic-treated mice were found deceased or were euthanized because of moribundity. Exposure to As(III) (150 ppm) and DMA(V) (1,000 ppm) resulted in 20% mortality, and exposure to MMA(V) (1,500 ppm) resulted in 40% mortality (Table 1).
Arsenic-induced toxicity was evidenced by an increase in moribundity and death, a depression in body weight, hepatic pathological changes, and significant changes in gene expression.