Acrylamide neuropathy in the rat: effects on energy metabolism in sciatic nerve

Energy metabolism was examined in rat sciatic nerve before and after induction of neuropathy by treatment with acrylamide monomer. The in vivo activities of two glycolytic enzymes, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and nerve-specific enolase, were resistant to acrylamide. The levels of adenosine 5'-triphosphate and creatine phosphate were also unaffected by acrylamide after either short-term or long-term treatment. The turnover of high-energy phosphate was somewhat reduced in the nerves of severely intoxicated animals. These findings cast doubt on the hypothesis that acrylamide neuropathy begins with an attack on the means of generating metabolic energy, although the eventual failure of one or more energy-consuming processes in peripheral nerve remains likely.