Chronic arsenic exposure can impair ability of muscle to heal after injury

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-11/uops-psc111015.php

Public Release: 10-Nov-2015
Pitt study: Chronic arsenic exposure can impair ability of muscle to heal after injury
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences

Chronic exposure to arsenic can lead to stem cell dysfunction that impairs muscle healing and regeneration, according to an animal study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health.

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environmental exposures might explain why some people don't recover easily after injury or surgery.

More than 140 million people worldwide and 4 million Americans chronically ingest arsenic in their drinking water, said senior investigator Fabrisia Ambrosio, Ph.D., M.P.T., assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Pitt and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The 21st most abundant metal in the Earth's crust, arsenic is naturally present in soil and bedrock-walled wells and has no odor, color or taste.

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