• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.1091-1097
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• 2002

Capacitated goat spermatozoa generated diacyl glycerol (DAG) when suspended in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate medium and induced by progesterone or $Ca^{2+}$ ionophore A23187. We have added Sn-1-oleoyl-2-acetyl glycerol externally, to study the effect of DAG in goat sperm acrosomal exocytosis. Addition of neomycin abolished the DAG generating capacity of progesterone in a dose dependent manner, suggesting the involvement of a phosphoinositidase C activated phospholipase C system in the process. The level of increase in phosphatidic acid was considerably low and was produced well after the DAG generation thereby suggesting the involvement of a DAG kinase which phosphorylates DAG to produce PA. The inhibition of progesterone mediated effect by inhibitors of $GABA_A/Cl^{-}$ channel and $Ca^{2+}$ channels further supports the evidence that the events of binding of agonist to the receptor(s), opening of $Ca^{2+}$ channels and the activation of phospholipase C are reconciled to perform the function of acrosome reaction in capacitated goat spermatozoa.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.263-269
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• 1994

Involvement of ethylene and Ca2+ on the induction of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) was investigated in Daucus carota L. suspension culture system. Ethylene production started to increase about 3 h after glucan treatment. And the maximal induction of ethylene was preceded by PAL induction by 30 min. After the treatment of ethrel, PAL activity was increased. When cells were treated with glucan and Co2+, PAL activity was simultaneously reduced. Ethylene production was reduced dramatically in calcium-free medium, even though glucan was treated. PAL activity and ethylene producton was inhibited conspicuously when ethylene glycolbis($\beta$-aminoethyl ether) N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) was treated with glucan. Verapamil and trifluoperazine also inhibited PAL activity. When cells were treated with calcium ionophore A23187, PAL activity was increased in nontreated medium. We report here PAl activity is increased in related to ethylene production and involvement of Ca2+ in glucan-treated carrot suspension cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2008

Clotrimazole (CLT), a potent antifungal drug, is known to inhibit tumor cell proliferation. In the present study, we examined the role of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ in CLT-induced cell cycle arrest of colon adenocarcinoma HT29 cells. CLT inhibited growth of HT29 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, which was associated with inhibition of cell cycle progression at the G(1)-S phase transition and an increase in the expression of cell cycle inhibitor proteins p27 and p53. CLT also suppressed the $Ca^{2+}$ overload by A23187, a calcium ionophore, suggesting its role in modulation of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration in HT29 cells. The simultaneous application of CLT and A23187 with addition of $CaCl_2$ (1mM) to the medium significantly reversed CLT-induced p27 and p53 protein level increase and growth suppression. Our results suggest that CLT induces cell cycle arrest of colon adenocarcinoma HT29 cells via induction of p27 and p53, which may, at least in part, be mediated by alteration of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ level.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.463-469
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• 2000

It has been well known that 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) has an excitatory effect on vascular smooth muscle due to causing membrane depolarization by blocking $K^+-channel$. However, we observed that 4-AP had an inhibitory effect on the mesenteric artery of rat. Therefore, we investigated the mechanism of 4-AP-induced vasorelaxation. The mesenteric arcuate artery and its branches were isolated and cut into ring. The ring segment was immersed in HEPES-buffered solution and its isometric tension was measured. 4-AP $(0.1{\sim}10\;mM)$ induced a concentration-dependent relaxation, which was unaffected by NO synthase inhibitor, $N^G-nitro-L-arginine$ methylester $(100\;{\mu}M)$ or soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, methylene blue $(100\;{\mu}M).$ Glibenclamide $(100\;{\mu}M)$, ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channel blocker, did not exert any effect on the 4-AP-induced vasorelaxation. 4-AP relaxed the sustained contraction induced by 100 mM $K^+$ or $Ca^{2+}$ ionophore, A23187 $(100\;{\mu}M)$ in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, 4-AP significantly decreased the phasic contractile response to norepinephrine in the absence of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$. However, 4-AP did not block the $^{45}Ca$ influx of rat aorta. From the above results, we suggest that 4-AP may not block the $Ca^{2+}$ influx through $Ca^{2+}-channel,$ but act as a nonspecific vasorelaxant in arterial smooth muscle.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.189-194
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• 1996

The effects of scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus, Lqh) venom were evaluated on the activities of microsomal $Ca^{2+}-ATPase$ and $Ca^{2+}$ release channel prepared from the epithelial cells of pig airway. Whole venom of Lqh $(120\;{\mu}g/ml)$ increased the activity of microsomal $Ca^{2+}-ATPase$ about 32% in the tight-sealed microsomes and about 28% in the Triton X-100-treated or $Ca^{2+}$ ionophore A23187-treated leaky microsomes. Thapsigargin, a specific antagonist of $Ca^{2+}-ATPase$, inhibited 42% of total ATPase activity and also completely blocked the effects of Lqh venom, suggesting that Lqh venom directly activiates the microsomal $Ca^{2+}-ATPase$. In order to determine if Lqh venom increases the microsomal uptake of $^{45}Ca^{2+}$, Lqh venom was added in the uptake medium. The Lqh venom increased microsomal $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ uptake up to ${\sim}20%$ and the increase was only observed when heparin, an antagonist of $InsP_3$ receptor channel, was added in the uptake medium. Lqh venom in the absence of heparin unexpectedly decreased the rate and the amount of $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ uptake. These results were explained by simultaneous increases in $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ release as well as $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ uptake by Lqh venom. Lqh venom itself increased the release of $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ as much as $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ release by $4\;{\mu}m\;InsP_3$, implying that Lqh venom also activates $InsP_3$ receptor, microsomal $Ca^{2+}$ release channel. Based on these results, we suggest that the Lqh venom consists of at least two components; one activates the $InsP_3$ receptor and the other avates the $Ca^{2+}-ATPase$. Currently we a investigating the chemical and electrophysiological properties of the active components of Lqh venom.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.241-248
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• 1998

