{"id":523,"date":"2014-12-14T06:57:58","date_gmt":"2014-12-14T06:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.injectionartistry.com\/botoxblog\/?p=523"},"modified":"2014-12-28T18:37:32","modified_gmt":"2014-12-28T18:37:32","slug":"how-does-botox-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.injectionartistry.com\/botoxblog\/how-does-botox-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How does Botox Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Biology of Botox<\/a><\/h2>\n

I was a neuroscience concentrator<\/a> at Brown University<\/a>. \u00a0So I might just call this blog the Neuroscience of Botox instead. \u00a0My wife, while at Brown, studied Biochemistry, so I might also call it the Biochemistry of Botox. \u00a0Regardless…<\/p>\n

\"botox<\/a> \"botox<\/a><\/p>\n

The main gist of what Botox does is a relaxation of muscles. \u00a0At least that’s how we view it on a grand scale. \u00a0On a more minute scale, we might see it as the prevention of release of neurotransmitters and peptides from the axon of neurons.<\/p>\n

Mechanism of action for Botox, sequentially:<\/h4>\n
    \n
  1. Biochemical activity occurs at the neuron side (rather than the muscle) of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ)<\/li>\n
  2. Two chain polypeptide with a heavy chain and light chain.<\/li>\n
  3. Heavy chain of Botox targets axon terminals of neurons.<\/li>\n
  4. After the heavy chain of Botox attaches to the surface of axon terminals, the toxin is taken into the neurons by endocytosis.<\/li>\n
  5. The light chain is released inside the neuron cytoplasm.<\/li>\n
  6. The light chain has protease activity and degrades the SNAP-25 protein (Synaptosomal-associated protein 25). \u00a0SNAP-25 is normally required for vesicle fusion which releases neurotransmitters from the axonal endings – usually acetylcholine (ACH). \u00a0Without the intact SNAP-25 protein, ACH is not released as a signal for muscle contraction.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u00a0More Botox Biochemistry Notes<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • SNAP-25 is a type of SNARE protein. \u00a0SNARE stands for Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment Protein Receptor. \u00a0SNAP 25 stands for Synaptosomal-associated protein 25.<\/li>\n
    • Without SNAREs there is no fusion and thus no synaptic signal transfer.<\/li>\n
    • Without acetylcholine being released the muscles no longer have their signal for contraction. \u00a0Acetylcholine is an excitatory neurotransmitter at the neuromuscular junction in skeletal muscle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      YouTube Video demonstrating the Biology of Botox<\/h3>\n