Acrylamide (AA), a well-known food neo-contamination, can be produced during food preparing at high temperature. The immunotoxicity of AA have been revealed in the experimental animals. In this study, we explored the molecular mechanism responsible for the immunotoxicity of AA.

The mice splenocytes exposed to AA concentrations (0,5,10 and 25 mM) and apoptosis cell death was measured through Annexin V/Propidium Iodide staining by flow cytometry method. The role of extrinsic and intrinsic pathways were evaluated respectively by activity of caspase-8 and-9. Furthermore, the spleen mitochondria were obtained using differential centrifugation from mice and mitochondrial toxicity endpoints were determined after AA exposure.

Exposure of splenocytes to AA increased the splenocytes’ apoptotic cell death. Also, increased activation of both caspase-8 and-9 were observed in mice splenocytes after AA exposure. Treatment of isolated mitochondria with AA lead to disturbance in activity of complex I and III of mitochondrial electron transfer chain that result in increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lipid peroxidation and glutathione oxidation. These events were accompanied by mitochondrial membrane swelling, collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential and significant falling of mitochondrial activity.

AA-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction along with mitochondrial oxidative damage seems to be critical events leading to activation of caspase cascade and apoptotic cell death in spleen that finally can attenuate immune system’s function.