Toxin

Protein-derived toxic substances are present in various organisms, including fungi, bacteria, and plants. Clostridium botulinum produces botulinum toxin, one of the most toxic substances known. This toxin blocks nerve impulses. Over the past two decades, doctors have used it effectively and safely to treat neurological cases such as cerebral palsy in children and strabismus. Plastic surgeons and dermatologists also use it for cosmetic correction of facial lines and treatment of excessive sweating.

Under anaerobic conditions, tetanus bacilli produce a potent exotoxin. This exotoxin includes neurotropic tetanospasmin, which causes muscle spasms, and tetanolysin, which lyses erythrocytes. The tetanus toxin spreads along nerve tracts and reaches motor neurons in the anterior horns of the spinal cord and brainstem. There, it resides and increases their sensitivity, leading to muscle spasms, known as localized tetanus. In high concentrations, the toxin reaches peripheral nerve endings throughout the body. The impulse then reaches the corresponding CNS motor neurons, resulting in generalized tetanus.

Source | Glossary of Most Commonly Used Biomedical Terms and Concepts | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Academician Professor Antanas Praškevičius, Professor Laima Ivanovienė