What is Botulinum Toxin?

One microgram of botulinum toxin is lethal to humans. It is one of the most acutely toxic poisons known to mankind and can kill by paralysing musculoskeletal and respiratory systems. Botulinum toxin acts by blocking the release of the chemical neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which relays nerve impulses from the brain to various parts of the body. This prevents nerve impulses from reaching the muscles, causing paralysis.

The anaerobic, Gram positive, spore-forming bacteria Clostridium botulinum is the primary producer of botulinum toxin. Ingesting the spores of Clostridium botulinum causes intestinal botulism or infant botulism, which is one of the kinds of the paralytic disease botulism. Wound botulism is caused when a wound is infected by Clostridium botulinum, while eating food that contains botulinum toxin causes food-borne botulism. Botulism is also known as botulinus intoxication.

Babies less than 12 months of age are susceptible to infant botulism because their digestive juices are less acidic than those of adults and older children. Thus, they have less capacity to destroy Clostridium botulinum spores that have been ingested. The spores germinate in the infant's intestines and produce botulinum toxin. Constipation, followed by generalized weakness, loss of head control and difficulty feeding are the symptoms of infant botulism.

4 to 14 days after a wound is infected by Clostridium botulinum, the symptoms of wound botulism, such as difficulty in swallowing, weakness of the muscles, drooping of the eyelids, difficulty in breathing, double or blurred vision, slurred speech, incontinence, diarrhoea, and dryness of the mouth begin to appear. The symptoms of food-borne botulism are the same but appear sooner, about 12 to 38 hours after eating food containing botulinum toxin.

Depending on the situation, one of the two primary types of botulinum antitoxin, trivalent botulinum antitoxin and heptavalent botulinum antitoxin, can be used to treat botulism. Coupled with artificial ventilation to combat the effects of respiratory paralysis caused by the botulinum toxin, the administration of antitoxin until the toxin is completely excreted or metabolised is effective if treatments are initiated on time.

Heat rapidly destroys botulinum toxin. Thorough cooking eradicates any toxin that is present in food. However, the Clostridium botulinum spores from which the toxin come from are very heat tolerant and will survive even prolonged boiling at 100 degrees Celsius. Proper food handling is required to forestall contamination. Low pH levels, high salt concentration, and proper refrigeration prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum.

Botulinum toxin type A, one of the serologically distinct types of botulinum toxin, is used in the treatment of facial lines and wrinkles, certain neurological disorders, and hyperhidrosis, despite its toxicity. For the treatment of neurological conditions, Botox, Dysport, Myobloc, Neurobloc and Xeomin are the brand names under which it is marketed. It is also commercially available under the trade names Botox Cosmetic and Vistabel for cosmetic treatment purposes.

There is an indication that botulinum toxin can help promote weight loss by speeding up gastric emptying time. There is also an indication that it is effective in the treatment and prevention of chronic headaches, as well as chronic musculoskeletal pain, by blocking nerve impulses to the muscles of the affected area.

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October 05 2009 | Anti-Aging | No Comments »