• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.75-79
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• 1992

Higenamine, which is one of active component of Aconiti tuber, has been known to have positive inotropic effect through adrenergic beta-receptor. The effect of higenamine on norepinepharine or potassium induced contraction of pulmonary aorta in rabbit were studies. 1. The contraction of aortic strips induced by norepinephrine was suppressec by pre-or post-treatment of higenamine dose dependently and those effects of higenamine were prevented by propranolol. The $pA_2$ value of higenamine against propranolol calculated as 8.25. 2. The effect of higenamine was not affected by phentolamine. 3. Isoprotrenol has shown 10 times stronger vasodiatory effect on norepinephrine induced cntracture than that of higenamine but high concentration $(3.3{\times}10^{-6}\;M)$ of isoproterenol produce intrinsic activity. 4. Vasodilatory effect of higenamine or isoproterenol was not observed in potassium induced contacture of pulmonary aortic strips. These results strongly suggest that higenamine dilated the pulmonary vascular smooth muscle through stimulation of adrenergic beta-receptor.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 1972

The author studied the adrenotropic receptors of isolated vas deferens from Ditrema temmincki Bleeker, using adrenergic activators such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, isoproterenol and phenylephrine, and adrenergic blocking agents such as phenoxybenzamine and propranolol. The results are as follows: 1. The vas deferens was stimulated by epinephrine, norepinephrine and phenylephrine, but not affected by isoproterenol. 2. The excitatory effect of phenylephrine on the vas deferens was completely blocked by phenoxybenzamine, but more stimulated by propranolol. 3. The excitatory effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine were markedly reduced by phenoxybenzamine, but stimulated by propranolol. 4. The vas deferens pretreated with phenoxybenzamine and propranolol was not affected by epinephrine and norepinephrine. 5. The vas deferens was not affected by isoproterenol and also not affected by the pretreatment with either kind of blocking agent plus isoproterenol. 6. It seemed that the vas deferens had both alpha-excitatory receptor and beta-receptor, but it was difficult to detect the character of beta-receptor whether it was inhibitory or excitatory.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.1 s.38
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• pp.24-33
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• 1986

To ascertain the existence of various adrenoceptors involved in active transport of sodium in the frog skin and to delineate their physiological roles, the influence of various adrenergic agonists and antagonists on the potential difference (PD), short-circuit current (SCC) and total skin conductance (TSC) of the isolated frog skin of Rana nigromaculata were investigated. PD and SCC were determined with Ussing's technique. Drugs were administered to the serosal side of the skin. Experimental results were summarized as follows: 1. The responses to norepinephrine (NE, $6{\times}10^{-8}-6{\times}10^{-5})M$), phenylephrine (PE, $5{\times}10^{-6}-5{\times}10^{-4}M$) and epinephrine (Epi, $5.5{\times}10^{-7}-5.5{\times}10^{-5}M$) were characterized by marked elevation of PD & SCC in dose-related fashion, but the maximal effect attained by Epi was less than those of NE and PE. 2. These increments of PD & SCC were significantly inhibited by prazosin $(2{\times}10^{-6}M)$, a speciflc ${\alpha}_1$-adrenoceptor blocker. The stimulatory effect on PD & SCC were completely abolished by phenoxybenzamine (PBZ, $3.3{\times}10^{-5}M$), an irreversible ${\alpha}$-adrenoceptor blocking agent. Furthermore, with a larger doses of Epi produced marked decline of PD & SCC after the PBZ pretreatment. 3. Isoproterenol (ISP), a ${\beta}$-adrenoceptor agonist, in concentrations ranging from $5{\times}10^{-7}$ to $5{\times}10^{-6}M$ produced dose-related decrease in PD & SCC, which could be abolished by pretreatment with propranolol $(4{\times}10^{-6}M)$, a specific ${\beta}$-adrenoceptor blocker. It was further noted that the effects of Epi on PD & SCC were markedly potentiated by Propranolol pretreatment. 4. Clonidine as well as guanabenz produced increases in PD & SCC and these effects were inhibited more specifically by prazosin pretreatment than by yohimbine. These results indicated that there exist in the frog skin two distinctive types of adrenoceptors, ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$, which roughly corresponds to those in mammals, and that the ${\alpha}$ type of adrenoceptors mediate the stimulation of PD & SCC, whereas ${\beta}$-adrenoceptors mediate the inhibition. However, based on evidence at hand, no conclusion could be drawn on the subtype of ${\alpha}$-adrenoceptors which is involved in the stimulation of sodium transport in the frog skin.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.870-879
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to investigate the obesity and state of dietary intake of 216 young Korean females, and the influence of $\beta$-II, III Adrenergic receptor (AR) gene polymorphism upon obesity and dietary intake. The average weight, height and BMI of the subjects were 160 cm, 54 kg, and 20.9 kg/$m^2$, respectively. The average triceps skinfold thickness, waist circumference, hip circumference and WHR were 21.7mm, 73.1cm, 93.3cm and 0.78, respectively. The results of body composition measurement using bioimpedance method, average body fluid, body protein, mineral mass and body fat were 29.271, 7.22 kg, 6.79 kg and 19.16 kg, respectively. A dietary survey was conducted using 24-hour recall method. Average calorie intake was 1621 ㎉, which is 81% of Korean RDA. We detected 182 (84.3%) Gln27 (QQ) homozygotes and 34 (15.7%) Gln27Glu (QE) heterozygotes for $\beta$-II AR polymorphism. For $\beta$-III AR polymorphism, we detected 163 (75.5%) Trp64 (WW) and 53 (24.5%) Trp 64Arg (WR). The results of comparing of obesity by $\beta$-II AR gene polymorphism, obesity index and BMI of QE type were slightly higher than those of the QQ type. For $\beta$-III AR gene polymorphism, the mean BMI, obesity index, fat mass and percent body fat (%) of the WR type were significantly higher than those of the WW type (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that genetic variability in the human $\beta$-III AR is associated with obesity among young Korean females. We also evaluated the effect of the simultaneous presence of the $\beta$-II AR and $\beta$-III AR polymorphism on obesity. We found that the BMI and obesity index of the mutant type in both $\beta$-II AR and $\beta$-III AR were significantly higher than those of the type that has only one gene mutation or has no mutation (p < 0.05), indicating a synergistic effect of $\beta$-II AR and $\beta$-III AR polymorphism on obesity. No association was found between $\beta$-II Ad or $\beta$-III AR polymorphism and dietary intake.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.686-690
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• 2015

