一种作用于突触前的神经肌肉接头传递阻断剂—川棟素

本文利用大鼠膈神经膈肌标本观察了川楝素对神经肌肉接头的作用,主要结果如下:1.川棟素不可逆地阻遏间接刺激引起的肌肉收缩,但不影响兴奋在神经的传导,也不降低肌肉对直接刺激的反应。2.在经川楝素作用下接近麻痹的标本,于终板区做细胞内记录可观察到肌肉动作电位的消失,终板电位下降、脱落和完全消失的过程。3.川楝素对肌细胞膜的静息电位无明显作用。用小鸡颈二腹肌标本检查,川棟素引起接头传递阻遏后,肌肉的乙酰胆碱敏感性不受影响。4.川棟素对在新斯的明存在下由单个间接刺激诱起的神经末梢的重复发放的作用是先加强然后减弱,在川楝素引起接头传递阻遏前重复发放完全消失。这些结果表明,川棟素是一个选择性地作用于突触前的神经肌肉传递阻遏剂。     

川棟素与大鼠脑突触体组分的结合

将大鼠大脑皮层勻浆经离心分离的大突触体组份同含一定量的川棟素溶液于生理条件(温度、pH、离子强度)下保温,再经离心分离后,用对二甲氨基苯甲醛试剂显色的分光光度法测定上清液中的川棟素含量,结果表明上清液中川棟素含量明显降低,在一定范围内,降低的程度随大突触体组分浓度的提高而增加。而同样处理的肝组织、脑白质与川棟素保温后,上清液中川棟素含量基本不变。由这些结果看来,可能川棟素同突触体有一选择性的结合。     

肉毒杆菌毒素的作用机理(下)

作用特点剂量-反应曲线引起机体中毒或阻遏离体神经-肌肉标本接头传递所需要的肉毒绝对量是很少的,曾有人以每只豚鼠与小白鼠含有250万个神经细胞推算,它们分别平均每个神经细胞只要4或8个肉毒分子便可被杀死。将稀释几个数量级的肉毒溶液注射给动物,动物存活时间仅较注射未经稀释原液的延长几分钟。肉毒作用的剂量-反应关系为双对数曲线,即将毒素剂量、反应大小分别取对数,二者关系呈一直线。将哺乳动物膈神经-膈肌     

经肉毒杆菌毒素阻遏的接头在4-氨基吡啶、盐酸胍作用下神经末梢传导功能的恢复

A型肉毒杆菌毒素中毒大白鼠的膈神经膈肌标本,随着毒素作用的发展,细胞外记录的神经末梢动作电位与终板电位的平均振幅逐渐下降,直至完全消失,神经冲动不再能到达神经末梢。4-氨基吡啶、盐酸胍可恢复运动神经末梢传导冲动的能力,增加终板电位的量子含量,解除肉毒素产生的传递阻遏,恢复肌肉对间接刺激的收缩反应,而二性霉素对末梢电活动已消失的接头则无恢复作用。在上述资料基础上,对内毒素的作用机制和4-氨基吡啶等的抗肉毒效应进行了讨论。     

川楝素突触前阻遏作用的电生理学分析

利用微电极技术在大鼠膈神经膈肌标本上观察了川楝素对神经肌肉传递的作用,并将所获结果与某些突触前阻遏剂如肉毒和β-银环蛇毒素等的作用进行了比较。(1)在川楝素作用下,间接刺激不能诱起肌肉收缩时,于终板区可记录到终板电位。此时串刺激可诱起一串振幅大小变化无规律的终板电位。(2)川楝素对终板电位和终板电位量子含量的影响是在使之逐渐下降之前有一暂时的升高。(3)小终板电位的发放最终可完全被川楝素所阻断,但在消失前其发放频率长时间维持高于对照,刺激神经使小终板电位发放频率的下降加速。(4)某些神经肌肉传递易化药物如Ca~( )、盐酸胍和4-氨基吡啶也有对抗川楝素的作用,如4-氨基吡啶可明显增大川楝素中毒接头的终板电位的振幅和量子含量,有时甚至恢复肌肉对间接刺激的收缩反应.     

