Botulinal toxin

History The secret was released some time after World War II when it became apparent that British forces provided a grenade specially concocted with botulinal toxins to kill Reinhard Heydrich, the much feared head of the Nazi Security Service, better known as the SD. After the successful killing in the Prague, Czechoslovakia, the stunned Germans shot and burned the town of Lidice (where free-Czechs from Britain had been parachuted in kill Heydrich), and arrested an estimated 10,000 Czechs. 

Botulin toxin may also act as an inhalation poison. This property has been reveled for both pure and progenitor (a complex with auxiliary proteins) toxins (Park and Simpson, 2003). C. botulinum and its toxin were included onto the list of high-priority agents - in the highest A category of agents that may potentially be used in bioterrorism (Khan et al., 2000 Sobel et al., 2002). 

Botulism also affects animals, where intoxication is caused by C. botulinum types C and D. A bovine disease visceral botulism was reported in Germany (Bohnel et al., 2001). It was caused by a long-lasting exposure to low quantities of botulin toxin that interfered with the neurological control of intestinal physiology. Visceral botulism in cows may pose a health risk for milk consumers, although to date there are no precise data on how serious the problem is (Cobb et al., 2002). 

All botulin neurotoxins act in a similar way. They only differ in the amino-acid sequence of some protein parts (Prabakaran et al., 2001). Botulism symptoms are provoked both by oral ingestion and parenteral injection. Botulin toxin is not inactivated by enzymes present in the gastrointestinal tracts. Foodborne BoNT penetrates the intestinal barrier, presumably due to transcytosis. It is then transported to neuromuscular junctions within the bloodstream and blocks the secretion of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This results in muscle limpness and palsy caused by selective hydrolysis of soluble A-ethylmalemide-sensitive factor activating (SNARE) proteins which participate in fusion of synaptic vesicles with presynaptic plasma membrane. SNARE proteins include vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP), synaptobrevin, syntaxin, and synaptosomal associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25). Their degradation is responsible for neuromuscular palsy due to blocks in acetylcholine transmission from synaptic terminals. In humans, palsy caused by BoNT/A lasts four to six months. 

The onset of botulism occurs generally between 18 and 36 hours after consumption of food products containing botulin toxin. However, it may affect patients earlier or later, even on the tenth day after food consumption. The first symptoms include stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, followed by neurological disorders. Other symptoms include, skin, mouth and throat dryness, diplopia, blurred vision, dysphonia, dysarthria, dysphagia, and peripheral weakness. In lethal cases of botulism, respiratory muscles are involved. This leads to respiratory failure and death. Because all the symptoms are connected with toxemia, the first step of medical treatment is to provide a patient with antiserum. 

Food stored in a proper way and in proper conditions is not a vehicle of C. botulinum. Unlike non-proteolytic strains, proteolytic strains will not grow in refrigeration temperatures. The number of spores in meat and poultry is rather low, much higher numbers are observed in fish. If stored at 3 to 5°C, vacuum-packed, not very sour meat products usually remain safe for consumers up to 21 days. Botulin toxin was not detected in raw rockfish fillets or red snapper homogenates after being stored for 21 days at 4°C. None of 1074 samples of commercially packed fresh fish stored for 12 days at 12°C contained botulin toxin (Lilly and Kautter, 1990). 

Three types of detection methods are recommended for botulin toxins ... 

Elall, J.D., McCroskey, L.M., Pincomb, B.J. and Hatheway, C.L., Isolation of an organism resembling Clostridium barati which produces type F botulinal toxin from an infant with botulism, J. Clin. Microbiol, 21, 654-655, 1985. 

Substance Ethanol NaCl Nicotine Dioxin Botulin toxin... 

Effect of Salt, Nitrate, and Nitrite on Botulinal Toxin Formation in Liver Sausage Held at 30°C°... 

Molgd J, Siegel LS, Tabti N, Thesleff S (1989) A study of synchronization of quantal transmitter release from mammalian motor endings by the use of botulinal toxins type A and D. J Physiol 411 195-205... 

Sergeyeva, T. (1962). Detection of botulinal toxin and type A microbe in the organism of sick animals and in the organs of cadavers. Zh. Mikrobiol. 33 96-102. 

Sonnabend, O., Sonnabend, W., Heinzle, R., Sigrisf, T., Dimhofer, R., Krech, U. (1981). Isolation of Clostridium botulinum type G and identification of type G botulinal toxin in humans report of 5 sudden unexpected deaths. J. Infect. Dis. 143 22-7. 

We can see this clearly, for instance, in regard to the possible use of deadly botulinal toxin. It is well known that this toxin disrupts the operation of parts of the nervous system by interfering with the normal synaptic release of the key neurotransmitter chemical acetylcholine. The clinical features of botulism are very similar, regardless of how the toxin gets into the body ... 

Ever since the establishment of the biological warfare wing at Porton, Fildes had been working on BTX — the botulinal toxins,... 

A. Botulism is caused by a heat-labile neurotoxin (botulin) produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Different strains of the bacterium produce seven distinct exotoxins A, B, C, D, E, F, and G types A, B, and E are most frequently involved in human disease. Botulin toxin irreversibly binds to cholinergic nerve terminals and prevents acetylcholine release from the axon. Severe muscle weakness results, and death is caused by respiratory failure. The toxin does not cross the blood-brain barrier. 

II. Toxic dose. Botulin toxin is extremely potent as little as one taste of botulin-con-taminated food (approximately 0.05 meg of toxin) may be fatal. 

This is a trick question, because virtually any substance you can ingest, inject, inhale, or absorb through your skin can be a poison if the dose is high enough. Of course, a high dose can sometimes be very small — it all depends on what the substance is. The ancient Chinese occasionally carried out executions by forcing condemned individuals to eat salt until they died. It took a lot of salt. By contrast, just a few micrograms of botulin toxin can kill a man. 

Botulinal toxin type A, a-fraction Botulinal toxin type A... 

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