Intestinal arsenic absorption is increased by colon suspension from IBD patients

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid that brings about substantial health risks. Since human As exposure mainly occurs through the intake of contaminated water and food, gut epithelial barrier function is a key determinant of As toxicokinetics. If gut barrier function is compromised, as is the case for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), As may be increasingly ab-sorbed. Using a combination of semi-continuous gut simulators and Caco-2 cell cultures, we describe how simulated colon suspension derived from IBD patients displays a higher apparent permeability coefficient for As (4.2 ±1.3 x 10-5 cm/s) than colon suspension from healthy individuals (0.7 ± 0.1 ∙ 10-5 cm/s). Using a mixture of microorganisms (butyrate producing Clostridia cluster IV and XIVa), the epithelial barrier function was strengthen and thereby lower the epithelial As absorption rates (20±7 %), also in the presence of simulated colon fluids derived from IBD patients. Thus, individuals with compromised gut barrier functioning may be more vulnerable to pollutant exposure in general and inorganic As more specifically. Yet, our in vitro data show that probiotic strategies may alleviate these symptoms.

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