title: Anomalous enhancement of botulinum toxin type A neurotoxicity in the presence of antitoxin.
abstract: The neutralization of botulinum toxin serotype A with polyclonal equine antitoxin was studied in isolated mouse hemidiaphragms and compared to the same action in live mice. The biological activity of the toxin in the isolated muscle could be markedly reduced with excess antitoxin, estimated as 3:1 molar ratios of IgG Ab:toxin or better. Toxin neutralization in vivo required higher ratios of Ab:toxin, ranging from 30:1 at high toxin doses and increasing to 100:1 at 10xLD50 toxin. At equimolar Ab to toxin ratios in the isolated muscle, the biological activity of the toxin underwent a statistically significant increase. This paradoxical effect of the polyclonal antisera was serotype selective and independent of the presence or absence of hemagglutinin in the toxin. The enhancement of toxin activity was subsequently localized to occupancy of one of four epitopes on the toxin using monoclonal antibodies to mimic the effect of the antitoxin. The enhancement of toxin activity suggests that botulinum toxin may undergo a conformational change upon binding antibodies to certain domains. This phenomenon could contribute to the observed concentration dependent changes in neutralization efficacy with antitoxin in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Neurotoxicology Branch, MCMR-UV-PN, Pharmacology Division, US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, 3100 Ricketts Point Road, 21010-5425, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA. robert.sheridan @amedd.army.mil
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Sheridan
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Deshpande
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amersdorfer
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001904:Botulinum Antitoxin / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects*; D010243:Paralysis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001904:Botulinum Antitoxin; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A