Polyclonal neural cell adhesion molecule antibody prolongs the effective duration time of botulinum toxin in decreasing muscle strength

This study aimed to investigate if the effective duration time of botulinum toxin A (Btx-A) could be prolonged by polyclonal neural cell adhesion molecule antibody (P-NCAM-Ab). 175 male SD rats were randomly divided into three major groups: control group ( n = 25), Btx-A group ( n = 25), and P-NCAM-Ab groups. P-NCAM-Ab groups were composed of five sub-groups, with 25 rats each in the dose-response study. Muscle strength of rat lower limbs was determined using a survey system. The expressions of muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK) and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) were determined by real-time polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) and western blotting (WB). The muscle strength was significantly decreased by Btx-A in Btx-A/P-NCAM-Ab groups compared with normal control group. Besides, the muscle strength of P-NCAM-Ab group was significantly decreased compared with the Btx-A group. The recovery time of muscle strength in P-NCAM-Ab group was significantly longer compared with Btx-A group. RT-PCR and WB assay showed that PNCAM-Ab delayed the increase of MuSK and NCAM after Btx-A injection. P-NCAM-Ab prolongs the effective duration time of Btx-A in decreasing muscle strength, which could provide a novel enhancement in clinical application.