驱蛔中药的活性成分川楝素的生物效应

利用楝属植物皮和种子治疗消化道寄生虫病和防治农业虫害,早在两千年前的中国古代已有记载。川楝素（toosendanin,C30H38O11,FW=574）是我国科学家在上世纪五十年代从川楝皮提取、分离的一个用以代替进口驱蛔药山道年的三萜化合物。研究已证明川楝素具多种独特的生物效应和在科学研究、临床医学及农业上的应用价值。第一,川楝素以先易化后抑制的双相作用干扰神经递质释放,阻遏神经肌肉接头和中枢神经突触的突触传递。此作用可能是川楝素改变递质释放装置的Ca^2＋敏感性和使之最终完全消失的结果。第二,尽管川楝素与肉毒神经毒素阻遏神经肌肉接头传递的作用有许多相似,川楝素在离体和在体实验中均显示出极有效的抗肉毒神经毒素作用：川楝素可治愈致死量肉毒中毒的小鼠和猴;经川楝素孵育的离体神经肌肉标本,或由经一次川楝素注射的动物取出的神经肌肉标本具抵抗肉毒神经毒素作用的能力。已有证据表明抗肉毒神经毒素作用是通过川楝素阻隔肉毒神经毒素与其酶解底物SNARE蛋白的接近而实现的。第三,近年观察到川楝素还引发细胞分化和凋亡,抑制人的多种肿瘤细胞增殖。该作用是Ca^2＋依赖性的,有线粒体依赖的凋亡通路参与。第四,川楝素抑制多种K^＋通道,选择性地易化通过L型Ca^2＋通道的Ca^2＋流,并由此导致细胞内Ca^2＋浓度（[Ca^2＋]i）持续升高。川楝素对K^＋通道的抑制,对L型Ca^2＋通道的易化和由之引起的[Ca^]．升高和超载,是川楝素引发细胞分化和凋亡、抑制细胞增殖,以及川楝素产生神经递质双相变化和阻遏突触传递的机制。     

蝮蛇毒的神经毒成分的研究——Ⅰ.蝮蛇毒对神经系统的作用

用记录膈神经和膈肌的呼吸性发放的方法,对蝮蛇毒急性中毒引起的呼吸麻痹,在家兔和大白鼠上进行了实验分析。将稍大于最小致死量(1毫克/公斤体重)的蝮蛇毒,经静脉或肌肉注入动物体内,一般经数小时后出现软瘫性呼吸麻痹,若及时地给予人工呼吸,则在膈肌的呼吸性发放完全停止的情况下,心电和膈神经的呼吸发放都尚可维持相当长的时间。若将蝮蛇毒直接注入侧脑室内,甚至达每公斤体重30～50微克,既不引起动物出现明显的呼吸困难,亦未导致动物死亡。若将脑室注射量加大到每公斤体重100微克以上,则动物经一定时间出现四肢强直、头后仰,抽搐、流涎等症状而死亡。在离体标本上,蝮蛇毒具有不可逆地阻遏接头传递作用,并且这种阻遏的发展过程是缓慢的,和银环蛇毒素乙、肉毒杆菌毒素对接头传递的阻遏过程相似。     

眼镜王蛇(Ophiophagus hannah)蛇毒四个神经毒组份的纯化和某些性质的研究

根据前文报导的方法(蔡景霞等人,1980),用羧甲基纤维素葡聚糖凝胶C25分离我国广西眼镜王蛇(Ophiophasus hannah)蛇毒,获得十七个蛋白组份。其中组份7、8、9和11蛋白回收率比较高,且具有明显的抗去极化神经肌肉阻遏作用。 由于它们还含有磷酸单酯酶,磷酸二酯酶,5'—核苷酸酶和核糖核酸酶等酶活性,我们进一步用羧甲基纤维素CM32和葡聚糖凝胶G50纯化了组份7、8、9和11。通过聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳鉴定,它们均为单一条带,且具有神经肌肉阻遏作用,没有磷酸单酯酶等酶活性。随后测定了它们的氨基酸组成和N—末端氨基酸。根据离体大白鼠膈神经膈肌标本和去神经大白鼠膈肌标本实验和氨基酸组成测定结果表明,眼镜王蛇毒似乎既含长链神经毒也含短链神经毒,它们的作用部位是在神经肌肉突触后膜,对突触前膜没有影响,都是突触后神经毒素。     

