William Atkins
Sunday, 13 April 2008 20:37
Science -
Health
Page 1 of 2
A National Research Institute study in Italy unexpectedly found that “Clostridium botulinum,”—a bacterium that makes several toxins, from which the trademarked Botox comes from—moved from the point of injection and, in the process, closed down nerve function directly connected to the injection site.
Italian research scientist
Matteo Caleo, of the National Research Institute (
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Pisa, Italy), headed the study that performed the experiment on rodents.
The researchers injected botulinum neurotoxin type A (one of a group of toxins commonly called
botulinum neurotoxins [BoNTs]) into the superior colliculus (part of the brain the deals with eye function).
Three days later, they found that the toxin had moved against the direction of nerve signals.
The Caleo team also injected the botulinum toxin into the whisker pads of the rodents and into one side of the hippocampus. Likewise, the toxin moved from the pads to the brain stem that controls muscles used for facial expression; and moved from one side of the hippocampus to the other side.
In all three cases, the botulinum toxin "dampened" the nerves of both areas—the injection area and the traveled-to area.
When the researchers found that the toxin moved from one side of the hippocampus to the other, Caleo stated that the movement
“was a real surprise” because scientists had previously thought the toxin was localized and did not move from its injection site. [Science News, April 5, 2008, pages 213-214.]
Generally, Caleo found the movement of the toxin was found to be
“… quite serendipitous ... and surprising. A significant portion of the toxin is active where it's not intended to be." [ScienceNOW Daily News: “
Have Botox, Will Travel”]
The results of the Caleo study show that botulinum toxin type A can travel into the central nervous system of the brain after it is injected into the skin.
Consequently, because of this discovery, scientists are now wondering what problems may occur because the toxin does not remain in the intended area of injection—but, instead moves to other areas within the body, especially the nervous system within the brains of patients.
What is Botox? Find out on the next page. And, read the abstract of the Caleo study, also on the second page.
