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BOTULINUM TOXIN
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Any of several neurotoxins that are produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum; causes muscle paralysis
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("botulinum toxin" is a kind of...):
neurolysin; neurotoxin (any toxin that affects neural tissues)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "botulinum toxin"):
Botox; botulinum toxin A (a neurotoxin (trade name Botox) that is used clinically in small quantities to treat strabismus and facial spasms and other neurological disorders characterized by abnormal muscle contractions; is also used by cosmetic surgeons to smooth frown lines temporarily)
Context examples:
Also called Botox and botulinum toxin A.
(botulinum toxin type A, NCI Dictionary)
Botulinum toxin A is also used to smooth wrinkles on the face.
(botulinum toxin A, NCI Dictionary)
Destruction of these proteins by botulinum toxin prevents vesicular fusion in response to action potentials, blocking the release of acetylcholine.
(Botulin Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)
At least one month after the masked study injection, 13 participants chose to receive open-label botulinum toxin injections in areas that remained in spasm and were then followed for at least four months.
(Scientists identify spasm in women with endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain, National Institutes of Health)
The potency of botulinum toxin has also caused concern that it could be used as a biological weapon, creating interest in the identification of inhibitors of this toxin.
(Botulin Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)
Botulinum toxins, such as Botox, work by blocking the nerve signals for muscles to contract and have been used to treat migraines and certain movement disorders.
(Scientists identify spasm in women with endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain, National Institutes of Health)
Botulinum toxin is a protein composed of two subunits joined by a disulfide bond, a 100 kD heavy subunit and a 50 kD light subunit that is a protease.
(Botulin Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)
In the study, women with surgically treated endometriosis who were generally taking hormones to suppress menses, but who continued to experience pain and had pelvic floor muscle spasm, initially received injections of botulinum toxin or saline as part of a placebo-controlled clinical trial, targeting areas of spasm.
(Scientists identify spasm in women with endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain, National Institutes of Health)
In addition to acting as a toxin during botulism infection, botulinum toxin is also now being used as a pharmaceutical.
(Botulin Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)