刺激频率、温度、钙离子对川楝素阻遏接头传递作用的影响

利用大白鼠离体膈神经膈肌标本,以肌肉对间接刺激的收缩反应为指标,观察了不同浓度川楝素、不同刺激频率、温度以及溶液中钙离子浓度等对川楝素阻遏作用的影响,主要结果如下: 1.川楝素的神经肌肉阻遏作用同温度和浓度有关。温度系数(Q_(10))(?)3.5,麻痹时间(?)K/(川楝素浓度)~(1/4)。 2.增加间接刺激频率,提高溶液中的钙离子浓度使肌肉麻痹加速;缺Ca~(++)或不施予刺激麻痹延缓,但不能阻止麻痹的最终发生。 3.川楝素引起的神经肌肉阻遏不能用冲洗解除,加药5分钟后便洗去川楝素,300分钟后仍出现神经肌肉传递阻遏。 4.在川楝素作用下肌肉逐渐不能对间接强直刺激维持强直收缩,并由强直后容易化转化为强直后抑制。     

被肉毒杆菌毒素麻痹的肌肉随着神經再生的恢复

实驗在豚鼠进行,結果揭示,夹毁神经后运动神经末梢的再生在肉毒杆菌毒素中毒的肌肉与在正常肌肉完全一样地有效。用夹毁神经的办法,可以比较迅速地解除肉毒中毒肌肉的麻痹。本文结果,亦对肉毒的作用地点问题提供了新的佐証。     

THE EFFECTS OF BOTULINUM TOXIN ON ACETYLCHOLINE METABOLISM IN MOUSE BRAIN SLICES AND SYNAPTOSOMES

The effects of Type A botulinum toxin on acetylcholine metabolism were studied using mouse brain slice and synaptosome preparations. Brain slices that had been incubated with the toxin for 2h exhibited a decreased release of acetylcholine into high K⁺ media. Botulinum toxin did not affect acetylcholine efflux from slices in normal K⁺ media. When labeled choline was present during the release incubation, a‘newly-synthesized’pool of acetylcholine was formed in the tissue. In toxin-treated slices exposed to high K⁺, both the production and the release of this‘newly-synthesized’acetylcholine were depressed. A possible explanation for these actions of botulinum toxin would be via an inhibition of the high affinity uptake of choline. This hypothesis was tested by measuring the high affinity uptake of [³H]choline into synaptosomes prepared from brain slices. Previous exposure of slices to botulinum toxin caused a significant reduction in the accumulation of label by the synaptosomes. These data are discussed in terms of our current understanding of the mechanism of action of botulinum toxin and the toxin's interaction with the mechanisms regulating acetylcholine turnover.     

THE BINDING OF BOTULINUM TOXIN TO MEMBRANE LIPIDS: SPHINGOLIPIDS, STEROIDS AND FATTY ACIDS

A number of lipids known to be constituents of nerve-ending membranes were tested for their ability to inactivate botulinum toxin. Inactivation of the toxin by a lipid was taken as presumptive evidence that the lipid might be the in vivo receptor for the toxin. Several sphingolipids (sphingosine, galactosylceramide, glucosylceramide, lactosylceramide, cytolipin K and cytolipin R), steroids (cholesterol and deoxycholic acid) and fatty acids (palmitic acid, stearic acid, prostaglandin E₁) did not affect the potency of botulinum toxin, and thus were discounted as potential toxin receptors. However, the gangliosides did inactivate botulinum toxin rapidly (in less than 5 min), within a temperature range of 2°-40°C, and at ionic strengths of 0.05-0.40. Inactivation diminished as pH fell below 6. The activity of gangliosides in suppressing the potency of botulinum toxin was a function of the number of sialic acid residues in the lipid. Thus, the data suggest that a molecule containing sialic acid may be the receptor for the toxin.     

