[Neurotoxic substances as a tool to understand some mechanisms of peripheral neuropathies (author's transl)]

Abstract

The study of toxic experimental models of neuropathies has been a decisive step to understand some cellular mechanisms of human neuropathies. The progressive development of toxic neuropathies allow to the possibility of isolating their initial mechanism. Dying back axonopathies are the commonest neuropathies as observed in clinical practice, and their experimental models had been extensively studied. Acrylamide and n-hexane intoxications have shown the following results : 1) The onset of the neuropathy is located at the most distal node of the longest and largest fibres. Sensory fibres are impaired before the motor ones. 2) Fast axoplasmic transport stops distally. 3) Impaired enzymes of the energetic cycle were observed distally. Proximal axonopathies as those resulting from IDPN intoxication are a possible model to clear up the cellular mechanisms of the lateral amyotrophic sclerosis. Human toxic neuronopathies and myelinopathies are uncommon. Such experimental models are described in relation to other human neuropathies.