The effects of compression on the transport of 3H-labeled methyl glucose to spinal nerve roots were analyzed in an experimental model of the pig cauda equina. A rapid onset of compression (0.05-0.1 s) induced more pronounced effects than a slow onset (20 s) at corresponding pressure levels. There was evidence that this observed difference may be related to the magnitude of intraneural edema formed outside the compression zone. The results also indicate that the nutritional transport might be impaired at very low pressure levels and that diffusion from adjacent tissues with a better nutritional supply, including the cerebrospinal fluid, may not fully compensate for any compression-induced impairment of the intraneural blood flow.