Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 31, 2026

Detection of Toxin Translocation into the Host Cytosol by Surface Plasmon Resonance
10:41

Detection of Toxin Translocation into the Host Cytosol by Surface Plasmon Resonance

Published on: January 3, 2012

Preclinical pharmacology of cholera toxin

J M Reid1, J W Benson, J Viallet

  • 1Department of Oncology, Research, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology
|January 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Cholera toxin exhibits antiproliferative effects against lung cancer cells expressing GM1 ganglioside. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed rapid plasma elimination after intravenous administration in mice.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Oncology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cholera toxin demonstrates antiproliferative activity against lung cancer cell lines.
  • Sensitive cell lines overexpress GM1 ganglioside, the cellular receptor for cholera toxin.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate cholera toxin for pharmacologic use in cancer treatment.
  • To develop a method for quantifying cholera toxin in biological fluids.
  • To characterize the pharmacokinetics of cholera toxin in mice.

Main Methods:

  • A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to quantify cholera toxin.
  • ELISA linearity and variability were assessed using logit transformation.
  • Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined after intravenous and subcutaneous administration in mice.

Main Results:

  • The ELISA demonstrated a sigmoidal relationship between cholera toxin concentration and absorbance, with low variability (<25%).
  • Cholera toxin was stable in blood and plasma.
  • Following IV administration, cholera toxin exhibited rapid plasma elimination (t1/2 beta = 49 min) and low bioavailability via SC route.

Conclusions:

  • Cholera toxin's antiproliferative properties and specific receptor binding warrant further investigation for lung cancer therapy.
  • The developed ELISA is a reliable tool for quantifying cholera toxin in biological samples.
  • Understanding cholera toxin's pharmacokinetic profile is crucial for its potential therapeutic applications.

More Related Videos

Determination of Tolerable Fatty Acids and Cholera Toxin Concentrations Using Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells and BALB/c Mouse Macrophages09:39

Determination of Tolerable Fatty Acids and Cholera Toxin Concentrations Using Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells and BALB/c Mouse Macrophages

Published on: May 30, 2013

Laboratory Techniques Used to Maintain and Differentiate Biotypes of Vibrio cholerae Clinical and Environmental Isolates07:58

Laboratory Techniques Used to Maintain and Differentiate Biotypes of Vibrio cholerae Clinical and Environmental Isolates

Published on: May 30, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship01:22

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship

Cholinergic agonists or cholinomimetics mimic the action of acetylcholine to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. They are categorized into direct-acting and indirect-acting agents. The direct-acting cholinergic drugs induce the parasympathetic response by directly binding to the muscarinic or nicotine receptors. In comparison, the indirect-acting cholinergic drugs prevent acetylcholine hydrolysis, indirectly contributing to the extended parasympathetic response.
The direct-acting...
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacokinetics01:31

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacokinetics

Direct-acting cholinergic agonists, such as synthetic choline esters and naturally occurring alkaloids, exert their effects by enhancing the actions of acetylcholine and stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Synthetic choline esters share structural similarities with acetylcholine. For example, they have a positively charged quaternary ammonium or onium group, contributing to their hydrophilic characteristics. As a result, they are poorly absorbed in the body through oral...
Botulism01:22

Botulism

Botulism is a life-threatening neuroparalytic condition caused by botulinum neurotoxin, which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, a Gram-positive, spore-forming, obligate anaerobe.In adults, the toxin enters the body in different ways: in foodborne botulism, the preformed toxin is absorbed in the intestine. In wound botulism, spores grow in injured tissue and release the toxin into the blood. Infant botulism differs mechanistically from adult forms. In infants, botulism commonly...
Diphtheria01:28

Diphtheria

Diphtheria is an acute, toxin-mediated infectious disease that primarily affects the upper respiratory tract. It is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a Gram-positive, pleomorphic rod that lacks spore-forming capability and exhibits a characteristic club-shaped morphology under microscopic examination. While C. diphtheriae can asymptomatically colonize mucosal surfaces, clinical disease manifests only when the bacterial strain is lysogenized by a specific β-corynephage. This phage...
Bacterial Gastroenteritis01:18

Bacterial Gastroenteritis

Bacterial gastroenteritis, characterized by diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting, is often caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water and is frequently associated with pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. These microbes exploit two principal mechanisms to inflict disease.Shiga toxin–producing E. coli, also referred to as STEC—notably O157:H7—release Shiga toxins that target ribosomes, blocking protein synthesis. The B subunit of the toxin binds the host glycolipid receptor...
Cholera01:25

Cholera

Cholera is an acute gastrointestinal disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is transmitted primarily via the fecal-oral route through the ingestion of contaminated water or food.Vibrio cholerae is a motile, Gram-negative bacterium of the family Vibrionaceae, primarily associated with waterborne outbreaks in areas with inadequate sanitation. Although over 200 serogroups of V. cholerae exist, only O1 and O139 are responsible for epidemic cholera. The O1 serogroup,...