title: Effect of Clostridium perfringens beta toxin on blood pressure of rats.
abstract: Guanethidine treatment or adrenal medullectomy significantly inhibited the elevation in blood pressure induced by Clostridium perfringens beta toxin, and the combination of the two drastically reduced the pressure rise, to less than 19% of that in control rats. When rats were pretreated with tetrodotoxin or hexamethonium, the toxin-evoked rise was significantly inhibited. Elevation in blood pressure induced by the toxin in spinal rats tended to be less than that in control rats. When investigated by a microscopical technique, arteriolar constriction in the mesenteric vasculature was observed after the blood pressure elevation induced by the toxin reached a maximum. Blood flow in the skin decreased with an increase in blood pressure following intravenous injection of the toxin. It is concluded that beta toxin acts on the autonomic nervous system and produces arterial constriction.
mesh_terms: D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003016:Clostridium perfringens; D006145:Guanethidine; D018738:Hexamethonium; D006584:Hexamethonium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology; D013563:Sympathectomy, Chemical; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014439:Tyramine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C031884:CPB protein, Clostridium perfringens; D006584:Hexamethonium Compounds; D018738:Hexamethonium; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D009638:Norepinephrine; D014439:Tyramine; D006145:Guanethidine