Studies of the distribution of intrathecally injected 125I-tetanus antitoxin-F(ab')2

Overall F(ab')2 and antitetanus-f(ab')2 - fragments were labelled with 125I and injected i.th. into normal juvenile cats and adult rats. One group of rats was normal; in the other, unilateral local tetanus had been induced by injection of tetanus toxin into a M. gastrocnemius. The animals were sacrificed 24 h after the i.th. injection, and tissue samples were taken for histoautoradiography. 125I-antitetanus-F(ab')2 permeated into the extracellular space of the spinal cord, roots, and ganglia but not into the neuronal intracellular space. 125I-overall-F(ab') showed identical permeation behaviour. 125I-antitetanus-F(ab')2 reacted with tetanus toxin issuing from the motoneurons after i.th. injection, forming an immunocomplex around the motorneurons. The immunocomplex was not formed around pseudo-unipolar ganglian cells in the spinal ganglia even though some of the ganglian cells contained tetanus toxin, and 125I-antitetanus-F(ab')2 was present in the extracellular space. As an explanation, it was suggested that tetanus toxin does not permeate into the extracellular space through the membrane of the pseudo-unipolar ganglian cells so that immune reactions will not occur. These findings help to explain the widely divergent results of tetanus therapy by means of i.th. injection of tetanus antitoxin. Recommendations for future therapy measures are derived from the findings. (orig./MG)