Toxicologic Pathology of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Overview, Challenges, and Current Practices

Ingrid D. Pardo, Deepa B. Rao, Mark T. Butt, Bernard S. Jortner, William M. Valentine, Joseph Arezzo, Alok K. Sharma, Brad Bolon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Peripheral nervous system (PNS) toxicity is a frequent adverse effect encountered in patients treated with certain therapeutics (e.g., antiretroviral drugs, cancer chemotherapeutics), in occupational workers exposed to industrial chemicals (e.g., solvents), or during accidental exposures to household chemicals and/or environmental agents (e.g., pesticides). However, the literature and expertise needed for the effective design, conduct, analysis, and reporting of safety studies to identify and define PNS toxicity are hard to find. This half-day course familiarized participants with basic PNS biology; causes and mechanisms of PNS pathology; classic methods and current best practice recommendations for PNS sampling, preparation, and evaluation; and examples of commonly observed lesions and artifacts. Three concluding case presentations synthesized information from the prior technical lectures by presenting real-world examples of lesions caused by drugs and chemicals to demonstrate how PNS toxicity may be addressed in evaluating product safety during nonclinical studies. Topics emphasized comparative and correlative data among animal species used in toxicity studies and clinical evaluation in humans in order to facilitate the translation of animal data into human risk assessment with respect to PNS toxicologic pathology.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1028-1036
Number of pages9
JournalToxicologic pathology
Volume46
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2018

Keywords

  • autonomic
  • axonal degeneration
  • ganglia
  • myelinopathy
  • nerve
  • neuronopathy
  • neuropathy
  • peripheral nervous system

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine
  • Molecular Biology
  • Toxicology
  • Cell Biology

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