scholarly journals Botulinum toxin – Know the product before injecting

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Gulhima Arora

Botulinum toxin for injection is a purified and diluted protein which is isolated from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It is one of the most potent toxins known to humankind. C. botulinum is an anaerobic Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium which is present naturally in soil, plants, static water bodies, and the gastrointestinal tract of mammals and aquatic life. Different formulations of botulinum toxins are available. FDA approval for these formulations varies. This article reviews these factors and the molecule, its mechanism of action, and other pharmacological aspects including dilutions for various indications.

Toxins ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren L. Spiegel ◽  
Jill L. Ostrem ◽  
Ian O. Bledsoe

In 2016, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) published practice guidelines for botulinum toxin (BoNT) in the treatment of blepharospasm, cervical dystonia, adult spasticity, and headache. This article, focusing on dystonia, provides context for these guidelines through literature review. Studies that led to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of each toxin for dystonia indications are reviewed, in addition to several studies highlighted by the AAN guidelines. The AAN guidelines for the use of BoNT in dystonia are compared with those of the European Federation of the Neurological Societies (EFNS), and common off-label uses for BoNT in dystonia are discussed. Toxins not currently FDA-approved for the treatment of dystonia are additionally reviewed. In the future, additional toxins may become FDA-approved for the treatment of dystonia given expanding research in this area.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 8849
Author(s):  
Massimo Corsalini ◽  
Francesco Inchingolo ◽  
Gianna Dipalma ◽  
Angelika Elzbieta Wegierska ◽  
Ioannis Alexandros Charitos ◽  
...  

Botulinum toxins or neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most potent neurotoxins known, and are currently extensively studied, not only for their potential lethality, but also for their possible therapeutic and cosmetic uses. Currently, seven types of antigenically distinct toxins are known and characterized, produced by a rod-shaped bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. Human poisoning by botulism (presenting with severe neuromuscular paralytic disease) is usually caused by toxins A, B, E, and F type. Poisoning from contaminated food preparations is the most common cause of noniatrogenic botulism. The spores are highly resistant to heat but are easily destroyed at 80 °C for thirty minutes. Type A and B toxins are resistant to digestion by the enzymes of the gastrointestinal system. After their entry, BoNTs irreversibly bind to cholinergic nerve endings and block the release of acetylcholine from the synapses. In contrast, in wound botulism, the neurotoxin is instead product by the growth of C.botulium in infected tissues. The contamination by BoNT inhalation does not occur by a natural route but it is certainly the most dangerous. It can be caused by the dispersion of the botulinum toxin in the atmosphere in the form of an aerosol and therefore can be deliberately used for bioterrorist purposes (e.g., during CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear) unconventional events). In addition, BoNTs are currently used to treat a variety of diseases or alleviate their symptoms, such as the onabotulinumtoxinA for migraine attacks and for cosmetic use. Indeed, this paper aims to report on updated knowledge of BoNTs, both their toxicological mechanisms and their pharmacological action.


1978 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward J Schantz ◽  
Donald A Kautter

Abstract To improve the accuracy and precision of the mouse assay for botulinum toxins found in foods and body fluids, a stable reference standard of botulinum toxin has been developed. It contains 100 ng crystalline type A botulinum toxin/ml 0.05M pH 4.2 sodium acetate buffer which contains 3 mg bovine serum albumin and 2 mg gelatin/ml. The albumin and gelatin stabilize the toxin. For distribution to laboratories carrying out the assay, 0.5 ml of the standard is sealed in 1 ml glass vials. The standard reference toxin, used as directed, enables the assayer to establish the response of laboratory mice, under a specific set of conditions, to a definite amount of toxin and to express the toxin content of an unknown in terms of ng toxin/g or ml food or body fluid. The mouse assay by itself is not specific for botulinum toxin, but when used in conjunction with specific antisera for identification and typing, it is the most reliable test available.


1996 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 185-186
Author(s):  
Aharona Glatman-Freedman

Infant botulism was first described in 1976. It is caused by Clostridium botulinum, a gram-positive anaerobic bacillus found most commonly in soil and agricultural products. The organism forms spores and during growth and germination releases a potent neurotoxin that is responsible for the illness. Eight neurotoxins have been recognized, but infant botulism is caused primarily by organisms producing toxin types A and B. Although adult-type botulism occurs by ingesting food contaminated with botulinus toxin, infant botulism seems to result from ingestion of spores that germinate and release the toxin inside the infant's colon. The toxin is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, travels via the blood stream, and binds irreversibly to peripheral cholinergic nerve synapses, where it prevents the release of acetylcholine.


2020 ◽  
pp. 16-18
Author(s):  
V. M. Lykhman ◽  
O. M. Shevchenko ◽  
Ye. O. Bilodid ◽  
Igor Vladimirovich Volchenko ◽  
I. A. Kulyk ◽  
...  

