Tetanus Toxicity

Several alkaloids have been recorded for plants of this sub-order. From Nymphoea alba Linn., Bures and Plzik isolated nymphoeine, C14H23O2N it is amorphous, has m.p. 76-7°, gives a hydrochloride, m.p. 230° (dec.), contains a hydroxyl group, appears to be a secondary base, and to contain a pyrrole ring. It is toxic to frogs and produces tetanus-like symptoms. 

Toxoid vaccines. Toxoid vaccines are preparations derived fiom the toxins that are seereted by eertain species of bacteria, hi the manufacture of such vaccines, the toxin is separated fiem the bacteria and treated in a way that eliminates toxicity without eliminating immunogenicity. Formalin (ca. 38% of formaldehyde gas in water) is used for this purpose and consequently the treated toxins are often referred to as formol toxoids. Toxoid vaccines are veiy effective in the prevention of those diseases such as diphtheria and tetanus in which the harmful effects of the infecting bacteria are due to the deleterious action of bacterial toxins on physiology and biochemistry. 

Adsorption. The adsorption of the components of a vaccine on to a mineral adjuvant. The mineral adjuvants, or carriers, most often used are aluminium lydroxide, aluminium phosphate and calcium phosphate and their effect is to increase the immunogenieity and decrease the toxicity, local and systemic, of a vaccine. Diphtheria vaccine, tetanus vaccine, diphtheria/tetanus vaccine and diphtheriaAetanus/pertussis vaccine are generally prepared as adsorbed vaccines. 

The quality control of both diphtheria and tetanus vaccines requires that the products are tested for the presence of free toxin, that is for specific toxicity due to inadequate detoxification with formalin, at the final-product stage. By this stage, however, the toxoid concentrates used in the preparation of the vaccines have been much diluted and, as the volume ofvaccine that can be inoculated into the test animals (guinea-pigs)... 

Opium Diarrhea caused by poisoning until the toxic material is eliminated from the Gl tract use in children (opium tincture only) convulsive states such as those occurring in status epilepticus, tetanus, and strychnine poisoning (Paregor/c only). Oxycodone ... 

Acute convulsive episodes Emergency control of certain acute convulsive episodes (eg, those associated with status epilepticus, cholera, eclampsia, meningitis, tetanus, and toxic reactions to strychnine or local anesthetics). 

These are produced by addition of formalin to the toxin of microorganisms and incubating them at 37°G for three to four weeks. Gertain microorganisms produce endotoxins e.g. tetanus and diphtheria. The toxins produced by these organism are detoxicated and used for the preparation of vaccine. The toxoids have lost their toxicity but antigenicity is retained. 

Arisaema consanguineum Mart. China Alkaloids, saponin, benzoic acid.33-49 This herb is highly toxic. Treat tetanus, spasms, epilepsy, neuralgia. Sedative, anticonvulsive, an expectorant. 

The term microbial toxin is usually reserved by microbiologists for toxic substances produced by microorganisms that are of high molecular weight and have antigenic properties toxic compounds produced by bacteria that do not fit these criteria are referred to simply as poisons. Many of the former are proteins or mucoproteins and may have a variety of enzymatic properties. They include some of the most toxic substances known, such as tetanus toxin, botulinus toxin, and diphtheria toxin. Bacterial toxins may be extremely toxic to mammals and may affect a variety of organ systems, including the nervous system and the cardiovascular system. A detailed account of their chemical nature and mode of action is beyond the scope of this volume. 

Penicillin was first used in 1941 as an antibiotic. Because of its low toxicity, it was called a miracle drug. It was used in infections such as staphylococcus, streptococcus, pneumococcus, meningococcus, gonorrhea, syphilis, diphtheria, and tetanus. Furthermore, penicillin also has prophylactic uses for some diseases. 

Clostridial neurotoxins are very toxic. However they are ineffective in individuals immunized with the corresponding toxoids. In most countries children are vaccinated with tetanus toxoid and this is sufficient to provide full protection against tetanus for decades. A booster injection of tetanus toxoid (available from health authorities) before starting research with TeTx is advisable. On the other hand, the vaccine for BoNT/A, B, C, D and E is not commercially available, but can be obtained from the Center for Disease Control (CDC, Atlanta, GA). Due to the rather low efficacy of the BoNTs vaccine, a protective serum anti-BoNT titre is generally, but not always, achieved. Human anti-TeTx antibodies and horse anti-BoNT antibodies are also available from health authorities, and their injection immediately after accidental penetration of the toxin into the circulatory system is sufficient to prevent the disease. 

Ahnert-Hilger G, Dauzenroth ME, Habermann E et al. (1990) Chains and fragments of tetanus toxin, and their contribution to toxicity. J. Physiol. (Paris) 84 229-36. 

Many antigens currently marketed would be inherently toxic except for the fact they have been stringently detoxified. Some of the most successful and durable vaccines today include toxoided forms of tetanus, pertussis, and diphtheria toxins. During the manufacturing process, these toxoids undergo significant chemical modifications, and their toxic properties are effectively eliminated. The safety is assured with every batch release and defined within safety charac-terization/quality control tests, which are not discussed in this chapter. 

Curare is often used as a general term to describe a wide variety of highly toxic plant extracts. Curare was originally used by South American Indians as an arrow poison that caused paralysis of skeletal muscle of prey being hunted. Curare was first used medically as a muscle relaxant in 1912. An extract from Chondrodendron tomentosum has been used clinically to reduce spasms in patients with tetanus and those treated with shock therapy, and to treat muscular rigidity and spastic paralysis. Curare is also used as an adjunct to general anesthesia. 

The treated toxins are sometimes referred to as formol toxoids. Toxoid vaccines are very effective in the prevention of those diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, botulism and clostridial infections of farm animals, in which the infecting bacteria produce disease through the toxic effects of secreted proteins which enzymically modify essential cellular components. Many of the clostridial toxins are lytic enzymes. Detoxification is also required for the pertussis toxin component of acellular pertussis vaccines. 

A-B Toxins are bacterial toxins composed of two peptide chains one (B) that binds to the invaded cell surface, and the other (A) containing the toxin which is then taken-up into the cell. Some examples of exotoxins secreted by the bacteria into the surrounding medium and highly toxic to certain tissues are pathogens causing botuiism (Clostridium botulinum), tetanus (Clostridium tetani) and diptheria (Corynebacterium diphtheria. An example of an A-B endotoxin is Vibrio cholerae. Botulinum toxin and tetanus toxin have their main toxic actions on neuronal tissues, so are described at NEUROTOXINS. 

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