The adrenergic receptor beta 2 (ADRB2) plays a role in various physiological responses of the muscle to exercise, such as contraction and relaxation. Given its important role in muscle function, we investigated the structure of the horse ADRB2 gene and its expression pattern after exercise to determine if it can serve as a putative biomarker for recovery. Evolutionary analyses using synonymous and non-synonymous mutation ratios, were compared with other species (human, chimpanzee, mouse, rat, cow, pig, chicken, dog, and cat), and revealed the occurrence of positive selection in the horse ADRB2 gene. In addition, expression analyses by quantitative polymerase chain reaction exhibited ubiquitous distribution of horse ADRB2 in various tissues including lung, skeletal muscle, kidney, thyroid, appendix, colon, spinal cord and heart, with the highest expression observed in the lung. The expression of ADRB2 in skeletal muscle was significantly up-regulated about four folds 30 minutes post-exercise compared to pre-exercise. The expression level of ADRB2 in leukocytes, which could be collected with convenience compared with other tissues in horse, increased until 60 min after exercise but decreased afterward until 120 min, suggesting the ADRB2 expression levels in leukocytes could be a useful biomarker to check the early recovery status of horse after exercise. In conclusion, we identified horse ADRB2 gene and analyzed expression profiles in various tissues. Additionally, analysis of ADBR2 gene expression in leukocytes could be a useful biomarker useful for evaluation of early recovery status after exercise in racing horses.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2002

Obesity is a complex metabolic disorder with a strong genetic component. There are many candidate genes for obesity and its related phenotypes. We studied genetic variations between Korean obese and lean groups. Polymorphisms investigated were the Msp I polymorphism of the $\alpha$$_{2A}$-adrenergic receptor ($\alpha$$_{2A}$-AR) gene, the Mnl I polymorphism of the $\alpha$$_2$-adrenergic receptor ($\alpha$$_2$-AR) gene, the BstO I polymorphism of the $\beta$$_3$-adrenergic receptor ($\beta$$_3$-AR) gene, the Pml I polymorphism of the lamin A/C (LMNA) gene, the Hga I polymorphism of the clearance receptor (NPRC) gene, the Msp I polymorphism of the leptin gene, BclI polymorphism of the uncoupling protein 1 (UCPI) gene and the Hha I polymorphism of the fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2) gene. Among these genetic markers, Pml I polymorphism at the LMNA gene and Bcl I polymorphism at the UCP1 gene were significantly associated with obesity. However, further studies are required whether thease findings are reproduced in large population, although two polymorphisms might be useful as genetic markers in the ethiology of obesity in Korean population.ion.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.173-178
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• 2011

Tumor necrosis factor alpha ($TNF{\alpha}$) is a multifunctional cytokine that is elevated in inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Recent evidence has suggested that ${\beta}2$ adrenergic receptor (${\beta}2AR$) activation in osteoblasts suppresses osteogenic activity. In the present study, we explored whether $TNF{\alpha}$ modulates ${\beta}AR$ expression in osteoblastic cells and whether this regulation is associated with the inhibition of osteoblast differentiation by $TNF{\alpha}$. In the experiments, we used C2C12 cells, MC3T3-E1 cells and primary cultured mouse bone marrow stromal cells. Among the three subtypes of ${\beta}AR$, ${\beta}2$ and ${\beta}3AR$ were found in our analysis to be upregulated by $TNF{\alpha}$. Moreover, isoproterenol-induced cAMP production was observed to be significantly enhanced in $TNF{\alpha}$-primed C2C12 cells, indicating that $TNF{\alpha}$ enhances ${\beta}2AR$ signaling in osteoblasts. $TNF{\alpha}$ was further found in C2C12 cells to suppress bone morphogenetic protein 2-induced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the expression of osteogenic marker genes including Runx2, ALP and osteocalcin. Propranolol, a ${\beta}2AR$ antagonist, attenuated this $TNF{\alpha}$ suppression of osteogenic differentiation. $TNF{\alpha}$ increased the expression of receptor activator of NF-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL), an essential osteoclastogenic factor, in C2C12 cells which was again blocked by propranolol. In summary, our data show that $TNF{\alpha}$ increases ${\beta}2AR$ expression in osteoblasts and that a blockade of ${\beta}2AR$ attenuates the suppression of osteogenic differentiation and stimulation of RANKL expression by $TNF{\alpha}$. These findings imply that a crosstalk between $TNF{\alpha}$ and ${\beta}2AR$ signaling pathways might occur in osteoblasts to modulate their function.

