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

• The Zoological Society Korea : Newsletter
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.109.1-109
• /
• 1995

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
• /
• 1995.10b
• /
• pp.245.1-245
• /
• 1995

No Abstract, See Full Text

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.57-63
• /
• 2004

Fluoxetine, a widely used anti-depressant compound, has several additional effects, including blockade of voltage-gated ion channels. We examined whether fluoxetine affects ATP-induced calcium signaling in PC12 cells by using fura-2-based digital calcium imaging and assay for $[^3H]-inositol$ phosphates (IPs). Treatment with ATP $(100\;{\mu}M)$ for 2 min induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increases. The ATP-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increases were significantly decreased by removal of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ and treatment with the inhibitor of endoplasmic reticulum $Ca^{2+}$ ATPase thapsigargin $(1\;{\mu}M)$. Treatment with fluoxetine for 5 min blocked the ATP-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase concentration-dependently. Treatment with fluoxetine $(30\;{\mu}M)$ for 5 min blocked the ATP-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase following removal of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ and depletion of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ stores. While treatment with the L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel antagonist nimodipine for 10 min inhibited the ATP-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increases significantly, treatment with fluoxetine alone blocked the ATP-induced responses. Treatment with fluoxetine also inhibited the 50 mM $K^+-induced$ $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increases completely. However, treatment with fluoxetine did not inhibit the ATP-induced $[^3H]-IPs$ formation. Collectively, we conclude that fluoxetine inhibits ATP-indueed $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increases in PC12 cells by inhibiting both an influx of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ and a release of $Ca^{2+}$ from intracellular stores without affecting IPs formation.

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

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.17-26
• /
• 1991

Single smooth muscle cells of the rabbit pulmonary artery were isolated by treatment with collagenase and elastase. Using the patch clamp technique, potassium channel activity was recorded from the inside-out membrane patch. The channel had a sin히e channel conductance of about 360 pS in symmetrical concentration of K on both sides of the patch, 150 mM, and had a linear current-voltage relationship. During the application of 10 mM tetraethylammonium (TEA) to the intracellular membrane surface, the amplitude of single channel current was reduced and very rapid flickering appeared. The open probability $(P_0)$ of this channel was increased by increasing positivity of the potential across the patch membrane, with e-fold increase by 20 mV depolarization, and by increasing the internal $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. These findings are consistent with those of large conductance Ca-activated K channels reported in other tissues. But the shortening of the mean open time by increasing $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, was an unexpected result and one additional closed state which might be arisen from a block of the open channel by Ca binding was suggested. The $P_0-membrane$ potential relationship was modulated by internal pH. Decreasing pH reduced $P_0$. Increasing pH not only increased $P_0$ but also weakened the voltage dependency of the channel opening. The modulation of Ca-activated K channel by pH was thought to be related to the mechanism of regulation of vascular tone by the pH change.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.240-248
• /
• 2001

The present study was attempted to investigate the effect of quinine on secretion of catecholamines (CA) etroked by cholinergic stimulation and membrane depolarization from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland. The perfusion of quinine (15-150${\mu}$M) into an adrenal vein for 60 min produced dose- and time-dependent inhibition in CA secretion evoked by ACh ($5.32{\times}10^{-3}M$), high $K^{+}5.6{\times}10^{-2}M$, DMPP ($10^{-4}M$ for 2 min), McN-A-343 ($10^{-4}M$ for 2 min), cyclopiazonic acid ($10^{-5}$ for 4 min) and Bay-K-8644 ($10^{-5}$ M for 4 min). Also, under the presence of pinacidil ($10^{-4}$ M), which is also known to be a selective potassium channel activator, CA secretory responses evoked by ACh, high potassium, DMPP McN-A-343, Bay-K-8644 and cyclopiazonic acid were also greatly reduced. When preloaded along with quinine ($5{\times}10^{-5}M$) and glibenclamide ($10^{-6}$ M), a specific blocker of ATP-regulated potassium channels, CA secretory responses evoked by ACh, high potassium, DMPP McN-A-343, Bay-K-8644 and cyclopiazonic acid were recovered as compared to those of quinine-treatment only. taken together, these results demonstrate that quinine inhibits CA secretion evoked by stimulation of cholinergic (both nicotinic and muscarinic) receptors as well as by membrane depolarization through inhibiting influx of extracellular calcium and release in intracellular calcium in the rat adrenmodullary chromaffin cells. These findings suggest that activation of potassium channels may be involved at least in inhibitory action of quinine on CA secretion from the rat adrenal gland.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.211-216
• /
• 2015

Nitric Oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule in the nociceptive process. Our previous study suggested that high concentrations of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, induce a membrane hyperpolarization and outward current through large conductances calcium-activated potassium ($BK_{ca}$) channels in substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons. In this study, patch clamp recording in spinal slices was used to investigate the sources of $Ca^{2+}$ that induces $Ca^{2+}$-activated potassium currents. Application of SNP induced a membrane hyperpolarization, which was significantly inhibited by hemoglobin and 2-(4-carboxyphenyl) -4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide potassium salt (c-PTIO), NO scavengers. SNP-induced hyperpolarization was decreased in the presence of charybdotoxin, a selective $BK_{Ca}$ channel blocker. In addition, SNP-induced response was significantly blocked by pretreatment of thapsigargin which can remove $Ca^{2+}$ in endoplasmic reticulum, and decreased by pretreatment of dentrolene, a ryanodine receptors (RyR) blocker. These data suggested that NO induces a membrane hyperpolarization through $BK_{ca}$ channels, which are activated by intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ increase via activation of RyR of $Ca^{2+}$ stores.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
• /
• 2003.06a
• /
• pp.25-25
• /
• 2003

Atrial myocytes have two functionally separate $Ca^{2+}$ release sites: those in peripheral sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) adjacent to the $Ca^{2+}$ channels of surface membrane and those in central SR not associated with $Ca^{2+}$ channels. Study on the spatio-temporal properties of focal $Ca^{2+}$ releases (“sparks”) occurring spontaneously in central and peripheral sites of voltage-clamped rat atrial myocytes, using rapid two-dimensional (2-D) confocal $Ca^{2+}$ imaging revealed that peripheral and central sparks were similar in size and release time (~300,000 $Ca^{2+}$ ions for=12 ms), but significantly larger and longer than ventricular sparks. Both sites were resistant to Cd$^{2+}$ and inhibited by ryanodine. Peripheral sparks were brighter and flattened against surface membrane, had ~5-fold higher frequency, ~2 times faster diffusion coefficient, and dissipated abruptly. Central sparks, in contrast, occurred less frequently, were elongated along the cellular longitudinal axis, and dissipated slowly. Compound sparks (composed of 2-5 unitary focal releases) aligned longitudinally, occurred more frequently at the center.at the center.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.59 no.4
• /
• pp.177-183
• /
• 2015

The mechanism of melanogenesis induced by cyclosporin A (CsA) was investigated in B16 melanoma cells. CsA stimulated the production of melanin in a dose-dependent manner in the cells. In addition, CsA increased intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration in a dose-related fashion. Treatment with BAPTA/AM, an intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator significantly inhibited the CsA-induced intracellular melanin synthesis. CsA profoundly induced $Cl^-$ efflux, which was significantly blocked by niflumic acid (NFA) and flufenamic acid (FFA), specific and nonspecific inhibitors of $Ca^{2+}$-activated $Cl^-$ channels (CaCCs), respectively. Furthermore, these inhibitors of CaCCs significantly inhibited the CsA-induced stimulation of melanin synthesis. Taken together, these results suggest that the activation of CaCCs may play an important role in the CsA-induced stimulation of melanin synthesis in B16 cells. These results further suggest that CaCCs may be a good target for the management of hyperpigmentation of the skin reported in the patients treated with CsA.