Effects of Subacute Concentrations of Acrylamide on the Morphology of Cultured Mouse Neuroblastoma N1E115 Cells: A Time-lapse Cinemicrographic Study

Abstract

Summary A new technique, which permits continuous perfusion of cell cultures grown in standard tissue culture dishes, was adapted for use in the light microscope. In this system differentiated neuroblastoma N1E115 cells exposed to acrylamide (25μg/ml) for 14 days were studied and morphological alterations registered with time-lapse cinemicrography. In acrylamide-intoxicated cultures, growth cone activities and the appearance of neurites were normal during the first week. Thereafter paralysed growth cones and distal neurite swellings accompanied by distal neurite disintegration could be observed. As judged by gross morphology, most cell bodies remained unaffected. The similarities between these and previous observations and reported in vivo effects of acrylamide indicate the possibility of mechanistic studies of chemically-induced distal axonopathy in the simplified system of cultured neuroblastoma cells.