Low levels of occupational exposure to arsenic and antimony: effects on lysosomal glycohydrolase levels in plasma of exposed workers and in lymphocyte cultures.

Background: Heavy metals have been shown to alter the mechanism and release of lysosomal enzymes. In the present study, the activities of lysosomal glycohydrolases were determined in order to evaluate the asymptomatic toxic effects of low levels of exposure to arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in art glass workers.

Methods: N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), beta-D-glucuronidase (GCR), alpha- and beta-D-galactosidase, alpha-D-glucosidase, and alpha-D-mannosidase were determined by a fluorimetric assay in the plasma of 26 art glass workers. Lymphocytes cultured in the presence of different species of As and Sb served as an in vitro model for the study of the protective action of selenium and zinc.

Results: No significant difference in the plasma levels of the various enzymes was detected in art glass workers or control subjects. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that secretion of lysosomal glycohydrolases was increased by Sb (225%) and decreased by As (57%) at the same concentration of elements (200 microg/L). The addition of bivalent selenium to the culture neutralized the effects of both metals, while zinc chloride did not show any protective effect.

Conclusions: As for the plasma glycohydrolases, no praecox signs of toxicity related to a low concentration of As and Sb was evident in art glass workers. This may be due to the antagonistic effects demonstrated by these two metals in vitro. Their different mechanism of action on release of glycohydrolases is being discussed.