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GENE PROBE FOR PO MESSENGER RNA USED TO INDEX ACRYLAMIDE TOXIC NEUROPATHY IN RATS
Citation:
Veronesi, B., K. Jones, J. Pringle, AND C. Mezei. GENE PROBE FOR PO MESSENGER RNA USED TO INDEX ACRYLAMIDE TOXIC NEUROPATHY IN RATS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-92/023 (NTIS PB92143957), 1991.
Description:
A gene probe for the PNS myelin glycoprotein PO (PO-mRNA) was used to monitor acrylamide neuropathy in Sprague Dawley rats prior to, concurrent with, and subsequent to, ultrastructurally and immunocytochemically defined nerve damage. ats were dosed every other day with acrylamide (50 mg/kg, IP) and sampled intermittently throughout a 4 week exposure period for biochemical and morphological change. lot blot and Northern gel analyses of the proximal and distal sciatic nerve were used to determine the quantity and quality of PO-mRNA. wenty-four hours after the first treatment, in the absence of ultrastructural damage, PO-mRNA increased 55% over controls levels in the distal sciatic nerve. fter subsequent treatments, however, levels of PO-mRNA in the distal sciatic nerve progressively decreased reaching 45% of control levels after 12 treatments, conconmittant with the appearance of spinal cord and PNS neuropathic damage and hindlimb dysfunction. hese results suggest that changes in neural specific mRNA's (i.e., gene probes) are sensitive to neurotoxic damage and can be used to monitor the progression of neuropathology. ore importantly, these data suggest that such probes may be used to predict structural damage at low exposure levels and early time-points when PNS fiber damage is reversible.