Background: There are gender differences in the biotransformation of arsenic. We investigated the effects of gender differences on arsenic metabolism and arsenic toxicity mechanisms in rat liver tissues. Methods: Rats were treated with different amounts of arsenic compounds. Arsenic form MMA and DMA in the liver was determined by high performance liquid chromatography-hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectroscopy. SAM, ARR, NAD, PNP, PK, and MPO in rat liver were determined by

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... d immunoassay. RT-qPCR was used to determine AS3MT in the liver. Results: Compared with male and female animals in the same group, MMA and DMA were statistically significant in the three groups of iAs3 + high, iAs3 + medium and iAs5+ low (P <0.05). The MMA of male rats in iAs3+ high and medium groups was higher than that of female rats, and the DMA of male rats was lower than that of female rats. As3MT mRNA in the male iAs3+ high group was higher than that of females. Besides, compared between male and female, only in iAS3+ low dose, iAS3+ medium dose, iAS5+ low dose, and iAS5+ medium dose groups, there was significant difference in SAM level (P<0.05). Compared with male and female animals in the same group, male rats had significantly higher PNP and ARR activities while lower PK activity than female rats (P<0.05). Between the male and female groups, only the iAS3+ high dose and medium dose group had a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The NAD activity of females in iAS3+ high dose group was higher than that of males. Conclusion: Conclusively, under the same arsenic exposure, there were gender differences between female and male rats, and arsenic metabolism was more cytotoxic to male rats than to females.