EFFECTS OF BOTULINUM AND TETANUS TOXINS ON CHOLINE ACETYLTRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN SKELETAL MUSCLE IN THE MOUSE

Abstract— The effects of botulinum and tetanus toxins on the activity of choline acetyltransferase present in the motor nerve terminals of fast and slow skeletal muscle in the mouse were investigated. There was no change in the activities of choline acetyltransferase in either muscle after the injection of botulinum toxin but tetanus toxin caused a rise in the activity of the enzyme in fast muscle. Botulinum toxin is known to inhibit the release of acetylcholine and whilst neuromuscular transmission is blocked the motor nerves sprout and form new end-plates. Tetanus toxin has been shown to cause hyperactivity of motor neurons. The nerve growth caused by the botulinum toxin did not result in increased choline acetyltransferase levels in the muscles, whereas the synaptic hyperactivity caused by tetanus was associated with increased enzyme levels.     

ADP-ribosylation of skeletal muscle and non-muscle actin by Clostridium perfringens iota toxin

The enzymatically active component ia of Clostridium perfringens iota toxin ADP-ribosylated actin in human platelet cytosol and purified platelet beta/gamma-actin, in a similar way to that been reported for component I of botulinum C2 toxin. ADP-ribosylation of cytosolic and purified actin by either toxin was inhibited by 0.1 mM phalloidin indicating that monomeric G-actin but not polymerized F-actin was the toxin substrate. Perfringens iota toxin and botulinum C2 toxin were not additive in ADP-ribosylation of platelet actin. Treatment of intact chicken embryo cells with botulinum C2 toxin decreased subsequent ADP-ribosylation of actin in cell lysates by perfringens iota or botulinum C2 toxin. In contrast to botulinum C2 toxin, perfringens iota toxin ADP-ribosylated skeletal muscle alpha-actin with a potency and efficiency similar to non-muscle actin. ADP-ribosylation of purified skeletal muscle and non-muscle actin by perfringens iota toxin led to a dose-dependent impairment of the ability of actin to polymerize.     

Different types of ADP-ribose protein bonds formed by botulinum C2 toxin, botulinum ADP-ribosyltransferase C3 and pertussis toxin

We attempted to characterize ADP-ribose-amino acid bonds formed by various bacterial toxins. The ADP-ribose-arginine bond formed by botulinum C2 toxin in actin was cleaved with a half-life of about 2 h by treatment with hydroxylamine (0.5 M). In contrast, the ADP-ribose-cysteine bond formed by pertussis toxin in transducin and the ADP-ribose-amino acid linkage formed by botulinum ADP-ribosyltransferase C3 in platelet cytosolic proteins were not affected by hydroxylamine. HgCl2 cleaved the ADP-ribose-amino acid bond formed by pertussis toxin in transducin but not those formed by botulinum C2 toxin or botulinum ADP-ribosyltransferase C3 in actin and platelet cytosolic proteins, respectively. NaOH (0.5 M) cleaved the ADP-ribose-amino acid bonds formed by botulinum C2 toxin and pertussis toxin but not the one formed by botulinum ADP-ribosyltransferase C3. The data indicate that the ADP-ribose bond formed by botulinum ADP-ribosyltransferase C3 differs from those formed by the known bacterial ADP-ribosylating toxins.     

THE BINDING OF BOTULINUM TOXIN TO MEMBRANE LIPIDS: PHOSPHOLIPIDS AND PROTEOLIPID

A number of phospholipids known to be constituents of nerve endings were tested for their ability to inactivate botulinum toxin. Substances tested included phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidalcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidalethanolamine, β-acyl lysolecithin, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylinositol and cardiolipin. Proteolipid from bovine white matter was also tested. Neutral phospholipids potentiated the toxicity in vivo of botulinum toxin, but they had no effect on the toxicity in vitro. Some, but not all, acidic phospholipids caused loss of toxicity of botulinum toxin in solutions at low pH both in vivo and in vitro. However, none of these substances when incubated with toxin under physiological conditions of temperature, pH and ionic strength, caused loss of toxin potency. The data suggest that none of these phospholipids is likely to be a toxin receptor.     

