• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.219-224
• /
• 1995

The modulatory effects of total ginseng saponin (TGS) on the 1, 6, and opioid receptor binding in morphine tolerance and dependence were examined in this study. The specific [$^{3}H$]DAGO ([D-$Ala^2$, N-$Mephe^4$, $Glyco^4$] enkephalin) binding was significantly increased in chronic morphine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) treated mouse striatum. The specific [$^{3}H$]DPDPE ([D-$Pen^2$, D-$Pen^5$] enkephalin) binding was ignificantly increased following morphine treatment in the mouse striatum and cortex. Also, an apparent decrease in the affinity of [$^{3}H$]DPN (diprenorphine) was observed after chronic morphine treatment in mouse striatum and cortex. 7GS produced a sleight increase of specific [$^{3}H$]DAGO, [$^{3}H$]DPDPE binding and a significant increase of specific [$^{3}H$]DPN binding in the mouse brain striatum. In cortex, TGS produced an inhibition of specific [$^{3}H$]DAGO and [$^{3}H$]DPDPE binding and increase of the specific [$^{3}H$]DPN binding. The prolonged administration of TGS (25, 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg, i.p., 3 wks) produced an inhibition of increased [$^{3}H$]DAGO specific binding following morphine without significant changes in the agonist binding to and receptors in mouse striatum and cortex. These contracted alterations in $\mu$, $\gamma$ and $\kappa$ opiate receptor binding were dependent in TGS dogs and brain sites.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.97-102
• /
• 1996

To investigate whether human $\beta$$_2$-adrenergic receptor devoid of the C-terminal two transmembrane helices retain its ligand binding activity and specificity, 5'780-bp DNA fragment of the receptor gene which encodes amino acid 1-260 of human $\beta$$_2$-adrenergic receptor was subcloned into the bacterial fusion protein expression vector and expressed as a form of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion protein in E. coli DH5$\alpha$. The receptor fusion protein was expressed as a membrane bound form which was verified by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. The fusion protein expressed in this study specifically bound $\beta$-adrenergic receptor ligand [$^3$H] Dihydroalprenolol. In saturation ligand binding assay, the $K_{d}$ value was 7.6 nM which was similar to that of intact $\beta$$_2$-adrenergic receptor in normal animal tissue ( $K_{d}$=1~2 nM) and the $B_{max}$ value was 266 fmol/mg membrane protein. In competition binding assay, the order of binding affinity of various adrenergic receptor agonists to the fusion protein was isoproterenol》epinephrine norepinephrine, which was similar to that of intact receptor in normal animal tissue. These results suggest that N-terminal five transmembrane helices of the $\beta$$_2$-adrenergic receptor be sufficient to determine the ligand binding activity and specificity, irrespective of the presence or absence of the C-terminal two transmembrane helices.s.s.s.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.49-57
• /
• 1994

The binding properties of oxomemazine to muscarinic receptors using the ability of oxomemazine to inhibit $[^3H]QNB$ binding in membrane fractions of rat cerebrum and guinea pig ventricle and ileum were investigated. $[^3H]QNB$ bound to a single class of muscarinic receptors with a dissociation constant of approximately 60 pM in three tissue preparations. Pirenzepine and oxomemazine inhibited $[^3H]QNB$ binding in cerebrum with a Hill coefficient lower than unity, and the inhibition data were best described by a two-site model. The relative densities of the high $(M_1)\;and\;low\;(M_2)$ affinity sites for pirenzepine were 60 and 40%, with corresponding Ki values of 16 and 431 nM, and those $(O_H\;and\;O_L)$ for oxomemazine 40 and 60%, with corresponding Ki values of 80 and 1350 nM. However, the inhibition data of both drugs vs $[^3H]QNB$ in ventricle and ileum appeared to obey the law of mass-action (Hill coefficient close to 1). The apparent Ki values of pirenzepine were 850 and 250 nM, and those of oxomemazine 1460 and 570 nM in ventricle and ileum, respectively. Thus, oxomemazine like pirenzepine has high affinity for cerebrum, moderate affinity for ileum and low affinity for ventricle. These results suggest that oxomemazine could recognize the muscarinic receptor subtypes with a high affinity for the $M_1$ sites.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.31-39
• /
• 1998

