Neuropathies of spinal cord development in rat pups maternally fed with fried potato chips

Abstract

Objective: Acrylamide is a neurotoxic material and recently elevated levels of acrylamide in varieties of foodstuffs were reported. The present study aimed to illustrate the demyelination of spinal cord of pups maternally fed a diet containing fried potato chips. Methods: Eighty fertile virgin female Wistar rats were made pregnant after mating with healthy male. Zero dates of gestation were determined and dams were arranged into three groups as control, acrylamide-treated (15 mg/kg body weight, p.o.) and 50% fried potato chips containing diet group. Treatments were carried every other day from 6th day of gestation until 3-week post-partum. The cervical spinal cord was separated and subjected for SDS-PAGE analysis and light and transmission electron microscopy. Results: Comparing with acrylamide-treatment, protein expression in spinal cord of pups maternally fed with fried potatoes was altered. Necrosis of motor neuronal cells within grey matter, hyperplasia of ependymal lining cells and fragility of white matter was detected. At ultrastructural level, the sensory and motor neuronal cells showed convoluted nuclear envelope and either chromatolysis or compacted chromatin material. Fragmentation of rough endoplasmic reticulum and damage of mitochondria become well evident in pups maternally fed with potato chips. The neuronal axons possessed vacuolation and demyelination associated with apparent damage of mitochondria. Conclusion: Supplementation of fried potato chips exerted neurotoxicity either directly through their content of acrylamide or via its metabolite glycidamide. Both components were reported to find their way across the placenta during gestation and breast milk during the lactation period, interfering with spinal cord differentiation and adversely affected demyelination.