Summary
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1.
The central action of botulinum toxin A (BTA) on the cholinergic transmission at Renshaw cells (RCs) and on the RC-induced inhibition of Ia inhibitory interneurones (IaINs) was studied in anaesthetized cats. BTA was administered by application directly into the spinal cord, injection into a ventral root (L7) and/or injection into the triceps surae (GS) muscle.
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2.
A direct application of BTA into the spinal cord led to a decrease of the early and the late response of RCs.
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3.
When the neurotoxin was injected into the GS muscle, the RC activity remained unaffected during the test period (33–46 h after application).
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4.
No effect appeared up to 10 h after an injection into the ventral root L7.
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5.
The RC-induced inhibition on IaINs, when tested in animals with local botulismus, remained intact during the test period.
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6.
From the present results it is suggested that on the spinal level the central action of botulinum toxin predominantly passes on the motoneurones.
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Some of the results were reported at the 45th Meeting of the German Physiological Society (Benecke et al., 1975)
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Hagenah, R., Benecke, R. & Wiegand, H. Effects of type a botulinum toxin on the cholinergic transmission at spinal renshaw cells and on the inhibitory action at ia inhibitory interneurones. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 299, 267–272 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00500319
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00500319