As it has been reported that the depolarization induced acetylcholine (ACh) release is modulated by activation of presynaptic $A_1$ adenosine heteroreceptor and various lines of evidence suggest the $A_2$ adenosine receptor is present in the hippocampus. The present study was undertaken to delineate the role of adenosine receptors on the hippocampal ACh release. Slices from the rat hippocampus were equilibrated with $[^3H]choline$ and then the release amount of the labelled product, $[^3H]ACh$, which was evoked by electrical stimulation (rectangular pulses, 3 Hz, 2 ms, 24 mA, $5\;V/cm^{-1}$, 2 min), was measured, and the influence of various adenosine receptor-related agents on the evoked tritium outflow was investigated. And also, the drug-receptor binding assay was performed in order to confirm the presence of $A_1$ and $A_2$ adenosine receptors in the rat hippocampus. N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA), a potent adenosine receptor agonist with nearly equal affinity at $A_1$ and $A_2$ adenosine receptors, in concentrations ranging from $1{\sim}30\;{\mu}M$, decreased the electrically-evoked $[^3H]ACh$ release in a concentration-dependent manner without affecting the basal rate of release. And the effect of NECA was significantly inhibited by 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX, 2 ${\mu}M$), a selective $A_1$ adenosine receptor antagonist, but was not influenced by 3,7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine (DMPX, 5 ${\mu}M$), a specific $A_2$ adenosine receptor antagonist. $N^6-cyclopentyladenosine$ (CPA), a selective $A_1$ adenosine receptor agonist, in doses ranging from 0.1 to 10 ${\mu}M$, reduced evoked $[^3H]ACh$ release in a dose-dependent manner without the change of the basal release. And the effect of CPA was significantly inhibited by 2 ${\mu}M$ DPCPX treatment. 2-P-(2-carboxyethyl)-phenethylamino-5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine hydrochloride (CGS-21680C), a potent $A_2$ adenosine receptor agonist, in concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 10 ${\mu}M$, did not alter the evoked ACh release. In the drug-receptor binding assay, the binding of $[^3H]2-chloro-N^6-cyclopentyladenosine$ ($[^3H]$CCPA) to the $A_1$ adenosine receptor of rat hippocampal membranes was inhibited by CPA ($K_i$ = 1.22 nM), NECA ($K_i=10.17 nM$) and DPCPX ($K_i=161.86 nM$), but not by CGS-21680C ($K_i=2,380 nM$) and DMPX ($K_i=22,367 nM$). However, the specific binding of $[^3H]CGS-21680C$ to the $A_2$ adenosine receptor was not observed. These results suggest that the $A_1$ adenosine heteroreceptor play an important role in evoked ACh release, but the presence of $A_2$ adenosine receptor is not confirmed in this study.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.196-201
• /
• 1996

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-ion channel complex is activated by the simultaneous presence of L-glutamate and glycine, allowing the binding of MK-801 to the phencyclidine (PCP) site of the receptor. The $[^3H]$MK-801 binding assay system was established for determination of pharmacological functions of test compounds acting at the glycine site of the receptor. The binding in the presence of 0.1 $\mu$M L-glutamate was increased by an agonist (glycine) in a dose-dependent fashion, while decreased by either partial agonist (R-(+)-HA-966) or antagonist (5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid: 5,7-DCKA). To distinguish partial agonism from antagonism, various concentrations of 7-chlorokynurenic acid (7-CKA) were added in the assay to eliminate the interference of the endogenous glycine present in the membrane preparations. The bindings in the presence of L-glutamate (0.1$\muM$) and 7-CKA (1, 5, or 10$\muM$) were increased by R-(+)-HA-966. Being a weak partial agonist, the extent of potentiation was much less than that by the agonist. These binding profiles were clearly distinguishable from those by the antagonist, 5,7-DCKA, which exhibited no intrinsic activity. The binding assays established in the present study are a useful system to classify ligands acting at the glycine site of the NMDA receptor by their pharmacological functions.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.21-27
• /
• 1995

