Abstract
In adult fowls (Gallus domesticus), the behavioural effects of small doses of tetanus toxin, after unilateral microinjection into the nucleus mesencephalicus profundus (NMP), homologous to the mammalian substantia nigra, were studied. A rich pattern of stereotyped movements, vocalization, ipsilateral head-neck rotation, wing abduction, occasional ipsilateral circling and escape responses from the box were observed; the intensity of such symptomatology was dose-related and fully reversible within approx. 4 hr. Pretreatment with sodium valproate (100 and 200 mg/kg, i.m.) or with ethanolamine-sulphate (EOS, 1.6 mumol into the NMP) completely prevented the effects of tetanus toxin. The present findings show that fowls can represent an ideal species for studying acute central effects of tetanus toxin and more interestingly that drugs enhancing GABAergic mechanisms are able to prevent the effects of tetanus toxin.
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