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Asked by: Leyi Elijah
medical health infectious diseasesHow does Botox interfere with neurotransmission?
Hereof, how does botulism affect neurotransmission?
Botulinum toxin from the anaerobic bacillus Clostridium botulinum decreases the release of ACh from neuronal vesicles. It binds selectively to a receptor on the presynaptic membrane of cholinergic nerve terminals and is endocytosed inside synaptic vesicles responsible for re-uptake of neurotransmitter.
Similarly, you may ask, how does botulinum toxin affect acetylcholine?
Botulinum toxin can be injected into humans in extremely small concentrations and works by preventing signals from the nerve cells reaching muscles, therefore paralyzing them. Acetylcholine attaches to receptors on the muscle cells and causes the muscle cells to contract or shorten.
Intramuscular administration of botulinum toxin acts at the neuromuscular junction to cause muscle paralysis by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine from presynaptic motor neurons.