Botulism

I'm back at it.  Sorry for my absence.  I have been studying hard in school but now I am bringing school to you in a three part series on neurotoxins.  One of my favorite topics.  Gotta love poisons.

Today's Medical Topic:  First up an age old favorite:  Botulism.

Off the Top of My Head:   The scourge of people who improperly can food and kill their relatives; botulism is an anaerobic bacteria.  That means it can grow in an oxygen-free liquid environments like canned food or raw honey.

Most people these days know of botulism in it's derived form of Botox, the custom poison that people inject in their face to loosen wrinkles. Botox keeps all the paralytic fun of botulism without the massive infection that kills you.

My Research Today:  Botulism works by hijacking your motor axon terminals at the neuromuscular junction.  It tricks the axon terminal membrane to let it in through endocytosis and now the botulism bacteria is contained in it's own vesicle in the axon cell.

Once inside the botulism ejects part of it's self out of it's vesicle into the cytoplasm of the axon terminal.  This part directly interferes with vesicles of acetylcholine (ACh) that is bound for the synaptic cleft and traps it right before it can deliver it's payload.  No acetylcholine, no muscle contraction.

Here is a clumsy drawing of sort of how it works.

Botulism also dumps itself into the synaptic cleft where it continues to replicate and spread.

Neurologically botulism effects you from the top down.  It starts with your cranial nerves cause paralysis of the face and continuing down the body bilaterally.  Eventually it will paralyze your chest wall muscles and diaphragm making it impossible for you to breathe.  You can get other nice symptoms like nausea and vomiting prior to the paralysis.

Here is what makes botulism extra evil though:  It doesn't effect your sensory axons or your mental status.  So you are fully conscious and able to feel everything but unable to move, speak, or do anything about your impending doom.

Keep it tuned here for more information.  Tomorrow we do Curare.  Exciting.

Send questions or comments to dudaday@gmail.com

Disclaimer:  I am not a health care provider, any information presented in this blog should not be considered advice it is mearly an outlet to slake my curiosity.  You should always consult your primary medical provider for any concerns or illness.  Unlike Tylenol, I am not approved by the FDA or American Medical Association to treat or provide relief for any ailment.