Summary
Allyl chloride is known to produce a neuropathy in man after occupational exposure to its vapour. The present study describes the neuropathy which develops in mice given allyl chloride by mouth. Mice were dosed three times weekly with 300 or 500 mg/kg allyl chloride for periods from 2–17 weeks. Functional disability was observed in some animals. Apart from evidence of focal kidney damage in 70% of dosed mice, pathological changes were restricted to the nervous system. Nerve fibre degeneration was found in many peripheral nerves and in roots, tending to be more marked distally and to affect more motor than sensory nerves. Degenerated fibres were also found in dorsal, ventral and lateral columns of the spinal cord. Males were more severely affected than females. Increased numbers of filaments were an early axonal change, occurring multifocally and apparently preceding axonal degeneration. No neuronal death was observed, but occasional anterior horn and dorsal root ganglion cells showed some morphological changes. Vacuolated lesions mainly due to swelling of astrocytes and their processes were found in the ventral horn in cervical and lumbar regions of spinal cord. Animals appeared to become tolerant to allyl chloride after continuous dosing. This neuropathy appears to be a centralperipheral distal type of axonopathy.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beesley RA, Daniel PM (1956) A simple method for preparing serial blocks of tissue. J Clin Pathol 9:267–268
Cavanagh JB (1967) On the pattern of change in peripheral nerves produced by isoniazid intoxication in rats. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 30:26–33
Cavanagh JB, Chen F C-K (1971) The effects of methyl mercury dicyandiamide on the peripheral nerve and spinal cord of rats. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 19:208–215
Cho E-S (1977) Toxic effects of adriamycin on the ganglia of the peripheral nervous system: a neuropathological study. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 36:907–915
Edds MV Jr (1953) Collateral nerve regeneration. Q Rev Biol 28:260–276
He F, Shen D, Guo Y, Lü B (1980) Toxic polyneuropathy due to chronic allyl chloride intoxication. Chinese Med J 93:177–182
Jacobs JM, Miller RH, Cavanagh JB (1979a) The distribution of degenerative changes in INH neuropathy. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 48:1–9
Jacobs JM, Miller RH, Whittle A, Cavanagh JB (1979b) Studies on the early changes in acute isoniazid neuropathy in the rat. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 47:85–92
Mendell JR, Sahenk Z, Saida K, Weiss HS, Savage R, Couri D (1977) Alteration of fast axoplasmic transport in experimental methyl-n-butyl ketone neuropathy. Brain Res 133:107–118
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (1976) Occupational exposure to allyl chloride, criteria for a recommended standard. Superintendent of Documents US Government Printing Office. Washington DC
Ochoa J (1970) Isoniazid neuropathy in man: Quantitative electron microscope study. Brain 93:831–850
Pestronk A, Drachman DB (1978) A new stain for quantitative measurement of sprouting at neuromuscular junction. Muscle Nerve 1:70–74
Post EJ (1978) Unmyelinated nerve fibres in feline acrylamide neuropathy. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 42:19–24
Prineas J (1969) The pathogenesis of dying-back polyneuropathies. II. An ultrastructural study of experimental acrylamide intoxication in the rat. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 28:598–621
Sabri M, Moore CL, Spencer PS (1979) Studies on the biochemical basis of distal axonopathies. 1. Inhibition of glycolysis by neurotoxic hexacarbon compounds. J Neurochem 32:683–689
Schröder JM (1970) Zur Pathogenese der Isoniazid-Neuropathie. 1. Eine feinstrukturelle Differenzierung gegenüber der Waller'schen Degeneration. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 16:301–323
Spencer PS, Schaumburg HH (1976) Central-peripheral distal axonopathy. The pathology of dying-back polyneuropathies. Progr Neuropathol 3:253–295
Spencer PS, Thomas PK (1974) Ultrastructural studies of the dying back process. II. The sequestration and removal by Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes of organelles from normal and diseased axons. J Neurocytol 3:763–783
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Financially supported by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, The Brain Research Trust, and the research funds of The National Hospital
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
He, F., Jacobs, J.M. & Scaravilli, F. The pathology of allyl chloride neurotoxicity in mice. Acta Neuropathol 55, 125–133 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00699237
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00699237