Intraaxonal and extraaxonal transport of 125I-tetanus toxin in early local tetanus.

The distribution of radioactivity in the sciatic nerve, the spinal ganglia, the ventral roots and the spinal cord was studied by means of histoautoradiography after injection of 125I-labelled tetanus toxin into gastrocnemius muscles of cats. In the sciatic nerve the major part of the radioactivity was found in the epineurium, but some axons also contained radioactivity. In the ventral root the radioactivity was strictly confined to a few axons; no radioactivity was found in other parts of the ventral root. In the spinal cord the radioactivity was confined to a few motoneurones where it was found in the soma as well as in the dendrites. Transient cooling of the ventral roots prevented the ascent of radioactivity into the spinal cord. Colchicine and vinblastine, after local application to the sciatic nerve, reduced the amount of radioactivity found in the ventral roots and in the spinal cord. However, the same effect was also obtained but to a lesser degree with lumicolchicine. It is concluded that the intraaxonal compartment is involved in the neural ascent of tetanus toxin into the spinal cord.