A simple, sensitive method for detecting early peripheral nerve dysfunction in the rat following acrylamide treatment.

The "ocular zingerone test" was employed to detect early alterations in peripheral nerve function which were associated with acrylamide intoxication in the rat. Acrylamide treatment resulted in a dose-related prolongation of the behavioral response to ocular zingerone. Significant alterations in the zingerone response occurred prior to detectable alterations in peripheral sensory and motor nerve function. Acrylamide-induced prolongation of the zingerone response appears to be the result of functional alterations in cholinergic neurotransmission in the autonomic nervous system. It is concluded that the "ocular zingerone test" is a simple, sensitive technique with which the degree of acrylamide intoxication may be quantified in the rat.