Comparison of the effects of botulinum neurotoxin types A and E at the rat neuromuscular junction.
Local blockade of transmitter release was produced by s.c. injection of purified botulinum neurotoxin (NT) types A or E above the tibialis anterior muscle of adult male rats. Extensor digitorum longus nerve-muscle preparation was examined for toxin-induced alterations in single twitch and tetanic tension (in situ) or transmitter release (in vitro). For both single twitch and tetanic tension, muscles treated with type E NT recovered from an initial partial paralysis (induced with 56 mouse LD50) or full paralysis (induced with 565 mouse LD50) by 7 days after NT injection, while those treated with only 5 mouse LD50 of type A remained either fully or partially paralysed through 10 days. Also, miniature end-plate potential frequency and mean quantal content were reduced for a longer period of time and/or to a greater extent for muscles treated with type A NT than for those treated with type E. The present results are consistent with the observed higher specific toxicity (i.p. injections in mice) for type A NT than for type E, although these differences may be exaggerated after s.c. injections. The differences in the paralytic effect between types A and E may be determined by differences in amino acid sequence, which causes type E to dissociate more easily from its site of action and/or be detoxified more rapidly. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010243:Paralysis / Q000139:chemically induced; D051381:Rats; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
D001905:Botulinum Toxins