Poison as cure: a clinical review of botulinum toxin as an invaluable drug
Botulinum toxin is the most potent toxin known. It is readily absorbed from mucosal surfaces. If dispersed as an aerosol or mixed in the food or water it can lead to a large outbreak of botulism. The disease presents as a symmetric descending paralysis in an afebrile patient. Cranial nerve involveme...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SciELO
2005-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1678-91992005000400003 |
| _version_ | 1818969948239691776 |
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| author | J. Bali R. Thakur |
| author_facet | J. Bali R. Thakur |
| author_sort | J. Bali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Botulinum toxin is the most potent toxin known. It is readily absorbed from mucosal surfaces. If dispersed as an aerosol or mixed in the food or water it can lead to a large outbreak of botulism. The disease presents as a symmetric descending paralysis in an afebrile patient. Cranial nerve involvement with diplopia, dysarthria, dysphonia, dysphagia and respiratory paralysis is seen after a variable incubation period. The treatment is mainly supportive. The source of the toxin is Clostridium botulinum, an anaerobic gram-positive spore-forming organism. Some other species of Clostridium like C. butyricum and C. baratii also produce the toxin. The toxin is heat labile and can be inactivated by heating at 100°C for 10 minutes. The toxin acts at the peripheral cholinergic nerve terminals at the neuromuscular junctions, postganglionic parasympathetic ganglia, etc, and affects neurotransmitter release by inhibiting exocytosis. Clinical uses in various medical fields were found for it. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T14:28:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8064061a76334569939defb56c904219 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1678-9199 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T14:28:41Z |
| publishDate | 2005-12-01 |
| publisher | SciELO |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-8064061a76334569939defb56c9042192022-12-21T19:37:42ZengSciELOJournal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases1678-91992005-12-0111441242110.1590/S1678-91992005000400003Poison as cure: a clinical review of botulinum toxin as an invaluable drugJ. BaliR. ThakurBotulinum toxin is the most potent toxin known. It is readily absorbed from mucosal surfaces. If dispersed as an aerosol or mixed in the food or water it can lead to a large outbreak of botulism. The disease presents as a symmetric descending paralysis in an afebrile patient. Cranial nerve involvement with diplopia, dysarthria, dysphonia, dysphagia and respiratory paralysis is seen after a variable incubation period. The treatment is mainly supportive. The source of the toxin is Clostridium botulinum, an anaerobic gram-positive spore-forming organism. Some other species of Clostridium like C. butyricum and C. baratii also produce the toxin. The toxin is heat labile and can be inactivated by heating at 100°C for 10 minutes. The toxin acts at the peripheral cholinergic nerve terminals at the neuromuscular junctions, postganglionic parasympathetic ganglia, etc, and affects neurotransmitter release by inhibiting exocytosis. Clinical uses in various medical fields were found for it.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1678-91992005000400003Botulinum toxinmechanism of actionbotulismtherapeutics |
| spellingShingle | J. Bali R. Thakur Poison as cure: a clinical review of botulinum toxin as an invaluable drug Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases Botulinum toxin mechanism of action botulism therapeutics |
| title | Poison as cure: a clinical review of botulinum toxin as an invaluable drug |
| title_full | Poison as cure: a clinical review of botulinum toxin as an invaluable drug |
| title_fullStr | Poison as cure: a clinical review of botulinum toxin as an invaluable drug |
| title_full_unstemmed | Poison as cure: a clinical review of botulinum toxin as an invaluable drug |
| title_short | Poison as cure: a clinical review of botulinum toxin as an invaluable drug |
| title_sort | poison as cure a clinical review of botulinum toxin as an invaluable drug |
| topic | Botulinum toxin mechanism of action botulism therapeutics |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1678-91992005000400003 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jbali poisonascureaclinicalreviewofbotulinumtoxinasaninvaluabledrug AT rthakur poisonascureaclinicalreviewofbotulinumtoxinasaninvaluabledrug |