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NSTX 3 Toxin Effects

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is characterized by hemolytic anemia, the bursting of red blood cells and renal failure typically occurring in children younger than 3 years. Non-shiga toxin (NSTX-3) HUS is caused by a bacterial infection of Streptococcus pneumonia. The bacteria produce toxins that destroy vital organs such as the pancreas, liver, brain, kidney and heart.

  1. Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome

    • NSTX causes hemolytic-uremic syndrome, which involves necrosis, or death, of kidney cells and eventual kidney failure. A study published in the April 2007 issue of "Pediatrics International" investigated the extent of necrosis of the kidney and the prognoses of the disease. Researchers analyzed clinical records of patients and conducted histological examinations revealing the extent of kidney damage. They found that clinical diagnosis of the disease often revealed kidney failure for those cases involving the arteries of the organs.

    Regulation of Hormones

    • NSTX was tested for its ability to regulate two hormones: vasopressin, which regulates blood pressure and volume, and oxytocin, which stimulates the smooth muscle of the uterus. In a study published in the July 1992 issue of the "British Journal of Pharmacology," researchers found that NSTX inhibited the release of both of these hormones, resulting in excessive water loss through the urine and significantly lowered blood pressure.

    Effect of NSTX on the Nervous System

    • A study published in the April 1990 issue of "Neuroscience Research" described the effect of NSTX on the nervous system and the receptors in the brain to which it binds. The researchers attached radioactive tracers to the toxin and injected rats with the compound. The study found that the toxin traveled to the brain and bound to glutamate receptors in the cerebellum, which act as a neural transmitter for the connectivity of nerve cells.

    Blood Pressure

    • A compound called nitric oxide (NO) is produced in the cerebellum and acts as a hormone that can regulate the diameter of the arteries to either increase or decrease blood flow and pressure. A study published in the October 1998 issue of the "Japanese Journal of Pharmacology" investigated the effects of NSTX on NO function using canine brain cells and arteries. The investigators found that NSTX inhibits the actions of NO and acts upon the walls of the arteries more readily than on the cerebrum of the brain.

    NSTX Composition

    • NSTX-3 is composed of two sugar molecules (myoinsitol and xylopyranose) and bromine, among other components. A December 1987 article appearing in the "Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapy" investigated the active component of NSTX-3. Researchers tested the effects of the NSTX molecule as a whole or a variation, with one or both of the sugars removed and with or without the bromine. They tested these compounds on intestines from guinea pigs and brain tissue from mice and found that both sugars of the molecule had worked synergistically with one another, but the bromine had the greatest effect on the tissues.

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