The ultimate radiochemical nightmare: Upon radio-iodination of Botulinum neurotoxin A, the introduced iodine atom itself seems to be fatal for the bioactivity of this macromolecule

Background: Botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT-A) is a highly neurotoxic drug and frequently used in patients. Knowledge on the optimal way of administration of BoNT-A and its subsequent distribution is still rather limited. An accurate method for monitoring these processes might be the use of radiolabelled BoNT-A. In this paper, we report our...

Characterisation of botulinum toxins type C, D, E, and F by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation and electrospray mass spectrometry

In a follow-up of the earlier characterisation of botulinum toxins type A and B (BTxA and BTxB) by mass spectrometry (MS), types C, D, E, and F (BTxC, BTxD, BTxE, BTxF) were now investigated. Botulinum toxins are extremely neurotoxic bacterial toxins, likely to be used as biological warfare agent. Biologically active BTxC, BTxD, BTxE, and BTxF...

Analytical separation techniques for the determination of chemical warfare agents

Today, the determination of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) is an important area of application in analytical chemistry. Chromatographic, capillary electrophoretic and mass spectrometric techniques are primarily used for the identification and quantification of a broad field of classical CWAs in environmental samples and neutralization masses,...

Semi-continuous high speed gas analysis of generated vapors of chemical warfare agents

A method is presented for the continuous analysis of generated vapors of the nerve agents soman and satin and the blistering agent sulfur mustard. By using a gas sampling valve and a very short (15 cm) column connected to an on-column injector with a 'standard length' column, the system can either be calibrated or used for performing high speed...

Comprehensive neurotoxicity assessment

Significant progress has been made in recent years in terms of both the conceptualization of neurotoxicity assessment strategies as well as in the development of behavioral techniques for evaluating neurotoxic exposures. A tiered approach, for example, has been advocated as an assessment strategy in which testing would proceed in a stepwise...

Animal behavioral methods in neurotoxicity assessment: SGOMSEC joint report

Chemicals/CAS: Neurotoxins

Selective lesions by manganese and extensive damage by iron after local injection into rat striatum or hippocampus

Regional 45Ca2+ accumulation and analysis of monoamines and metabolites in dissected tissues were used to localize, quantify, and characterize brain damage after intracerebral injections of Mn2+ into striatum and hippocampus. The specificity of Mn2+-induced lesions is described in relation to brain damage produced by local Fe2+ or 6-...

Long-term changes in glial fibrillary acidic protein and calcium levels in rat hippocampus after a single systemic dose of kainic acid

Chemicals/CAS: calcium, 7440-70-2; kainic acid, 487-79-6; Biological Markers; Calcium, 7440-70-2; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; Kainic Acid, 487-79-6; Neurotoxins

The automated analysis of coordinated hindlimb movement in rats during acute and prolonged exposure to toxic agents

The effects of CNS-active drugs and neurotoxic agents on motor coordination in the rat were studied using a newly developed, automated technique. In this test, a tv/microprocessor-based system was utilized to detect and describe the movement and placement characteristics of one of the rat's hindpaws as the rat placed its paw from one rung to...