Acrylamide autonomic neuropathy in the cat. Part 2. Effects on mesenteric vascular control.

Mesenteric blood flow has been studied in cats poisoned with acrylamide. In severely poisoned animals, there is impairment of the neural control of the mesenteric vascular bed. The diminished response of the mesenteric bed to tyramine administration, the increased response to phenylephrine and noradrenaline and the failure of the nerve endings to take up exogenous noradrenaline are indicative of damage to the postganglionic unmyelinated fibres. The studies support the view that disturbance of blood pressure control in autonomic neuropathy is related to the impaired vasomotor control of the splanchnic bed.