title: Cutaneous nerve degeneration induced by acrylamide in mice.
abstract: Acrylamide is a neurotoxin producing distal axonopathy. Previous studies mainly focused on large-diameter motor and sensory nerves, and the influences of acrylamide neurotoxicity on small-diameter sensory nerves in the skin remained elusive. We investigated skin innervation in mice intoxicated by acrylamide. Small-diameter sensory nerves in the skin degenerated after acrylamide intoxication. Epidermal nerve swelling was the earliest sign of acrylamide intoxication, with 29.5+/-2.4% of swollen epidermal nerves in the initial stage (P<0.001). There was a trend of progressive loss of epidermal nerves with a significantly reduced epidermal nerve density in the late stage (P<0.003). In the mean time, degenerating dermal nerves exhibited a beaded appearance. These results suggest the scenario of small-diameter cutaneous nerve degeneration in acrylamide neurotoxicity: beginning with epidermal nerve terminal swelling in the initial stage and resultant epidermal nerve depletion in the late phase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 1 Jen-Ai Road, Section 1, 10018, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D020106:Acrylamide / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D020106:Acrylamide; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase