• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.215-223
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• 2017

The effects of acidic pH on several voltage-dependent ion channels, such as voltage-dependent $K^+$ and $Ca^{2+}$ channels, and hyperpolarization-gated and cyclic nucleotide-activated cation (HCN) channels, were examined using a whole-cell patch clamp technique on mechanically isolated rat mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus neurons. The application of a pH 6.5 solution had no effect on the peak amplitude of voltage-dependent $K^+$currents. A pH 6.0 solution slightly, but significantly inhibited the peak amplitude of voltage-dependent $K^+$ currents. The pH 6.0 also shifted both the current-voltage and conductance-voltage relationships to the depolarization range. The application of a pH 6.5 solution scarcely affected the peak amplitude of membrane currents mediated by HCN channels, which were profoundly inhibited by the general HCN channel blocker $Cs^+$ (1 mM). However, the pH 6.0 solution slightly, but significantly inhibited the peak amplitude of HCN-mediated currents. Although the pH 6.0 solution showed complex modulation of the current-voltage and conductance-voltage relationships, the midpoint voltages for the activation of HCN channels were not changed by acidic pH. On the other hand, voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channels were significantly inhibited by an acidic pH. The application of an acidic pH solution significantly shifted the current-voltage and conductance-voltage relationships to the depolarization range. The modulation of several voltage-dependent ion channels by an acidic pH might affect the excitability of mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus neurons, and thus physiological functions mediated by the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus could be affected in acidic pH conditions.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.205-210
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• 2007

Objective : Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels mediate the hyperpolarization-activated currents (Ih) that participate in regulating neuronal membrane potential and contribute critically to pacemaker activity, promoting synchronization of neuronal networks. However, distinct regional and cellular localization of HCN channels in the brain have not been precisely defined. Aim of this study was to verify the precise cellular location of HCN1 channels in rat cerebellum to better understand the physiological role these channels play in synaptic transmission between CNS neurons. Methods : HCN1 expression in rat brain was analyzed using immunohistochemistry and electron-microscopic observations. Postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95), otherwise known as locating and clustering protein, was also examined to clarify its role in the subcellular location of HCN1 channels. In addition, to presume the binding of HCN1 channels with PSD-95, putative binding motifs in these channels were investigated using software-searching method. Results : HCN1 channels were locally distributed at the presynaptic terminal of basket cell and exactly corresponded with the location of PSD-95. Moreover, nine putative SH3 domain of PSD-95 binding motifs were discovered in HCN1 channels from motif analysis. Conclusion : Distinct localization of HCN1 channels in rat cerebellum is possible, especially when analyzed in conjunction with the SH3 domain of PSD-95. Considering that HCN1 channels contribute to spontaneous rhythmic action potentials, it is suggested that HCN1 channels located at the presynaptic terminal of neurons may play an important role in synaptic plasticity.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.53-57
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• 2012

Design of the cooling channels of a plastic injection mold affects the quality and the productivity of the injection processes. In the injection process, the melted resin with high temperature enters the mold cavity, and just after the cavity is filled the heat should be dissipated through the cooling channels simultaneously. The purpose of this study is to analyse the heat transfer phenomenon and to estimate the temperature distribution in the mold to evaluate the cooling effect of the channels. The injection mold is assumed to have cooling channels of circular cross section and each channel has the same coolant flow rate. and The cavity has a rectangular shape. The results show that as the cooling channels get closer to the cavity surface, the cooling efficiency increases as might easily be guessed. However, due to the final hot resin flow from the gate an intensive cooling is required in that region.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.125-132
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• 2020

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels comprise a diverse family of ion channels, the majority of which are calcium permeable and show sophisticated regulatory patterns in response to various environmental cues. Early studies led to the recognition of TRP channels as environmental and chemical sensors. Later studies revealed that TRP channels mediated the regulation of intracellular calcium. Mutations in TRP channel genes result in abnormal regulation of TRP channel function or expression, and interfere with normal spatial and temporal patterns of intracellular local Ca²⁺ distribution. The resulting dysregulation of multiple downstream effectors, depending on Ca²⁺ homeostasis, is associated with hallmarks of cancer pathophysiology, including enhanced proliferation, survival and invasion of cancer cells. These findings indicate that TRP channels affect multiple events that control cellular fate and play a key role in cancer progression. This review discusses the accumulating evidence supporting the role of TRP channels in tumorigenesis, with emphasis on prostate cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.305-309
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• 2002

There are some evidences that $K^+$ efflux evoked by muscarinic stimulation is not mainly mediated by large conductance $K^+$ (BK) channels in salivary gland. In this experiment, we therefore characterised non BK channels in rat submandibular gland acinar cells and examined the possibility of agonist effect on this channel using a patch clamp technique. Two types of $K^+$ channels were observed in these cells. BK channels were observed in 3 cells from total 6 cells and its average conductance was $152{\pm}7$ pS (n=3). The conductance of the another types of $K^+$ channel was estimated as $71{\pm}7$ pS (n=6). On the basis of the conductance of this channel, we defined this channel as intermediate conductance $K^+$ (IK) channels, which were observed from all 6 cells we studied. When we increased $Ca^{2+}$ concentration of the bath solution in inside-out mode, the IK channel activity was greatly increased, suggesting this channel is $Ca^{2+}$ sensitive. We next examined the effect of carbachol (CCh) and isoproterenol on the activity of the IK channels. $10^{-5}$ M isoproterenol significantly increased the open probability (Po) from $0.08{\pm}0.02$ to $0.21{\pm}0.03$ (n=4, P<0.05). Application of $10^{-5}$ M CCh also increased Po from $0.048{\pm}0.03$ to $0.55{\pm}0.33$ (n=5, P<0.05) at the maximum channel activity. The degree of BK channel activation induced by the same concentration of CCh was lower than that of IK channels; Po value was $0.011{\pm}0.003$ and $0.027{\pm}0.005$ in control and during CCh stimulation (n=3), respectively. The result suggests that IK channels exist in salivary acinar cells and its channel activity is regulated by muscaricinic and ${\beta}-adrenergic$ agonist. We conclude that IK channels also play a putative role in secretion as well as the BK channels in rat submandibular gland acinar cells.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.8
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• pp.1897-1904
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• 2019

Three-layer back propagation network (BPN) and genetic neural network (GNN) were developed in this study to predict the flow boiling heat transfer coefficient (HTC) in conventional and small-diameter channels. The GNN has higher precision than BPN (with root mean square errors of 17.16% and 20.50%, respectively) and other correlations. The inputs include vapor quality x, mass flux G, heat flux q, diameter D and physical parameter φ, and the predicted flow boiling HTC is set as the outputs. Influences of input parameters on the flow boiling HTC are discussed based on the trained GNN: nucleate boiling promoted by a larger saturated pressure, a larger heat flux and a smaller diameter is dominant in small channels; convective boiling improved by a larger mass flux and a larger vapor quality is more significant in conventional channels. The HTC increases with pressure both in conventional and small channels. The HTC in conventional channels rises when mass flux increases but remains almost unaffected in small channels. A larger heat flux leads to the HTC growth in small channels and an increase of HTC was observed in conventional channels at a higher vapor quality. HTC increases inversely with diameter before dry out.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.399-406
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• 1997

The effects of different $K^+$ channel blockers were investigated on the non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) relaxations in the circular muscle of the rabbit proximal stomach. Non-selective blockers of $K^+$ channels, 4-aminopyridine (4-AP, 3~30${\mu}M$) and tetraethylammonium (TEA, 100~1000${\mu}M$) significantly enhanced the NANC relaxations in a concentration-dependent manner. The enhancement was more prominent for the NANC relaxations induced by the electric field stimulation (EFS) with lower frequencies. Blockers of large conductance $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels, charybdotoxin and iberiotoxin, a blocker of small conduntance $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels, apamin and a blocker of ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channels, glibenclamide had no effect on the NANC relaxations, respectively. Exogeneous administration of nitric oxide (NO, 1~30${\mu}M$) caused concentration-dependent relaxations which showed a similarity to those obtained with EFS. None of the $K^+$ channel blockers had an effect on the concentration-dependent relaxation in response to NO. These results suggest that prejunctional $K^+$ channels regulate the release of NO from the NANC nerve in the rabbit proximal stomach as the inhibition of prejunctional $K^+$ channels increases the NANC relaxation induced by the EFS.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2015

Transient Receptor Potential, Melastatin-related, member 4 (TRPM4) channels are $Ca^{2+}$-activated $Ca^{2+}$-impermeable cation channels. These channels are expressed in various types of mammalian tissues including the brain and are implicated in many diverse physiological and pathophysiological conditions. In the past several years, the trafficking processes and regulatory mechanism of these channels and their interacting proteins have been uncovered. Here in this minireview, we summarize the current understanding of the trafficking mechanism of TRPM4 channels on the plasma membrane as well as heteromeric complex formation via protein interactions. We also describe physiological implications of protein-TRPM4 interactions and suggest TRPM4 channels as therapeutic targets in many related diseases.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.124-130
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• 2008

Astrocyte ion channels participate in ionic homeostasis in the brain. Inward rectifying potassium channels (Kir channels) in astrocytes have been particularly implicated in $K^+$ homeostasis because of their high open probability at resting potential and their increased conductance at high concentrations of extracellular $K^+$. We examined the expression of the Kir2.1 subunit, one of the Kir channel subunits, in the mouse brain by immunohistochemistry. Kir2.1 channels were widely distributed throughout the brain, with high expression in the olfactory bulb and the cerebellum. Interestingly, they were abundantly expressed in astrocytes of the olfactory bulb, while astrocytes in other brain regions including the hippocampus did not show any detectable expression. However, Kir2.1 channel-expressing cells were dramatically increased in the hippocampus by kainic acid-induced seizure and the cells were glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive, which confirms that astrocytes in the hippocampus express Kir2.1 channels under pathological conditions. Our results imply that Kir2.1 channels in astrocyte may be involved in buffering $K^+$ against accumulated extracellular $K^+$ caused by neuronal hyperexcitability under phathophysiological conditions.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.301-309
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• 2000

The purpose of our investigation was to examine the effects of prostaglandin $F_{2{\alpha}}\;(PGF_{2{\alpha}})$ on membrane potentials, $Ca^{2+}-activated\;K^+\;(K_{Ca})$ channels, and delayed rectifier $K^+(K_V)$ channels using the patch-clamp technique in single rabbit middle cerebral arterial smooth muscle cells. $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ significantly hyperpolarized membrane potentials and increased outward whole-cell K currents. $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ increased open-state probability of $K_{Ca}$ channels without the change of the open and closed kinetics. $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ increased the amplitudes of $K_V$ currents with a leftward shift of activation and inactivation curves and a decrease of activation time constant. Our results suggest that the activation of $K_{Ca}$ and $K_V$ channels, at least in part, may lead to attenuate or counteract vasoconstriction by $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ in middle cerebral artery.