Arsenic (As) pollution poses an important problem, but limited information is available about the physiological effects of As on freshwater invertebrates. Here, we investigated the physiological effects of chronic As exposure on Pomacea canaliculata, a freshwater invertebrate. High level of As (Ⅲ, 5 mg/L) inhibited the growth of P. canaliculata, whereas low level of As (Ⅲ, 2 mg/L) promoted growth. Pathological changes in shell and cellular ultrastructure due to As accumulation likely explain the growth inhibition at high As level. Low level of As simulated the expression of genes related to DNA replication and chitosan biosynthesis, potentially accounting for the growth promotion observed. High level of As enrichment pathways primarily involved cytochrome P450, glutathione, and arachidonic acid-mediated metabolism of xenobiotics. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, specifically the ABCB and ABCC subfamilies, were involved in As transport. Differential metabolites were mainly associated with the metabolism and biosynthesis of amino acids. These findings elucidate the dose-dependent effects of As stress on P. canaliculata growth, with low levels promoting and high levels inhibiting. Additionally, our findings also provide insights into As metabolism and transport in P. canaliculata.

砷 (As) 污染是一个重要问题，但有关砷对淡水无脊椎动物生理影响的信息有限。在这里，我们研究了慢性砷暴露对福寿螺（一种淡水无脊椎动物）的生理影响。高浓度As（Ⅲ，5 mg/L）抑制小管紫菜生长，低浓度As（Ⅲ，2 mg/L）则促进生长。As 积累引起的壳和细胞超微结构的病理变化可能解释了高 As 水平下的生长抑制。低水平的 As 模拟了与 DNA 复制和壳聚糖生物合成相关的基因的表达，可能是观察到的生长促进的原因。高水平的 As 富集途径主要涉及细胞色素 P450、谷胱甘肽和花生四烯酸介导的异生物质代谢。ATP 结合盒 (ABC) 转运蛋白，特别是 ABCB 和 ABCC 亚家族，参与砷转运。差异代谢物主要与氨基酸的代谢和生物合成有关。这些发现阐明了砷胁迫对P. canaliculata生长的剂量依赖性影响，低水平促进生长，高水平抑制。此外，我们的研究结果还为P. canaliculata中砷的代谢和运输提供了见解。