Acrylamide neurotoxic effects

Disadvantages include the slow removal of the staining dyes and the toxicity of the monomer. It is recommended that prepared gels be purchased if possible to minimize the toxicity problem. Acrylamide has a neurotoxic effect by inhalation and skin contact. Wash any exposed area with soap and water immediately. The effects are drowsiness, fatigue, tingling in the extremities, and weakness in the legs. See Appendix A, Experiment No. 41 for the preparation techniques. 

The neurotoxicity of acrylamide in humans is well known from occupational and accidental exposures [51], For instance, Calleman et al. [52] reported peripheral neuropathy symptoms to highly exposed workers in China. It is characterized by skeletal muscle weakness, numbness of hands and feet, and ataxia. Acrylamide has been shown to be toxic to both the central and the peripheral nervous system [53], although the nerve terminal is now considered to be the primary site of acrylamide action [54,55]. Acrylamide induces nerve terminal degeneration and has effects on the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus [56]. In double-blind studies of factory workers, no neurotoxicity was found in workers exposed to less than 3.0 mg/kg/ day as determined by biomonitoring [55]. A very recent study demonstrates structural and ultra structural evidence of neurotoxic effects of fried potato chips on rat postnatal development. 

Proper precautions should be taken when working with acrylamide such as gloves, goggles, and lab coats because of its neurotoxic effects. Polymerized acrylamide, while potentially less toxic, should still be handled carefully and disposed of properly. 

The acrylamide monomer may be neurotoxic, carcinogenic, genotoxic and hazardous to reproduction. Recent studies confirm that acrylamide exposures cause cancer and reproductive effects in animals, but epidemiological studies have not demonstrated these effects in humans. The neurotoxic effects from acrylamide exposure include peripheral nerve damage and central-nervous-system effects (Edvards 1975 Pye and Peachey 1976 Lambert et al. 1987 Dooms-Goossens et al. 1991). 

In April 2002, Swedish researchers shocked the food safety world when they presented preliminary findings of acrylamide in some Ified and baked foods, most notably potato chips and French fries, at levels of 30-2300 p,m/kg. Reports of the presence of acrylamide in a range of fried and oven-cooked foods have caused worldwide concern because this compound has been classified as probably carcinogenic in humans with significant toxicological effects, namely neurotoxic and mutagenic (Rosen and Hellenas, 2002 Tareke et al., 2002). French fries and potato crisps exhibit relatively high values of acrylamide 424 p-g/kg and 1739 p-g/kg, respectively. 

With respect to neurotoxins, there are a number of industrial chemicals (acrylamide, n-hexane, methyl n-butyl ketone, cresyl phosphate), pharmaceuticals (nitrofuradantoin, isoniazid), and pesticides (leptophos, Kepone ) which have been associated with neuropathic effects in humans (for reviews, see References 107,123, 124). Subchronic exposure studies in rodents and other animals such as cats have been used to identify and study the mechanism of action of neurotoxic chemicals which produce paralysis and behavioral changes in exposed animals. Studies are currently underway to evaluate the relative sensitivities of behavioral tests and morphological assays of peripheral and central nervous system axon morphology for detecting the earliest signs of chemically induced neuropathies. " ... 

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