• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.338-348
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• 2000

The present study was attempted to determine the effect of 5'-(N'-ethylcarboxamido) adenosine (NECA), which is an potent $A_2$-adenosine receptor agonist, on catecholamine (CA) secretion evoked by cholinergic stimulation, membrane depolarization and calcium mobilization from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland. NECA (20 nM) perfused into the adrenal vein for 60 min produced a time-related inhibition in CA secretion evoked by ACh (5.32x10$^{-3}$ M), high $K^{+}$(5.6x10$^{-2}$ M), DMPP (10$^{-4}$ M for 2 min), McN-A-343 (10$^{-4}$ M for 2 min), cyclopiazonic acid (10$^{-5}$ M for 4 min) and Bay-K-8644 (10$^{-5}$ M for 4 min). Also, in the presence of $\beta$,${\gamma}$-methylene adenosine-5'-triphosphate (MATP), which is also known to be a selective $P_{2x}$-purinergic receptor agonist, showed a similar inhibition elf CA release evoked by ACh, high potassium, DMPP, McN-A-343, Bay-K-8644 and cyclopiazonic acid. However, in adrenal glands preloaded with 20$\mu$M NECA for 20 min under the presence of 20$\mu$M 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine (IBMX), an adenosine receptors antagonist, CA secretory responses evoked by ACh, high potassium, DMPP, McN-A-343, Bay-K-8644 and cyclopiazonic acid were much recovered in comparison to the case of NECA-treatment only. Taken together, these results indicate that NECA causes the marked inhibition of CA secretion evoked by stimulation of cholinergic (both nicotinic and muscarinic) receptors as well as by membrane depolarization. This inhibitory effect may be mediated by inhibiting influx of extracellular calcium and release in intracellular calcium in the rat adrenomedullary chromaffin cells through the adenosine receptor stimulation. Therefore, it is suggested that the inhibitory mechanism of adenosine receptor stimulation may play a modulatory role in regulating CA secretion.n.n.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.93-100
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• 2019

The root of Panax ginseng is used in ethnomedicine throughout eastern Asia and various recent studies have proved that Panax ginseng has inhibitory effects on cardiovascular disease. Each factor causing cardiovascular disease is known to have a very complex process which is achieved by a diverse number of mechanisms. Among these factors, platelets are the most important because they directly participate in thrombogenesis. Therefore, inhibiting the activity of platelets is an essential element for prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Our previous study showed the antiplatelet effects of Korean red ginseng extract and two of its components, ginsenoside Rg3 and ginsenoside Ro. However, the inhibitory mechanism of other ginsenosides remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the inhibitory mechanism of ginsenoside F4 (G-F4) from Korean red ginseng on the regulation of signaling molecules involved in human platelet aggregation. With the use of G-F4, collagen-induced human platelet aggregation was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner, and it suppressed collagen-induced elevation of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ mobilization through elevated phosphorylation of inositol 1, 4, 5-triphosphate receptor I ($Ser^{1756}$). In addition, G-F4 inhibited fibrinogen binding to ${\alpha}IIb/{\beta}_3$ during collagen-induced human platelet aggregation. Thus, in the present study, G-F4 showed an inhibitory effect on human platelet activation, suggesting its potential use as a new natural medicine for preventing platelet-mediated cardiovascular diseases.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.246-259
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• 1995

This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of action of baclofen on the detrusor muscle isolated from rat. Rats (Sprague-Dawley) were sacrificed by decapitation and exsanguination. Horizontal muscle strips of $2mm{\times}15mm$ were prepared for isometric myography in isolated muscle chamber bubbled with 95% / 5%-$O_2$ / $CO_2$ at $37^{\circ}C$, and the pH was maintained at 7.4. Detrusor strips contracted responding to the electrical field stimulation (EFS) by 2 Hz, 20 msec, monophasic square wave of 60 VDC. The initial peak of EFS-Induced contraction was tended to be suppresed by ${\alpha},{\beta}$-methylene-adenosine 5'-triphosphate (mATP), a partial agonist of purinergic receptor, and baclofen, a $GABA_B$ receptor agonist (statistically nonsignificant). The late sustained contraction by EFS was suppressed significantly (p < 0.05) by additions of atropione, a cholinergic muscarinic receptor antagonist and baclofen. The adenosine 5'-triphosphate-induced contraction was completely abolished by mA TP but not by baclofen. In the presence of atropine, the subsequent addition of acetylcholine could not contract the muscle strips: but the addition of acetylcholine in the presence of baclofen evoked a contraction to a remarkable extent. These results suggest that in the condition of present study, the cholinergic innervation may play a more important role than the purinergic one, and baclofen suppresses the contractility of rat detrusor by the stimulation of the $GABA_B$ receptors to inhibit the release of neurotransmitter from the cholinergic nerve ending.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.109-113
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• 1993

