Pharmacokinetic profiles of intravenous arsenic trioxide versus oral realgar-indigo naturalis formula in mice.

Arsenic-containing anti-APL drugs ATO and RIF exhibit differential toxicity at therapeutic doses. In mouse heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney tissues, iAsIII and DMAV are the predominant arsenic species with time-dependent enrichment, with oral RIF showing lower visceral arsenic accumulation than intravenous ATO after 7 days of administration.