What is botulinum toxin?

Clostridium botulinum (Clostridium botulinum), a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium, is widely distributed in nature. Clostridium botulinum itself is harmless, but its extracellular toxin produced in the anoxic environment – Botulinum Toxin (Botulinum Toxin) is highly toxic, is currently known in the natural toxins and synthetic agents in the most toxic biotoxin, less than 1 microgram can be put to death. Botulism is mainly transmitted through the digestive tract and is often caused by the consumption of spoiled canned food, soybean paste, tempeh, stinky tofu, cured meat, bacon, and other foods. Botulinum toxin acts in the peripheral nervous system to block cholinergic synaptic transmission, with the strongest effect in the neuromuscular junction, causing generalized random muscle relaxation and paralysis, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, diplopia, difficulty swallowing, neck and limb weakness, with respiratory muscle paralysis leading to respiratory failure as the main cause of death. Drugs and poisons have always had an inseparable relationship, and botulinum toxin is the shining star of the few highly toxic drugs that have a drug identity. The paralyzing effect of local microinjections can be used to relieve local muscle spasms and improve involuntary movements and postural abnormalities. As research on the pharmacological mechanism of botulinum toxin continues to progress, its clinical applications are becoming more and more widespread. Current indications for botulinum toxin in the field of neurology include blepharospasm, oromandibular dystonia, Meige’s syndrome, spastic squint, spastic dysarthria, writing spasm, lateralis muscle spasm, tic disorder, limb spasm state, migraine, tension headache, trigeminal neuralgia, postherpetic neuralgia, salivation, hyperhidrosis, and other disorders. In addition, botulinum toxin is also widely used in the fields of ophthalmology, dermatology and plastic surgery. The long-term clinical application practice proves that botulinum toxin injection is safe and effective.