Nature 213, 394 - 395 (28 January 1967); doi:10.1038/213394a0

Effect of Botulinum Toxin on Autonomic Nerves in a Dually Innervated Tissue

FRANK F. VINCENZI^*

Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
^*Present address: Department of Pharmacology, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.

A HYPOTHESIS has suggested the existence of a cholinergic link in adrenergic transmission of postganglionic sympathetic nerve endings¹. Much evidence has been presented in support of this hypothesis^2,3. Botulinum toxin has been said to block sympathetic nerve transmission⁴. Botulinum toxin is known to block the release of acetylcholine from classically cholinergic nerve fibres^5,6, and so it was suggested that sympathetic impairment by botulinum toxin reflects an action on the hypothetical cholinergic link in the sympathetic nerve fibre ending. Rather large concentrations of the toxin (20,000 to 50,000 L.D.50/ ml.) and long times (2–5 h) were, however, necessary to produce sympathetic blockage. It was therefore desirable to test the action of botulinum toxin on a dually innervated tissue so that effects on both classically adrenergic sympathetic fibres and classically cholinergic parasym-pathetic fibres could be observed in the same preparation.

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