Inorganic arsenic oxides have been identified as carcinogens in several human tissues, including epidermis. Due to the chemical similarity between trivalent inorganic arsenic (arsenite) and antimony (antimonite), we hypothesized that common intracellular targets lead to similarities in cellular responses. Indeed, transcriptional and proteomic profiling revealed remarkable similarities in differentially expressed genes and proteins resulting from exposure of cultured human epidermal keratinocytes to arsenite and antimonite in contrast to comparisons of arsenite with other metal compounds. These data were analyzed to predict upstream regulators and affected signaling pathways following arsenite and antimonite treatments. A majority of the top findings in each category were identical after treatment with either compound. inspection of the predicted upstream regulators led to previously unsuspected roles for oncostatin M, corticosteroids and ephrins in mediating cellular response. The influence of these predicted mediators was then experimentally verified. Together with predictions of transcription factor effects more generally, the analysis has led to model signaling networks largely accounting for arsenite and antimonite action. the striking parallels between responses to arsenite and antimonite indicate the skin carcinogenic risk of exposure to antimonite merits close scrutiny.Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic, primarily in water supplies, has numerous deleterious effects on humans, including cancer at several anatomic sites 1 . Many mechanisms have been proposed for these effects, indicating possible interference of arsenic with a variety of signaling pathways 2 to which epigenetic changes may contribute 3 . Proteins with vicinal thiols, including zinc finger DNA repair proteins 4 , are particularly attractive as potential targets with deleterious downstream effects. Continuing exposure of large populations has evoked considerable effort to elucidate the broad consequences for health and the mechanisms that lead to their manifestation.Also of concern, including human therapeutic treatment for leishmaniasis 5 , considerable exposure occurs to inorganic antimony, a metalloid immediately below arsenic in the periodic table to which it exhibits chemical similarity 6 . The presence of antimony is increasing in the environment through use in small arms ammunition, as a catalyst in plastic, as a flame retardant, and through watershed pollution by mining waste or by recycling operations. This has raised concern for public health, sustainable agriculture and ecosystem effects 7,8 . Inasmuch as antimony trioxide is a rodent carcinogen 9 , finding commonalities in actions of antimonite (SbIII) and arsenite (AsIII) would assist in understanding their mechanisms of action in vivo.Human epidermis is a known target for carcinogenic effects of arsenic. Cultured human epidermal keratinocytes, a model system for studies of effects of chemicals on epidermis, have been shown to respond similarly to treatment with arsenite and an...