On the pattern of change in peripheral nerves produced by isoniazid intoxication in rats

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Abstract
Functional and neurohistologically assessed structural changes in the central and peripheral nervous systems are reported in isoniazid intoxicated rats. These data are then compared with similar data from neuropathy associated with acute intermittent porphyria and neuropathy due to organo-phosphorus compounds. The disturbances in the rats fed isoniazid, (250 mg/kg/day) primarily affected motor nerve fibers, sensory fibers were also extensively damaged. Especially damaged were the medium sized fibers while sensory fibers of large diameter were usually spared. There is a tendency for the degeneration to be more marked in proximal than in distal fibers. A considerable amount of collateral sprouting from surviving fibers is seen. This indicates that cells that are not metabolically damaged to the point of degeneration are still capable of actively synthesizing new axoplasm. The pattern of denerva-tion closely resembles that found in humans with acute intermittent porphyria but is unlike that caused by organo-phosphorus compounds.