The actual gold standard of Botulin A toxin (BoTx A) batches qualification is the mouse lethality assay. With this assay it is nevertheless impossible to set a therapeutic value unit.
Aims: The goal of this research was to study the effects of BoTx A increasing concentrations on glutamatergic rat neurons.
Experimental procedure: We studied the glutamate release with increasing concentrations of BoTx A. We also studied the BoTx A target cleavage with a western blot technique.
Results: Our results proved that it is possible to establish a dose-response - like curve of BoTx A effects on glutamate release. Moreover the cleavage of the target protein was visible for the same toxin concentrations that inhibited the glutamate release.
Conclusion: This technique could be the first step toward a new way of setting a better pharmaceutical profile for toxin batches.