Toxins
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Tetanolysin
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It is a heamolysin or cytotoxin causing lysis of rabbit and horse RBC’S.
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It is heat and oxygen labile, similar to those of streptolysin O, d toxin. (C. oedematiens) and j toxin (C. welchii).
Tetanospamin
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It is a very potent neurotoxin responsible for the clinical manifestations of tetanus.
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It is oxygen stable, but relatively heat labile, being inactivated at 650C in 5mts.
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The highly purified form gets toxoided spontaneously.
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It is a good antigen and is specifically neutralized by the antitoxin. The toxin exists in two forms.
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A monomer of MW 68000, which is toxic and a dimer is which is non toxic but antigenic.
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The purified toxin is active in extremely small amounts and it contains about 3x107 minimum mouse lethal dose per mg protein.
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There is considerable variation in the susceptibility of different species of animals to the toxin.
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The horses and human are the most susceptible.
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Guinea pigs, mice, goats and rabbits are susceptible in that descending order. Birds and reptiles are highly resistant.
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Last modified: Monday, 4 June 2012, 4:25 AM