• Integrative Medicine Research
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.204-210
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• 2014

The aim of this review was to understand the effects of ${\beta}$-adrenergic stimulation on oxidative stress, structural remodeling, and functional alterations in the heart and cerebral artery. Diverse stimuli activate the sympathetic nervous system, leading to increased levels of catecholamines. Long-term overstimulation of the ${\beta}$-adrenergic receptor (${\beta}AR$) in response to catecholamines causes cardiovascular diseases, including cardiac hypertrophy, stroke, coronary artery disease, and heartfailure. Although catecholamines have identical sites of action in the heart and cerebral artery, the structural and functional modifications differentially activate intracellular signaling cascades. ${\beta}AR$-stimulation can increase oxidative stress in the heart and cerebral artery, but has also been shown to induce different cytoskeletal and functional modifications by modulating various components of the ${\beta}AR$ signal transduction pathways. Stimulation of ${\beta}AR$ leads to cardiac dysfunction due to an overload of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ in cardiomyocytes. However, this stimulation induces vascular dysfunction through disruption of actin cytoskeleton in vascular smooth muscle cells. Many studies have shown that excessive concentrations of catecholamines during stressful conditions can produce coronary spasms or arrhythmias by inducing $Ca^{2+}$-handling abnormalities and impairing energy production in mitochondria, In this article, we highlight the different fates caused by excessive oxidative stress and disruptions in the cytoskeletal proteome network in the heart and the cerebral artery in responsed to prolonged ${\beta}AR$-stimulation.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.201-206
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• 1987

This study was carried out to investigate the action of ATP, which has been known as the neurotransmitter of noncholinergic- and nonadrenergic-nerve, on the motility of immature pig uterine smooth muscle. The results were summarized as follows; 1. The contraction and the contractile responses caused by ATP were increased in a dose-dependent manner between the concentration of ATP $10^{-6}M$ and $10^{-3}M$. The maximal contractile effect was appeared at the concentration of ATP $10^{-3}M$ and it was 70.2% of 100mM K contraction. 2. The contractile responses induced by ATP ($10^{-4}M$) were not blocked by the pretreatment with cholinergic receptor blocker, atropine ($10^{-6}M$). 3. The contractile responses induced by ATP ($10^{-4}M$) were not blocked by pretreatment with ${\alpha}$-adrenergic receptor blocker, phentolamine ($10^{-6}M$) and ${\beta}$-adrenergic receptor blocker, propranolol ($10^{-6}M$). 4. The contractile response induced by ATP ($10^{-4}M$) was not blocked by the pretreatment with $H_1-receptor$ blocker, pyrilamine ($10^{-6}M$) and $H_2-receptor$ blocker, cimetidine ($10^{-6}M$).

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2009

Because it is known that bivalve hearts contain various modulatory systems activated by neuroendocrine substances, it was examined whether different classes of endogenous and synthetic drugs of neuroendocrinological importance can influence cardiac functions of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Cholinergically active agents acetylcholine and carbachol increased heart rates while diminishing cardiac contractility. Adrenergically active substances norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (Epi) also induced heart rate increase and contractility decrease. An $\alpha_1$-adrenergic receptor-selective agonist phenyephrine (PE) failed to modulate either parameter. The Epi-induced heart rate increase and contractile depression were both blocked significantly by non-selective $\beta_1/\beta_2$-adrenergic antagonist propranolol. A $\beta_1$-selective antagonist atenolol prevented Epi-induced heart rate decrease but not the contractile depression, suggesting possible $\beta_2$ receptors for Epi-induced contractile depression. The three autacoids examined exerted discrete responses: histamine increased heart rate and depressed contraction; $\gamma$-amino-butyric acid increased both parameters; serotonin failed to change either parameter. The 5 piscine anesthetic agents examined, MS-222, benzocaine, quinaldine, urethane, pantocaine and pentobarbital, all failed to influence the cardiac function of oysters. Collectively, activities of neuroendocrinologically acting agents in mammals showed unexpected and distinct activities from those in mammalian cardiovascular systems. These results obtained from substances of different physiological functions can serve as a basis for understanding neuroendocrine control of the heart function in Pacific oyster.