• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.642-647
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• 2006

Botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) has been used therapeutically to treat muscular hypercontractions and sudomotor hyperactivity and it has been reported that BoNT/A might have analgesic properties in headache. PEP-1 peptide is a known carrier peptide that delivers fulll-ength native proteins in vitro and in vivo. In this study, a BoNT/A gene were fused with PEP-1 peptide in a bacterial expression vector to produce a genetic in-frame PEP-1-BoNT/A fusion protein. The expressed and purified PEP-1-BoNT/A fusion proteins were efficiently transduced into cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner when added exogenously in a culture medium. In addition, immuno-histochemical analysis revealed that PEP-1-BoNT/A fusion protein efficiently penetrated into the epidermis as well as the dermis of the subcutaneous layer, when sprayed on mice skin. These results suggest that PEP-1-BoNT/A fusion protein provide an efficient strategy for therapeutic delivery in various human diseases related to this protein.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.1165-1176
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• 2019

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), produced by Clostridium botulinum, are the most toxic substances known. However, the number of currently approved medical countermeasures for these toxins is very limited. Therefore, studies on therapeutic antitoxins are essential to prepare for toxin-related emergencies. Currently, more than 10,000 Halla horses, a crossbreed between the native Jeju and Thoroughbred horses, are being raised in Jeju Island of Korea. They can be used for equine antitoxin experiments and production of hyperimmune serum against BoNT/A1. Instead of the inactivated BoNT/A1 toxoid, Halla horse was immunized with the receptor-binding domain present in the C-terminus of heavy chain of BoNT/A1 (BoNT/A1-HCR) expressed in Escherichia coli. The anti-BoNT/A1-HCR antibody titer increased rapidly by week 4, and this level was maintained for several weeks after boosting immunization. Notably, $20{\mu}l$ of the week-24 BoNT/A1-HCR(-immunized) equine serum showed an in vitro neutralizing activity of over 8 international units (IU) of a reference equine antitoxin. Furthermore, $20{\mu}l$ of equine serum and $100{\mu}g$ of purified equine $F(ab^{\prime})_2$ showed 100% neutralization of 10,000 $LD_{50}$ in vivo. The results of this study shall contribute towards optimizing antitoxin production for BoNT/A1, which is essential for emergency preparedness and response.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.203-212
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• 2001

Background: Rapid advances in neuroendocrine immunology have established the concept of bidirectional communication between the immune and neuroendocrine systems. Capsaicin suppresses the immune function by destroying substance P acting as mediatior of neuroendocrine immune system. Methods and Results: In this study, effect of capsaicin on mature murine lymphocyte functions and lymphoid tissue morphology was examined. Formally, capsaicin showed the strong cytotoxic effect on splenocyte over $10{\mu}g/ml$ concentration in citro. And proliferation and Th1-cytokine expression of splenic cells in mice that received high dose of capsaicin ($100{\mu}g/mouse$) were significantly diminished. However, low dose of capsaicin treatment did not influence these responses in vivo($1{\mu}g/mouse$) and in vitro (under $5{\mu}g/ml$). And the morphology of spleen and lymph nodes after capsaicin treatment was observed. In the spleen of mice injected with high dose of capsaicin (100, $200{\mu}g/mouse$), the size of white pulp was significantly decreased and the length of red pulp was increased, Moreover, vascularity index was diminished in a dose dependent manner. Conclusion: These results implies that immunosuppressive effect of capsaicin is associated with cytotoxic activity on lymphocyte, Th1-cytokine down-regulation and lymphoid tissue abnormalization, and this report is expected to give a hand to the study for the mechanism of action of neurotoxin of the immune system.

• Proceedings of the KSLP Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.75-82
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• 2002

Botulinum toxin-A, a neurotoxin derived from Clostridia Botulinum, has been injected into the laryngeal muscle(s) for the treatment of the spasmodic dysphonia at the Voice Clinic, Yonsei Institute of Logopedics and phoniatrics since December 1995. We analyzed 355 patients with spasmodic dysphonia, using Botox register review. In the 355 patients, female is 86.8%. male is 13.2%. 305 patients (85.9%) had adductor type of spasmodic dysphonia and 35 patients (9.9%) were vocal tremor type and 15 patients were abduction and mixed type. Botulinum toxin type-A (Botox) injection using EMG was most frequently conducted as 587 cases, comparing with flexible nasopharyngoscopy gudied injection (68cases) and tele- laryn-goscopy guided injection (31cases). In the respect of frequency of Botox injection, 137 patients(38.6%) were injected one time but 1 patient was injected 17times. The mean dose of Botox is 6.2U. Clinically, initial dose of Botulinum toxin-A was high dose (7-8U) but current dose is small dose (3U). And the mean duration of Botox injection is 6.4 month. In conclusion, to optimize effect of the treatment for spasmodic dysphonia, Botulinum toxin-A injection is combined with voice therapy.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.114-119
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• 2012