The only compounds with antagonistic activity via AT$_1$receptor, one of two subtypes of angiotensin II (AII) receptor, have been demonstrated to block the vasoconstriction effects of AII and thereby provide therapeutic potential. This initiated the search for compounds with high specific affinity to AT$_1$receptor and their effective screening methods. The radioligand binding assay for the AII receptor is regarded as the primary method for the evaluation of AT$_1$receptor antagonists for their activity. In this paper, we characterized the liver AT$_1$receptor and describe the efficient method of the radioligand binding assay using rat liver as a source of AT$_1$receptor. Equilibrium binding studies with rat adrenal cortex, adrenal medulla, liver and bovine adrenal showed that the specific bindings of [$^3$H] AII were saturable in all tissues and the Scatchard plots of those data were linear, suggesting a single population of binding sites. Hill slopes were very near to the unity in all tissues. Kinetic studies of [$^3$H) AII binding in rat liver homogenates yielded two association rate constants, 4.10$\times$10$^{7}$ M$^{-1}$ min$^{-1}$ and 4.02$\times$10$^{9}$ M$^{-1}$ min$^{-1}$ , with a single dissociation rate constant, 7.07$\times$10$^{-3}$ min-$^{-1}$ , possibly due to the partial dissociation phenomenon. The rank order of inhibition potencies of [$^3$H] AII binding in rat liver was AII>Sarile>Losartan>PD 123177. Rat liver homogenates revealed to have very high density of homogeneous population of the AT$_1$receptor subtype, as the specifically bound [$^3$H] AII was not inhibited by PD 123177, the nonpeptide antagonist of AT$_2$. The results of this study demonstrated that the liver homogenates from rats could be the best receptor preparation for the AT$_1$receptor binding assay and provide an efficient system for the screening of newly synthesized candidate compounds of AT$_1$receptor antagonist.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.313-319
• /
• 1984

The effect of morphine on food intake on freely fed Sprague - Dawley rats was examined Opiate receptor binding assay was used to investigate the possibility of the opioid system involved in food intake regulation of normal rats. When rats were treated with 5mg morphine per kg body weight, subcutaneously, the food intake of the rats for the first 2 hours was increased 125% of the control rats. The effect of morphine on food intake of male and female rats were greater when the morphine was injected at 10 : 00 a.m than that in the rats administered the morphine at 4 : 00 p.m. The morphine effect was not significant in older rats and female was more responsive than male rats. In morphine treated rats, opioid receptor density has exhibited 33% reduction as measured by the $^{3}H-naloxone$ binding assay with whole brain homogenate. These results indicate that the increase of food intake by morphine for 2 hours after the injection may be mediated through the opioid system in rat brain.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.117-125
• /
• 1997

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated glutamatergic neurotransmission is involved in synaptic plasticity, developmental processes, learning and memory and many neuropathological disorders including age-related diseases. In the present study, regulation of the NMDA receptor properties by various ligands was investigated using $[^3H]MK-801$ binding studies in the synaptic membranes of young and aged rat forebrains. The binding in the presence of glutamate and glycine increased dramatically with growth between 1 and 6 weeks old, and thereafter declined gradually with aging. Glutamate, glycine or spermine respectively increased the binding with growth. Glutamate maintained the binding during aging, while glycine or spermine significantly decreased the binding in the aged brain. The maximum stimulation by glycine varied depending on the ages of brains. Greater sensitivity to glycine was observed at 1 week and 3 months and the sensitivity was significantly reduced in the aged brain. In contrast, spermine showed similar stimulation patterns in young and aged rats. These results indicated that the functional properties of the NMDA receptor-ion channel complex in young and aged rat forebrains are differentially regulated by agonists, and the reduction of the receptor function with normal aging may be, in some degree, due to the reduction of the receptor sensitivity to glycine.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.96-112
• /
• 2002

