The rapid development of aesthetic medicine is a consequence of the high social requirements of society for appearance. Healthy and beautiful appearance – essential features of a successful person: both women and men. At the same time, the life of modern people is full of stressful situations, and, wanting to maintain youth and attractiveness, they turn to dermatologists and cosmetologists for help.
The priority in the choice of cosmetology techniques today is the effectiveness and safety of their practical use, and botulinum therapy – trend in aesthetic medicine – meets these requirements. About the structure of botulinum toxin, its mechanism of action, and why it is widely used in cosmetology – read on estet-portal.com in this article.
Botulinum toxin: what is the "mysterious molecule of the eyelid" used for
"Mysterious Molecule of the Age" named botulinum toxin by the world neurological community back in 2000, and such a description of it remains successful and relevant today. Being the central link in the pathogenesis of botulism - a highly lethal toxic-infectious disease, botulinum toxin is now successfully used both for the treatment of neurological diseases and for the correction of age-related skin changes.
Botulinum toxin was first registered on the pharmaceutical market back in 1978 as a drug for the treatment of dystonic-type ophthalmic diseases.
Knowledge of the structure and mechanisms of action of botulinum toxin is necessary for specialists in the field of aesthetic medicine: dermatologists, cosmetologists, as well as neuropathologists and infectious disease specialists.
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The structure and types of botulinum toxin: what type is used in aesthetic medicine
According to modern concepts, botulinum toxin is a protein structure that contains 1296 amino acid residues and is produced by the anaerobic gram-positive bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This polypeptide consists of two chains: light (50 kDa) – domain A, and heavy (100 kDa) – domain B, respectively. Domain A and domain B are linked by a disulfide bridge. Today, 8 types of botulinum toxin are known: A, B, C1, C2, D, E, F, G, but only type A is used in cosmetology and neurology as a remedy.
Pathophysiological mechanisms of action of botulinum toxin
Botulinum toxin is a neurotropic substance. The stages of interaction of botulinum toxin with cholinergic receptors of a neuron include:
1. Connection of the B domain of botulinum toxin with neuron receptors;
2. Formation of a transmembrane channel in the presynaptic membrane of the axon;
3. Internalization of botulinum toxin by endocytosis, breaking the disulfide bond;
4. Release into the cytoplasm of the axon of the light chain of the toxin – domain A;
5. The specific action of the light chain of the toxin: the destruction of the transport protein of the cell, which is necessary for the release of acetylcholine into the synaptic cleft.
The above actions of botulinum toxin lead to inhibition of the release of acetylcholine into the synaptic cleft and the implementation of the main functional actions of the neurotransmitter.
Botulinum toxin: when is it most effective
Preventing the release of acetylcholine – The neurotransmitter responsible for neuromuscular transmission, botulinum toxin, leads to the relaxation of muscle fibers. This is its action and determines the possibility of using botulinum toxin to correct age-related skin changes.
Relaxation of hyperactive facial muscles under the action of botulinum toxin leads to a visible smoothing of wrinkles.
This principle of action of botulinum toxin is also used in neurology to eliminate spastic and dystonic manifestations of neurological diseases. In addition, acetylcholine – it is the main mediator of the parasympathetic nervous system, and its use is an effective means of correcting hyperhidrosis, hypersalivation, muscle sphincter dysfunction and other manifestations of parasympathetic dysregulation.
Thank you for staying with estet-portal.com. Read other interesting articles on the site in the "Cosmetology" section. You may also be interested in: The effectiveness of botulinum toxin preparations: why the degree of purification of the substance is important
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