Inhibitory effects of botulinum toxin on pyloric and antral smooth muscle

Botulinum toxin injection into the pylorus is reported to improve gastric emptying in gastroparesis. Classically, botulinum toxin inhibits ACh release from cholinergic nerves in skeletal muscle. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of botulinum toxin on pyloric smooth muscle. Guinea pig pyloric muscle strips were studied in vitro. Botulinum toxin type A was added; electric field stimulation (EFS) was performed every 30 min for 6 h. ACh (100 microM)-induced contractile responses were determined before and after 6 h. Botulinum toxin caused a concentration-dependent decrease of pyloric contractions to EFS. At a low concentration (2 U/ml), botulinum toxin decreased pyloric contractions to EFS by 43 +/- 9% without affecting ACh-induced contractions. At higher concentrations (10 U/ml), botulinum toxin decreased pyloric contraction to EFS by 75 +/- 7% and decreased ACh-induced contraction by 79 +/- 9%. In conclusion, botulinum toxin inhibits pyloric smooth muscle contractility. At a low concentration, botulinum toxin decreases EFS-induced contractile responses without affecting ACh-induced contractions suggesting inhibition of ACh release from cholinergic nerves. At higher concentrations, botulinum toxin directly inhibits smooth muscle contractility as evidenced by the decreased contractile response to ACh.     

Inhibitory effect of ganglioside GTlb on the activities of Clostridium botulinum toxins

Abstract Ganglioside G_Tlb inactivated botulinum toxins. The inactivation of type A, B, E and F toxins was marked but that of type C and D was less. Inactivation of type A toxin by ganglioside was significantly inhibited by one of two toxin fragments. The inactivation of botulinum toxin with ganglioside G_Tlb was affected by the ionic strength of the solvent. The findings indicate that ganglioside G_Tlb may not be implicated in the primary binding site for botulinum toxins on the synaptic membrane.     

Effect of botulinum D toxin on neutrophils

Activated botulinum D toxin ADP-ribosylates a 22 kDa molecular weight protein in homogenates obtained by sonication of a suspension of rabbit peritoneal neutrophils. The ADP-ribosylation catalyzed by activated botulinum D toxin is inhibited in homogenates obtained from cells pretreated with the toxin, suggesting that it is able to enter into these cells and be activated by them. The rise in intracellular concentration of free calcium in toxin treated cells stimulated by fMet-Leu-Phe is similar to that found in control cells. The basal concentration of intracellular free calcium is significantly elevated in neutrophils treated with the intact but not with the activated form of the botulinum D toxin. Superoxide generation in control and native toxin treated cells stimulated with fMet-leu-Phe, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or opsonized zymosan is the same. The release of beta-glucosaminidase produced by fMet-Leu-Phe or Concanavalin A in botulinum D toxin treated neutrophils was slightly higher than the corresponding release in control cells. Furthermore, the fMet-Leu-Phe-induced increase in the amount of actin associated with the cytoskeleton is not inhibited by botulinum D toxin. These results suggest that the 22 kDa protein which can be ADP-ribosylated by botulinum D toxin is not involved in these stimulated neutrophil responses.     

Toxin production by Clostridium botulinum in grass.

Investigations on farms where botulism has occurred in cows showed that proteolytic Clostridium botulinum type B was present in newly made grass silages. Experiments were undertaken to study growth and toxin production of C. botulinum in grass. Of the strains tested only proteolytic strains of C. botulinum types A and B were able to produce toxin with grass as a substrate. Proteolytic strains of type B produced both medium (12S) and large (16S) toxin forms. The minimal water activity (aw) for toxin production at pH 6.5 and 5.8 was 0.94. At pH 5.3, toxin was produced at an aw of 0.985. These results indicate that proteolytic strains of C. botulinum (if present) may multiply and produce toxin in wilted grass silages.