Arsenic-Based Antineoplastic Drugs and Their Mechanisms of Action

Table 1

Common names and fully systematic (additive) names for Arsenic oxoacid and related structures. Some organic derivative names still contain the word “acid,” as in the following derivatives of arsonic acid = H₂AsHO₃ = [AsHO(OH)₂], for example, PhAsO(OH)₂ phenylarsonic acid.

Example of alternative names for Arsenic species used
Common name	Abbreviation	IUPAC Fully systematic additive name	Chemical formula
Arsenite, Arsenous acid, Arsorous acid	As(III), As^III	Trihydroxidoarsenic	H3AsO3 = [As(OH)3]
Arsinious acid	As(III), As^III	Dihydrohydroxidoarsenic	HAsH2O = [AsH2(OH)]
Arsonous acid	As(III), As^III	Hydridodihydroxidoarsenic	H2AsHO2 = [AsH(OH)2]
Arsenate, Arsenic acid, Arsoric acid	As(V), As^V	Trihydroxidooxidoarsenic	H3AsO4 = AsO(OH)3
Arsinic acid	As(V), As^V	Dihydridohydroxidooxidoarsenic	HAsH2O2 = [AsH2O(OH)]
Arsonic acid	As(V), As^V	Hydridodihydroxidooxidoarsenic	H2AsHO3 = [AsHO(OH)2]
Monomethylarsonic acid	MMA(V), MMA^V	Methanedihydroxidooxidoarsenic	CH3AsO(OH)2
Monomethylarsonous acid	MMA(III), MMA^III	Methanedihydroxidoarsenic	CH3As(OH)2
Dimethylarsinic acid	DMA(V), DMA^V	Dimethanehydroxidooxidoarsenic	(CH3)2AsO(OH)
Dimethylarsinous acid	DMA(III), DMA^III	Dimethanehydroxidoarsenic	(CH3)2AsOH