The effects of ginseng total saponins (GTS) on the action of U-50,488H, a $textsc{k}$-opioid receptor agonist, on the electrically induced twitch responses of mouse vats deferens were studied. U-50,488H ($10^9$~$10^{-5}$M) inhibited the twitch contractions in a dose-dependent manner, which were caused by adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) released from the stimulated sympathetic nerve, and this effect was antagonized by naloxone ($10^6$ M). GTS, which itself induced the inhibition of the twitch contractions, acted additively to U-50,488H, GTS and U-50,488H had no effect on the tension of the unstimulated organs. The contractions elicited by ATP were not affected by U-50,488H, but inhibited by GTS. These results suggest that U-50,488H suppressed the twitch contractions by the inhibition of neurotransmitter release from presynaptic nerve terminals via action on opioid receptor, but G75, by inhibiting the action of the neurotransmitter on the smooth muscle.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2008

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is an important extracellular signaling molecule which is involved in a variety of physiological responses in many different tissues and cell types, by acting at P2 receptors, either ionotropic (P2X) or G protein-coupled metabotropic receptors (P2Y). P2X receptors have seven isoforms designated as $P2X_{1^-}P2X_7$. In this study, we investigated the electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of rat $P2X_{1^-}P2X_4$ currents by using whole-cell patch clamp technique in a heterologous expression system. When ATP-induced currents were analyzed in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells following transient transfection of rat $P2X_{1^-}P2X_4$, the currents showed different pharmacological and electrophysiological properties. ATP evoked inward currents with fast activation and fast desensitization in $P2X_{^1-}$ or $P2X_{3^-}$ expressing HEK293 cells, but in $P2X_{2^-}$ or $P2X_{4^-}$ expressing HEK293 cells, ATP evoked inward currents with slow activation and slow desensitization. While PPADS and suramin inhibited $P2X_2$ or $P2X_3$ receptor-mediated currents, they had little effects on $P2X_4$ receptor-mediated currents. Ivermectin potentiated and prolonged $P2X_4$ receptor-mediated currents, but did not affect $P2X_2$ or $P2X_3$ receptor-mediated currents. We suggest that distinct pharmacological and electrophysiological properties among P2X receptor subtypes would be a useful tool to determine expression patterns of P2X receptors in the nervous system including trigeminal sensory neurons and microglia.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.470-479
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• 2019

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are pacemaker cells that exhibit periodic spontaneous depolarization in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and generate pacemaker potentials. In this study, we investigated the effects of ghrelin and motilin on the pacemaker potentials of ICCs isolated from the mouse small intestine. Using the whole-cell patch-clamp configuration, we demonstrated that ghrelin depolarized pacemaker potentials of cultured ICCs in a dose-dependent manner. The ghrelin receptor antagonist [D-Lys] GHRP-6 completely inhibited this ghrelin-induced depolarization. Intracellular guanosine 5'-diphosphate-${\beta}$-S and pre-treatment with $Ca^{2+}$-free solution or thapsigargin also blocked the ghrelin-induced depolarization. To investigate the involvement of inositol triphosphate ($IP_3$), Rho kinase, and protein kinase C (PKC) in ghrelin-mediated pacemaker potential depolarization of ICCs, we used the $IP_3$ receptor inhibitors 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate and xestospongin C, the Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632, and the PKC inhibitors staurosporine, Go6976, and rottlerin. All inhibitors except rottlerin blocked the ghrelin-induced pacemaker potential depolarization of ICCs. In addition, motilin depolarized the pacemaker potentials of ICCs in a similar dose-dependent manner as ghrelin, and this was also completely inhibited by [D-Lys] GHRP-6. These results suggest that ghrelin induced the pacemaker potential depolarization through the ghrelin receptor in a G protein-, $IP_3$-, Rho kinase-, and PKC-dependent manner via intracellular and extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ regulation. In addition, motilin was able to depolarize the pacemaker potentials of ICCs through the ghrelin receptor. Therefore, ghrelin and its receptor may modulate GI motility by acting on ICCs in the murine small intestine.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1032-1041
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• 2006

Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) affects the function of many tissues and cells. To confirm the biological activity of ATP on human myeloid leukemic cells, F-36P and HL-60, cells were treated with a variety of concentrations of ATP. The stimulation with extracellular ATP induced the arrest of cell proliferation and cell death. from the analysis of Annexin-V staining and caspase activity by flow cytometry. The Annexin-V positive cells in both cell lines were dramatically increased following ATP stimulation. The expression of P2 purinergic receptor genes was confirmed, such as P2X1, P2X4, P2X5, P2X7 and P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y4, P2Y5, P2Y6, P2Y11 in both leukemic cell lines. Interestingly, ATP induced intracellular calcium flux in HL-60 cells but not in F-36P cells, as determined by Fluo-3 AM staining. Cell cycle analysis revealed that ATP treatment arrested both F-36P and HL-60 cells at G1/G0. Taken together, these data showed that extracellular ATP via P2 receptor genes was involved in the cell proliferation and survival in human myeloid leukemic cells, HL-60 and F-36P cells by the induction of apoptosis and control of cell cycle. Our data suggest that treatment with extracellular nucleotides may be a novel and powerful therapeutic avenue for myeloid leukemic disease.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.252-261
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• 2019

The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is known to induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest via the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in many types of cancers. However, the roles of DHA in drug-resistant cancer cells have not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effects of DHA in cisplatin-resistant gastric cancer SNU-601/cis2 cells. DHA was found to induce ROS-dependent apoptosis in these cells. The inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor ($IP_3R$) blocker 2-aminoethyl diphenylboninate (2-APB) reduced DHA-induced ROS production, consequently reducing apoptosis. We also found that G-protein-coupled receptor 120 (GPR120), a receptor of long-chain fatty acids, is expressed in SNU-601/cis2 cells, and the knockdown of GPR120 using specific shRNAs alleviated DHA-mediated ROS production and apoptosis. GPR120 knockdown reduced the expression of ER stress response genes, similar to the case for the pre-treatment of the cells with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), an ROS scavenger, or 2-APB. Indeed, the knockdown of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), a transcription factor that functions under ER stress conditions, markedly reduced DHA-mediated apoptosis, indicating that CHOP plays an essential role in the anti-cancer activity of DHA. These results suggest that GPR120 mediates DHA-induced apoptosis by regulating $IP_3R$, ROS, and ER stress levels in cisplatin-resistant cancer cells, and that GPR120 is an effective chemotherapeutic target for cisplatin resistance.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.269-280
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• 2003

Objective: We reported the overcoming effect of $Ni^{2+}$ on the in vitro 2-cell block of mouse embryos. In this study, we aim to investigate whether $Ni^{2+}$ should induce intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ transient in the mouse embryos. Materials and Methods: Embryos were collected at post hCG 32hr from the oviduct of the ICR mouse and cultured in M2 medium omitted phenol red. Intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ was checked by using a confocal laser scanning microscope and fluo-3AM by using various intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ antagonists. Results: In 1mM $Ni^{2+}$ treated medium which contained $Ca^{2+}$(1.71mM), 75.7% of the embryos showed $[Ca^{2+}]i$ transient about 200 sec later. In the $Ca^{2+}$-free medium, 69.8% of the embryos showed $[Ca^{2+}]i$ transient. In U73122, phospholipaseC(PLC) inhibitor (5uM, 10min) pretreated group, 33.3% of the embryos showed $[Ca^{2+}]i$ transient. Heparine, inositol 1, 4, 5-triphosphate receptor(IP3R) antagonist preinjected embryos showed no response with 1mM $Ni^{2+}$. In danthrolene treatment, ryanodine receptor(RyR)-antagonist, 43% embryos showed $[Ca^{2+}]i$ transient but they showed delayed response about 340sec in the presence of $Ca^{2+}$. Conclusions: Summing up the above results, $Ni^{2+}$ seems to induce $Ca^{2+}$-release from the $Ca^{2+}$-store even in the $Ca^{2+}$-free medium. IP3 receptors of the mouse 2-cell embryos might have an essential role for the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ increase by $Ni^{2+}$.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.178.3-178.3
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• 2003

P2X receptors are ligand gated cation channels activated by the binding of extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and classified into 7 subtype families. $P2X_1$ receptors are abundantly expressed in smooth muscle mediates blood vessel and mediate constriction upon binding of neuronal ATP. The activation of $P2X_3$ receptor by ATP has been known to initiate the pain signaling in the peripheral nervous system, which is involved in chronic inflammatory nociception and neuropathic pain by nerve injury. (omitted)