Kontakt 2010, 12(2):207-211 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2010.028

Trends in the therapy of botulismBiomedicine

Jiří Patočka

Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, katedra radiologie a toxikologie

Botulin neurotoxins are etiological agents of botulism, which is a disease manifested by peripheral neuromuscular blockage and characterized by plegia. Botulotoxin is the most toxic known substance. Botulotoxin A is currently in the focus of interest of healthcare professionals, and is employed in a number of clinical applications. It is most frequently used in the treatment of muscle spasticity, hyperhidrosis, focal dysphonias, blepharospasms, hyperactive bladder, pelvic pain syndrome, vasomotorial cephalgia, migraine, achalasia, anal fissures and vaginismus. The most effective protection against the toxin is induction of a protective immunity response through the vaccination. The vaccination with a suitable antigen induces production of neutralizing antibodies, which are bound to the toxin and remove it from the circulation before it is able to enter the nervous cell and block the neurotransmission. However, the application of the vaccine is associated with the problem of the ever more frequent use of botulotoxin in cosmetics and cosmetic medicine, and thus, there is an ever growing proportion of the population having in the blood antibodies against this toxin. Botulotoxin is employed in the treatment of many neuromuscular, autonomous and sensory disorders. New possibilities of the treatment of botulism were recently being searched for.
There are promising substances supporting the release of neurotransmitter or interfering with its bond, translocation and endopeptidase activity of toxins. The natural product triterpenoid toosendanin from the traditional Chinese medicine was shown to exert anti-botulin properties in animal models. Chinese scientists found the compound to be a selective presynaptic blocking agent. Toosendanin was able to protect animals, which were administered with lethal doses of botulotoxin A or B from botulism and to recover the activity of their transmission, even if administered several hours before the death. The present article summarizes the contemporary knowledge of the anti-botulin compound toosendanin.

Keywords: botulism; botulotoxin; mechanisms of effect; therapy; toosendanin; natural triterpenoid

Received: February 5, 2010; Accepted: March 12, 2010; Prepublished online: June 14, 2010; Published: June 14, 2012  Show citation