Acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity in the central nervous system of Japanese quails. Comparative studies of normal and neurofilament-deficient quails.

Acrylamide (AC) neurotoxicity in the central nervous system (CNS) in normal and neurofilament (NF)-deficient mutant (Quv) Japanese quails was investigated. Acrylamide (100 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally every other day. After the birds manifested neurological signs, they were necropsied (after 10-30 AC injections) and examined morphologically. All of the AC-intoxicated normal quails showed distal, retrograde nerve fiber degeneration associated with neurofilamentous axonal swellings in the spinal nerve tracts. There were axonal swellings without degenerative changes in other parts of the CNS. In Quv quails, distal nerve fiber degeneration was not observed in the spinal nerve tracts, although AC-induced membranous organelle accumulations were found in preterminal and terminal nerve fibers. Cytological remodeling similar to the axon reaction was seen mainly in dorsal root ganglia of AC-intoxicated normal and Quv quails. In addition, perikaryal response indicating impaired metabolic activity was observed in Quv quails. The present study showed that Quv quails are sensitive to neurotoxic effects of AC. It is suggested that AC-induced neurotoxicity is not initiated exclusively through its action on NF.