Inhibition of fast axoplasmic transport by acrylamide

The effect of acrylamide on fast axoplasmic transport in the cat sciatic nerve was studied in vivo and in vitro by the technique of isotope injection. [14C]leucine was injected into the lumbar dorsal root ganglia. In cats fed daily doses of acrylamide over 1 to 4 weeks, the rate of transport was 286 mm/day compared with 424 mm/day in controls. In vitro incubation of the sciatic nerve with acrylamide (2 x 10(-2) M and 2 x 10(-4) M) demonstrated no such inhibition. Study of the results and review of the literature suggest that acrylamide acted subacutely on metabolism of amino acid and protein in the nerve axon, probably in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum.