title: Neuronal degeneration induced by stereotaxic injection of beta-bungarotoxin into rat brain.
abstract: The presynaptic protein neurotoxin beta-bungarotoxin (beta-bgt) caused degeneration of neurons, following stereotaxic administration into rat brain. Focal lesions were induced with as little as 0.1 ng (5 fmol) of beta-bgt; indicating that the toxin is over 10(6) times more potent than kainic acid. More extensive studies in the septo-hippocampal system showed beta-bgt lesions affected both cell bodies and nerve terminals and were not neurotransmitter-specific. The endogenous phospholipase A2 activity of beta-bgt did not simply account for the creation of lesions since an acidic phospholipase A isoenzyme from Vipera russellii was virtually inactive in causing neuronal damage.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002038:Bungarotoxins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009498:Neurotoxins; D051381:Rats; D012688:Septum Pellucidum / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002038:Bungarotoxins; D009498:Neurotoxins