Vocal fold injection with botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) may be used as an adjunct treatment for habit cough in children. We conducted a retrospective review of 3 cases involving children aged 11 to 13 years with habit cough treated with vocal fold injection of BTX-A. Injections of BTX-A to the thyroarytenoid muscles were effective in breaking the cough cycle in all 3 children. Their coughs rec...

BACKGROUND It has been suggested that intrasphincteric injection of botulinum toxin (BTX) may represent an alternative therapy to balloon dilatation in achalasia. The aim of the present study was to test the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections in achalasia patients, as assessed using lower oesophageal sphincter pressure (LOSP) and symptom scores, and to compare the response in patients ...

The voltage-gated sodium channel is the site of action of more than six classes of neurotoxins and drugs that alter its function by interaction with distinct, allosterically coupled receptor sites. Batrachotoxin (BTX) is a steroidal alkaloid that binds to neurotoxin receptor site 2 and causes persistent activation. BTX binding is inhibited allosterically by local anesthetics. We have investigat...

Many poisonous organisms carry small-molecule toxins that alter voltage-gated sodium channel (NaV) function. Among these, batrachotoxin (BTX) from Pitohui poison birds and Phyllobates frogs stands out because of its lethality unusual effects on NaV How these toxin-bearing avoid autointoxication remains poorly understood. In frogs, a DIVS6 pore-forming helix N-to-T mutation has been proposed as ...

This is a concise review of the uses of botulinum toxins (BTXs) in dermatology and cosmetic procedures. It is a clinical rather than a basic science, pharmacological review. BTX had been initially used for selectively reducing and balancing periorbital muscle activity; thereby, reducing childhood strabismus and blepharospasm. This clinical research was initiated by Dr. Alan Scott over 40 years ...

Botulinum toxin (BTX) is widely used in different areas of medicine. Its major and most obvious effect consists in the block of acetylcholine-mediated nerve-to-muscle signaling transmission determining the unique efficacy of BTX used for treatment of neurological disorders related to muscle hypertonicity and spasticity. BTX-induced transient relaxation of the facial muscles used for elimination...

In batrachotoxin (BTX)-treated frog node of Ranvier, in spite of a marked reduction in Na inactivation, the Na current still presents a time- and voltage-dependent inactivation that could induce a 50-60% decrease in the current. The inactivation was found to be modified by changing the amplitude of a conditioning pulse, adding tetrodotoxin in the external solution, or replacing NaCl with KCl in...

Public transport in Delhi was amended by the Supreme Court of India to use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) instead of diesel or petrol. After the implementation of CNG since April 2001, Delhi has the highest fraction of CNG-run public vehicles in the world and most of them were introduced within 20 months. In the present study, the concentrations of various criteria air pollutants (SPM, PM(10), CO...

OBJECTIVE To assess the effect on freezing of gait (FOG) of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injections in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. METHOD BTX-A 150 IU or normal saline was injected into each leg's calf muscles by a blinded investigator. FOG severity was assessed at set intervals (6-month follow-up). RESULTS Eleven age- and disease severity-matched PD patients with disablin...

BACKGROUND The injection of botulinum toxin (BTX) to reduce facial wrinkles is one of the most frequently performed plastic surgery procedures. The biocompatible hydrogels are injected with BTX for effective tissue augmentation. However, it is difficult to determine the interval of injection for effective tissue augmentation. METHOD BTX and hyaluronate (HA) hydrogels were labeled with zwitter...