Among urgent surgical diseases of abdominal cavity, an acute intestinal obstruction is the most difficult to be diagnosed and treated. Leading factor, determining the development of pathophysiological processes is considered to be the progressive manifestations of enteric insufficiency syndrome, resulting in intestinal barrier impairment, negative changes in ecology of intestinal flora, increased endotoxins. To identify the small intestine microflora in acute intestinal obstruction and determine the role of dysbiotic disorders in clinical manifestations of main pathological process, a study was conducted in 60 patients with mechanical intestinal obstruction. The small intestine has a relatively rare microflora, consisting mainly of gram−positive facultative aerobic microorganisms, streptococci, lactobacilli. The distal ileum in nearly 30−55 % of healthy people contains scanty microflora, and yet the flora of this area differs from the microbial population of the higher gastrointestinal tract due to higher concentration of gram−negative bacteria. Optional−anaerobic coliform bacilli, anaerobic bifidobacteria and fusobacteria, bacteroids, the number of which starts exceeding the one of gram−positive species, are presented in significant quantities. Distal to the ileocecal valve there are significant changes in the microflora quantitative and species composition. Obligatory anaerobic bacteria become the predominant part of microflora, exceeding the number of aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria. The bacterial flora in different parts of gastrointestinal tract has its own specifics and is quite constant, as a result of the interaction of many factors, regulating the bacterial population in small intestine. The most important among them are: acidity of gastric juice, normal peristaltic activity of the intestine, bacterial interactions and immune mechanisms. Disorders of the intestine motor and evacuation function with its obstruction lead to slow passage of the chyme and contamination of the upper gastrointestinal tract with new types of microbes. There is a syndrome of small intestine excessive colonization, which means an increased concentration of bacterial populations in it, similar in species composition to the colon microflora. Pathological intra−intestinal contents become a source of endogenous infection and re−infection of the patient, leads to internal digestive disorders, which is manifested by syndrome of malabsorption of proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins. Key words: acute intestinal obstruction, small intestinal microflora, conditionally pathogenic microorganisms, intestinal biocenosis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Aminianfar ◽  
Siavash Parvardeh ◽  
Mohsen Soleimani

Background: Clostridium botulinum causes botulism, a serious paralytic illness that results from the ingestion of a botulinum toxin. Because silver nanoparticle products exhibit strong antimicrobial activity, applications for silver nanoparticles in healthcare have expanded. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to assess a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of botulism toxicity using silver nanoparticles. Methods: A preliminary test was conducted using doses that produce illness in laboratory animals to determine the absolute lethal dose (LD100) of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) in mice. Next, the test animals were divided into six groups containing six mice each. Groups I, II and III were the negative control (botulinum toxin only), positive control-1 (nano-silver only) and positive control-2 (no treatment), respectively. The remaining groups were allocated to the toxin that was supplemented with three nano-silver treatments. Results: The mortality rates of mice caused by BoNT/A significantly reduced in the treatment groups with different doses and injection intervals of nano-silver when compared to the negative control group. BoNT/A toxicity induced by intraperitoneal injection of the toxin of Clostridium botulinum causes rapid death while when coupled with nano-osilver results in delayed death in mice. Conclusion: These results, while open to future improvement, represent a preliminary step towards the satisfactory control of BoNT/A with the use of silver nanoparticles for human protection against this bioterrorism threat. Further study in this area can elucidate the underlying mechanism for detoxifying BoNT/A by silver nanoparticles.


Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 303
Author(s):  
Alessandro Picelli ◽  
Mirko Filippetti ◽  
Giorgio Sandrini ◽  
Cristina Tassorelli ◽  
Roberto De Icco ◽  
...  

Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) represents a first-line treatment for spasticity, a common disabling consequence of many neurological diseases. Electrical stimulation of motor nerve endings has been reported to boost the effect of BoNT-A. To date, a wide range of stimulation protocols has been proposed in the literature. We conducted a systematic review of current literature on the protocols of electrical stimulation to boost the effect of BoNT-A injection in patients with spasticity. A systematic search using the MeSH terms “electric stimulation”, “muscle spasticity” and “botulinum toxins” and strings “electric stimulation [mh] OR electrical stimulation AND muscle spasticity [mh] OR spasticity AND botulinum toxins [mh] OR botulinum toxin type A” was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, PEDro and Cochrane library electronic databases. Full-text articles written in English and published from database inception to March 2021 were included. Data on patient characteristics, electrical stimulation protocols and outcome measures were collected. This systematic review provides a complete overview of current literature on the role of electrical stimulation to boost the effect of BoNT-A injection for spasticity, together with a critical discussion on its rationale based on the neurobiology of BoNT-A uptake.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 120
Author(s):  
Anis Daou

The vaccination for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is undergoing its final stages of analysis and testing. It is an impressive feat under the circumstances that we are on the verge of a potential breakthrough vaccination. This will help reduce the stress for millions of people around the globe, helping to restore worldwide normalcy. In this review, the analysis looks into how the new branch of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) came into the forefront of the world like a pandemic. This review will break down the details of what COVID-19 is, the viral family it belongs to and its background of how this family of viruses alters bodily functions by attacking vital human respiratory organs, the circulatory system, the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. This review also looks at the process a new drug analogue undergoes, from (i) being a promising lead compound to (ii) being released into the market, from the drug development and discovery stage right through to FDA approval and aftermarket research. This review also addresses viable reasoning as to why the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine may have taken much less time than normal in order for it to be released for use.


2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hedayat Hosseini ◽  
Hamid Reza Tavakoli ◽  
Mahzad Aghazadeh Meshgi ◽  
Ramin Khaksar ◽  
Marzieh Hosseini ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Mark Sutton ◽  
Jonathan Wayne ◽  
Anthony Scott-Tucker ◽  
Susan M. O’Brien ◽  
Philip M.H. Marks ◽  
...  

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