Mouse anti-Human NGB monoclonal antibody, clone 2B22B0

Alteration in neural control from suprapontine areas to the nerves innervating the bladder can lead to bladder dysfunction and the development of a neurogenic bladder (NGB). Patients with NGB often suffer from urinary incontinence, which can lead to adverse events such as urinary tract infections and decubiti, in addition to creating a large care burden for family members or healthcare providers and significantly impairing patient quality of life. The common failure of anticholinergic medications has spurned the development of second -line treatments, including the use of botulinum toxin. OnabotulinumtoxinA (onaBoNT-A; BOTOX, Allergan, Inc.) was approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2011 to treat neurogenic detrusor overactivity in patients with urinary incontinence resulting from a NGB. In this review the authors summarize pertinent results from key trials leading to FDA approval of onaBoNT-A as well as more recent long-term data.

Neuroglobin (Ngb), a protein located in the mammal's brain, is involved in oxygen transport and free radical scavenging inside the neurons. Ngb colocalizes with choline acetyltransferase in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus and in the pontine tegmental nucleus, both involved in the sleep-wake cycle regulation. Some studies have shown that free radicals accumulated during prolonged wakefulness are removed during sleep. Therefore, Ngb could act as a regulator of free radicals generated during prolonged wakefulness in the brain. The aim of this study was to determine whether prolonged wakefulness affects Ngb immunoreactivity because of increases in the oxidative stress induced by continuous neuronal activity. For this purpose, male adult Wistar rats were implanted with electrodes for sleep recordings and were divided into control and sleep-deprived groups. Sleep deprivation was carried out for 24 h by gentle handling of the animals. Sleep-wake activity was determined during the deprivation period or 24 h of control conditions. Subsequently, both groups of animals were killed and their brains were obtained and processed for Ngb immunohistochemical analysis and detection of lipid peroxidation. Our data found no evidence of increased oxidative stress in the brains of sleep-deprived animals compared with the controls. The number of Ngb-positive cells was decreased in the sleep-deprived animals in all analyzed areas of the brain compared with the control group. Our results suggest that Ngb could be involved in sleep regulation, independent of its role in the control of oxidative stress. NeuroReport 24:120-125 (c) 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.