NUMBER AND VOLUME OF RAT DORSAL-ROOT GANGLION-CELLS IN ACRYLAMIDE INTOXICATION

Acrylamide intoxication induces a filamentous neuropathy with breakdow n of distal axons and chromatolytic reaction of dorsal root ganglion c ells. To obtain quantitative information about the perikaryal alterati ons neurons of the fifth lumbar dorsal root ganglion of rats were exam ined with stereological techniques following intoxication with a total dose of 500 mg acrylamide. Number, mean volume and distribution of ne uron volume were estimated for each of the two cell subpopulations usi ng optical disectors, the four-way-nucleator and systematic sampling t echniques. In intoxicated rats perikaryal volume of A-cells was signif icantly reduced by 28%, from 63 200 mu m(3) (CV = 0.16) to 45 500 mu m (3) (CV = 0.19), whereas the volume of B-cells was unchanged. Numbers of A- and B-cells were preserved. The finding of a selective atrophy o f A-cell perikaryal volume is in accordance with previous observations of predominant alterations of large myelinated sensory fibres and mos t likely reflects an attack on the perikaryal neurofilaments abundant in this cell type.