Salsolinol (1-methyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline) is a compound derived from dopamine metabolism and is capable of causing dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Oxidative modification of neurofilament proteins has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, oxidative modification of neurofilament-L (NF-L) by salsolinol and the inhibitory effects of histidyl dipeptides on NF-L modification were investigated. When NF-L was incubated with 0.5 mM salsolinol, the aggregation of protein was increased in a time-dependent manner. We also found that the generation of hydroxyl radicals (${\bullet}OH$) was linear with respect to the concentrations of salsolinol as a function of incubation time. NF-L exposure to salsolinol produced losses of glutamate, lysine and proline residues. These results suggest that the aggregation of NF-L by salsolinol may be due to oxidative damage resulting from free radicals. Carnosine, histidyl dipeptide, is involved in many cellular defense processes, including free radical detoxification. Carnosine, and anserine were shown to significantly prevent salsolinol-mediated NF-L aggregation. Both compounds also inhibited the generation of ${\bullet}OH$ induced by salsolinol. The results indicated that carnosine and related compounds may prevent salsolinol-mediated NF-L modification via free radical scavenging.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.842-848
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of domoic acid (DA) a potent neurotoxin, responsible for the syndrome amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) contamination of various species of bivalve shellfish purchased from fish market in Korea and the implications for food safety. Liquid chromatography (LC) methods were applied to quantify DA in shellfish after sample clean-up using solid-phase extraction (SPE) with strong anion exchange (SAX) cartridges. Toxin detection was achieved using photodiode array ultraviolet (LC-UV) and electrospray ionization-mass (LC-ESI-MS). DA was identified in 4 bivalve shellfishes of 872 shellfishes collected from March, 2006 to October, 2007 in Korea. DA amount of 3 surf clams (Mactra veneriformis) collected at Seoul, Daejeon, and Daegu were 4.13, 1.99, and 1.94 mg/kg, respectively. DA amount of 1 pink butterfly shell (Peronidia venulosa) collected at Seoul was 3.02 mg DA/kg. The amounts of DA that were present in 4 bivalve shellfishes were within EU guideline limits for sale of shellfish (20 mg DA/kg).

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.2329-2332
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• 2007

Salsolinol, endogenous neurotoxin, is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). In the present study, we have investigated the oxidative damage of DNA induced by the reaction of salsolinol with Cu,Zn-SOD. When plasmid DNA incubated with salsolinol and Cu,Zn-SOD, DNA cleavage was proportional to the concentrations of salsolinol and Cu,Zn-SOD. The salsolinol/Cu,Zn-SOD system-mediated DNA cleavage was significantly inhibited by radical scavengers such as mannitol, ethanol and thiourea. These results indicated that free radicals might participate in DNA cleavage by the salsolinol/Cu,Zn-SOD system. Spectrophotometric study using a thiobarbituric acid showed that hydroxyl radical formation was proportional to the concentration of salsolinol and was inhibited by radical scavengers. These results indicated that hydroxyl radical generated in the reaction of salsolinol with Cu,Zn-SOD was implicated in the DNA cleavage. Catalase and copper chelators inhibited DNA cleavage and the production of hydroxyl radicals. These results suggest that DNA cleavage is mediated in the reaction of salsolinol with Cu,Zn-SOD via the generation of hydroxyl radical by a combination of the oxidation reaction of salsolinol and Fenton-like reaction of free copper ions released from oxidatively damaged SOD.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.66-69
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• 2016

Some carnivorous gastropods have heat stable tetramine toxins in their salivary glands. This toxin is an autonomic ganglionic blocking agent that enables them to catch the prey easily by paralyzing their targets. Acute tetramine toxin poisoning in humans from eating whelks has been well described based on numerous cases, but is rare in Korea. Symptoms of tetramine poisoning include eyeball pain, blurred vision, headache, dizziness, muscular twitching, tingling of hands and feet, weakness, paralysis and sometimes collapse. Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting can also occur. However, intoxication is self-limiting and patients will usually recover in about 24 hours. Herein, we report 2 cases of tetramine poisoning after ingestion of Buccinum striatissinum as meat and soup.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.43 no.1 s.133
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• pp.33-37
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• 2005

Eosinophil degranulation is considered to be a key effector function for the killing of helminthic worms and tissue inflammation at worm-infected lesion sites. However, relatively little data are available with regard to eosinophil response after stimulation with worm-secreted products which contain a large quantity of cysteine proteases. In this study, we attempted to determine whether the degranulation of human eosinophils could be induced by the direct stimulation of the excretory-secretory products (ESP) of Paragonimus westermani, which causes pulmonary paragonimiasis in human beings. Incubation of eosinophils for 3 hr with Paragonimus-secreted products resulted in marked degranulation, as evidenced by the release of eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EON) in the culture supernatants. Moreover, superoxide anion was produced by eosinophils after stimulation of the ESP. The ESP-induced EDN release was found to be significantly inhibited when the ESP was pretreated with protease inhibitor cocktail or the cysteine protease inhibitor, E-64. These findings suggest that human eosinophils become degranulated in response to P. westermani-secreted proteases, which may contribute to in vivo tissue inflammation around the worms.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.243-256
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• 2012

This article schematically reviews the clinical features, diagnostic approaches to, and toxicological implications of toxic encephalopathy. The review will focus on the most significant occupational causes of toxic encephalopathy. Chronic toxic encephalopathy, cerebellar syndrome, parkinsonism, and vascular encephalopathy are commonly encountered clinical syndromes of toxic encephalopathy. Few neurotoxins cause patients to present with pathognomonic neurological syndromes. The symptoms and signs of toxic encephalopathy may be mimicked by many psychiatric, metabolic, inflammatory, neoplastic, and degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Thus, the importance of good history-taking that considers exposure and a comprehensive neurological examination cannot be overemphasized in the diagnosis of toxic encephalopathy. Neuropsychological testing and neuroimaging typically play ancillary roles. The recognition of toxic encephalopathy is important because the correct diagnosis of occupational disease can prevent others (e.g., workers at the same worksite) from further harm by reducing their exposure to the toxin, and also often provides some indication of prognosis. Physicians must therefore be aware of the typical signs and symptoms of toxic encephalopathy, and close collaborations between neurologists and occupational physicians are needed to determine whether neurological disorders are related to occupational neurotoxin exposure.