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Acrylamide (ACR) is a known carcinogen and neurotoxin. It is chronically consumed in carbohydrate-rich snacks processed at high temperatures. This calls for systematic research into the effects of ACR intake, best performed in an experimental model capable of detecting symptoms of its neurotoxicity at both high and low doses. Here, we study the influence of 10 µg/g (corresponding to the concentrations found in food products) and, for comparison, 60, 80 and 110 µg/g dietary ACR, on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We show that chronic administration of ACR affects lifespan, activity level and, most importantly, the daily and circadian pattern of locomotor activity of Drosophila. ACR-treated flies show well-defined and concentration-dependent symptoms of ACR neurotoxicity; a reduced anticipation of upcoming changes in light conditions and increased arrhythmicity in constant darkness. The results suggest that the rhythm-generating neural circuits of their circadian oscillator (biological clock) are sensitive to ACR even at low concentrations if the exposure time is sufficiently long. This makes the behavioural readout of the clock, the rhythm of locomotor activity, a useful tool for studying the adverse effects of ACR and probably other compounds., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We have examined the effects of nitric oxide donors and acrylamide on mesenchymal progenitor cell (hMPC) viability, programmed cell death (PCD) and differentiation. Acrylamide was examined at 0.5mM and 1.5mM concentrations, NOC-18 at 10μM and SNP at 100μM. Cell viability was assayed with MTS, PCD was determined by phosphatidylserine, caspase-9 and -3/7 and mitochondrial membrane potential assays, and osteogenic cell differentiation was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and mRNA levels for collagen type I, bone sialoprotein, ostepontin and osteocalcin. Serum-free hMPC cultures treated with 1.5mM acrylamide and SNP for 72h demonstrated reduced viability. PCD analyses revealed that SNP stimulated cells to necrosis in reactive species-dependent manner. Acrylamide (1.5mM) led to apoptosis independent of reactive species. Acrylamide and SNP reduced ALP activity and collagen type I mRNA levels but mRNA levels for bone sialoprotein and osteopontin increased in SNP treated cells and remained unchanged in acrylamide. Acrylamide had no effect on guanylate cyclase and cGMP osteogenic signaling pathway. The study suggests that acrylamide might impair bone development and remodeling upon acute or prolonged intoxication with this compound of mesenchymal cells., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The influence of acrylamide, a potentially toxic substance present in some types of food, on survival, postembryonic development and haemocytes, insect's blood cells, of the housefly was examined. Larvae were reared on media contaminated with acrylamide at concentrations of 82 microg/g, 164 microg/g or 246 microg/g. The length of larval and pupal stages as well as the survival of larvae and pupae was examined. To study the effects of acrylamide on haemocytes, the analysis of their index and morphology was performed in the third instar larva. The obtained data showed that the survival of larvae exposed to 82 microg/g and 164 microg/g concentrations of acrylamide decreased by 50% and 85%, respectively, whereas 246 microg/g concentration was lethal. In both groups of flies, larval and pupal stages were significantly lengthened by about 1.5 day in comparison with control. Moreover, acrylamide increased the number of prohaemocytes and intermediate cells while the number of plasmatocytes and granulocytes decreased. The size of plasmatocytes decreased in acrylamide-treated larvae when compared with these cells of control flies. The reduced survival of animals is probably due to affecting haemocytes involved in immune responses in insects. Moreover, the housefly's blood cells showed to be sensitive to toxin, which suggests their usefulness to test toxicity of substances present in food products.