In the present study, we have investigated the effects of centrally administered ginsenoside Rc or Rgl on the modulation of NMDA receptor and $GABA_A$ receptor binding in rat brain. The NMDA receptor binding was analyzed by quantitative autoradiography using $[^3H]MK-801$ binding, and $GABA_A$ receptor bindings were analyzed by using $[^3H]muscimol\;and\;[^3H]flunitrazepam$ in rat brain slices. Rats were infused with ginsenoside Rc or Rg1 ($10\;{\mu}g/10{\mu}l/hr$, i.c.v.) for 7 days, through pre-implanted cannula by osmotic minipumps (Alzet, model 2ML), The levels of $[^3H]MK-801$ binding were highly decreased in part of cortex and cingulated by ginsenoside Rc and Rgl. The levels of $[^3H]muscimol$ binding were strongly elevated in almost all regions of frontal cortex by the treatment of ginseoside Rc but decreased by ginsenoside Rg 1. However, the $[^3H]flunitrazepam$ binding was not modulated by ginsenoside Rc or ginsenoside Rgl infusion. These results suggest that prolonged infusion of ginsenoside could differentially modulate $[^3H]MK-801\;and\;[^3H]muscimol$ binding in a region-specific manner. Also, we investigated the influence of centrally administered ginsenoside on the regulation of mRNA levels of the family of NMDA receptor subtypes (NR1, NR2A, NR2B, NR2C) by in situ hybridization histochemistry in the rat brain. The level of NR1 mRNA is significantly increased in temporal cortex, caudate putamen, hippocampus, and granule layer of cerebellum in Rgl-infused rats as compared to control group. The level of NR2A mRNA is elevated in the frontal cortex. In contrast, it was decreased in CAI area of hippocampus in Rgl-infused rats. However, there was no significant change of NR1 and NR2A mRNA levels in Rc-infused rats. The level of NR2B mRNA is elevated in cortex, caudate putamen, and thalamus in both Rc- and Rg-infused rats. In contrast, NR2B level is decreased in CA3 in Rgl-infused rats. The level of NR2C mRNA is increased in the granule layer of cerebellum in only Rg1 but not Rc infused rats. These results show that structure difference of ginsenoside may diversely affect the modulation of expression of NMDA receptor subunit mRNA after infusion into cerebroventricle in rats.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.114-119
• /
• 1994

[$^3$H]Ouabain binding parameters ( $K_{D}$ and $B_{max}$) to control rat ventricular strips and Langendorff preparations which were not previously exposed to ouabain were compared with those to both preparations that had been first exposed to a complete ouabain dose range of dose-response curve (10$^{-8}$ to 10$^{4}$M). In rat ventricular strips and Langendorff perfused heart preparations, cumulative dose-response curves of ouabain revealed biphasic positive inotropic effects, a "low-dose" effect and a "high-dose" effect with E $d_{50}$ values of 0.5 $\mu$M and 35 $\mu$M ouabain, respectively. The "low-dose" effect in ventricular strip disappeared or was diminished significantly when the ouabain dose-response curve was repeated after the washout of the effects of the first dose-response curve, whereas there were no significant differences in the maximal "high-dose"effect in both exposures to oubain. However, both of the control and ouabain-preexposed Langendorff perfused hearts revealed the same low-dose effects. The $K_{D}$ value for [$^3$H] ouabain binding and the ouabain binding site concentration ( $B_{max}$) estimated by [$^3$H]ouabain displacement assay in control preparations were 230 nM and 2 pmol/mg protein, respectively. [$^3$H]Ouabain binding parameters were not changed by repeated exposure to high concentrations of ouabain. These results suggest that digitalis receptor desensitization in the rat ventricular strip may due to the change of post-receptor events induced by ouabain binding to a high affinity site ($\alpha$$_2$isoform).).).).).