Evidence for central antispastic effect of botulinum toxin type A.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) injections into hyperactive muscles provide effective treatment for spasticity and dystonias, presumably due to its local effects on extrafusal and intrafusal motor fibres. A recent discovery of toxin's retrograde axonal transport to CNS might suggest additional action sites. However, in comparison to cholinergic peripheral terminals, functional consequences of BoNT/A direct central action on abnormally increased muscle tone are presently unknown. To address this question, the central effects of BoNT/A were assessed in experimental local spastic paralysis.

Experimental approach

Local spastic paralysis was induced by injection of tetanus toxin (1.5 ng) into rat gastrocnemius. Subsequently, BoNT/A (5 U·kg^-1 ) wa

SUBMITTER: Matak I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6976784 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature