Acrylamide neurotoxicity: altered spinal monosynaptic responses to quipazine, a serotonin agonist, in cats

The effects of the serotonin agonist quipazine on the spinal monosynaptic reflex (MSR) were investigated in acrylamide-treated cats. Cats were administered 30 mg/kg acrylamide (ACR) for 10 days, and the MSR and spontaneous ventral root discharge (VRD) were recorded on the tenth day (ACR 10) or 10 days subsequent to the last injection (ACR 20). Cumulative doses of quipazine were administered to increase the MSR and VRD. It was found that the MSR in ACR 10 cats was significantly depressed by ACR while the ACR 20 cats showed increased MSRs with double peaks. Dose-response relationships between quipazine and the area-under-the-MSR showed a significant shift to the right in the ACR 10 from control and no significant change in the ACR 20 from control. Dose-response curves of quipazine vs VRD showed no significant difference in either group from control. These data suggest that the alpha-motoneuron in ACR-treated cats was responding normally to quipazine while the primary afferent terminal was not.