Botulinum toxin A inhibits neuromuscular transmission. It has become a drug with many indications. The range of clinical applications has grown to encompass several neurological and non-neurological conditions. One of the most recent achievements in the field is the observation that botulinum toxin A provides benefit in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Although toxin blocks cholinergic nerve endings in the autonomic nervous system, it has also been shown that it does not block non-adrenergic non-cholinergic responses mediated by nitric oxide. This has promoted further interest in using botulinum toxin A as a treatment for overactive smooth muscles and sphincters. The introduction of this therapy has made the treatment of several clinical conditions easier, in the outpatient setting, at a lower cost and without permanent complications. This review presents current data on the use of botulinum toxin A in the treatment of pathological conditions of the gastrointestinal tract.
Keywords: anus; autonomic nervous system diseases; biliary diseases; botulinum toxin; chronic constipation; enteric nervous system; esophageal achalasia; esophageal diseases; exocytosis; fissure-in-ano; gastric emptying; gastrointestinal motility; membrane fusion; membrane proteins; neuromuscular agents; obesity; pain; physiopathology; spasm; therapeutic use.