Despite arsenic's (As) toxic potential, arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) is used as a safe and effective treatment in acute promyelocytic leukaemia. However, it is unknown whether such therapy influences the balance of other trace elements in the body. In this study, mice were treated intraperitoneally daily with 1.0 mg As₂O₃/kg bw for 3, 5 or 7 days. As, and seven essential and nonessential trace elements with the potential to interact with As, were measured through inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry in serum, heart, lung, liver, pancreas, kidney, intestine and brain. As₂O₃ supplementation increased As in all target tissues on day 3, thereafter reaching an almost steady state. The major findings in other elements were a sequential decrease in serum zinc (on day 7 by 64%; P<0.001), and a decrease in selenium in the pancreas on day 3 (9%; P<0.05), in the intestine on day 3 (30%; P<0.001) and finally, in the brain on days 5 (12%; P<0.05) and 7 (15%; P<0.01). Changes in magnesium, iron, copper, cadmium and mercury were minor and inconsistent. This study suggests that supplementation with other trace elements may be beneficial when As₂O₃ treatment regimens are used in the clinic.