Effects of A23187 on estradiol$-17^{\beta}$-induced vitellogenin (VTG) induction were electrophore-tically examined in primary hepatocyte cultures in rainbow trout. hepatocytes were predultured for 2 days and then estradiol-$17^{\beta}$(E2, $2{\times}10^{-6}$M) and calcium ionophore (A23187, $10^{-7)$~$10^{-5}$ M) were added to the incubation medium. The hepatocytes were cultured for 7 more days. In addition, effects of A23187 on $E_2$-primed VTG production were investigated for 7 days. The addition of A23187 ($10^{-7)$~$10^{-5}$M) to the incubation medium specifically reduced VTG production by hepatocytes in a concentration-dependent way. The addition of A23187 significantly reduced the rate of $E_2$-primed VTG production to 18% of the control (E2 only) on Day 7. However, $E_2$-primed VTG production was reduced to 47% of the control by withdrawal of $E_2$ from the incubation medium. Therefore, these results suggest that intracellualr sequestered calcium could regulate VTG synthesis at the translational and/or post-translational stage.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.202-208
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• 1997

In order to investigate the mechanisms of epithelial ion transports, microsomes of soybean roots were prepared and the activity of microsomal ATPases was measured by an enzyme-coupled assay. The effects of various ions were evaluated on the total activity of microsomal ATPases and the average activity was 190 nmol/min/mg protein in the control solution containing $10\;mM\;Na^+\;and\;120\;mM\;K^+$. The activities were increased to 150% and decreased to 63% of the control activity in the solution containing $130\;mM\;K^+$ without $Na^+$ and in the solution containing $130\;mM{\;}Na^+$ without $K^+$, respectively. In general, the activity of microsomal ATPase was increased by$K^+$ in a concentration-dependent manner The activity was also increased at lower pH and relatively higher activities were observed in the pH range of $6{\sim}7$. However, the activity was decreased at weak alkaline $pH\;and{\sim}80%$ of the activity was inhibited at pH 9. Since intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ has been known to control the activity of various enzymes, we have investigated the effects of intra-and extrarnicrosomal $Ca^{2+}$ on the activity of microsomal ATPases. The maximal activity was obtained at the extrarnicrosomal $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations below 1 nM. The activity was gradually decreased by increasing $‘Ca^{2+}’$ concentration and 50% inhibition was observed at ${\sim}500{\;}{\mu}M{\;}Ca^{2+}$. The increase in luminal $Ca^{2+}$ concentration also inhibited the activity of microsomal ATPase. When the influx of external $Ca^{2+}$ was induced by $Ca^{2+}$ ionophore A23187 treatment, the activity was decreased by 30%; however, it was recovered by EGTA-induced chelation of $Ca^{2+}$. These results suggest that the presence of $Ca^{2+}$ regulation sites on both cytoplasmi and luminal sides of microsomal ATPases.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2009

The current study was designed to evaluate the effects of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated with a xanthine (X) and xanthine oxidase system (XO) on sperm function and DNA fragmentation in porcine spermatozoa. ROS were produced by a combination of $1,000{\mu}M$ X and 50 mU/ml XO. The ROS scavengers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) (200 U/ml) and catalase (CAT) (500 U/ml) were also tested. Spermatozoa were incubated for 2 hours in BWW medium with a combination of X-XO supplemented with or without antioxidants at $37^{\circ}C$ under 5% $CO_2$ incubator. Ca-ionophore-induced acrosome reaction, the proportion of swollen spermatozoa under hypo-osmotic condition, malondialdehyde formation for the analysis of lipid peroxidation, and the proportion of DNA fragmentation were determined after 2 hours incubation. The action of ROS on porcine spermatozoa resulted in decreased Ca-ionophore-induced acrosome reaction and membrane integrity, increased the formation of malondialdehyde, and the proportion of sperm with DNA fragmentation(p<0.05). The toxic effects caused by ROS were completely alleviated by CAT in terms of sperm function and characteristics, however SOD did not serve the same scavenger effect as CAT. To conclude, the ROS can cause significant damage to porcine sperm functions and characteristics, which can be minimized by the use of antioxidants.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 1989

Alteration of intracellular calcium ion Concentration by adding of either calcium ionophore A23187 or EGTA in culture medium at 24 hr after cell plating resulted in remarkable changes in the progression of differentiation of chick embryo myoblast. When separated myoblast proteins using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, synthesis patterns of several proteins changed upon the addition of either A23187 or EGTA. Treatment of A23187 and calciumactivated neutral protease at 24 hr after initial plating caused an increase in the rate of fusion compared to control culture. However, EGTA inhibited the myoblast fusion to a marked degree. A23187 treated at 24hr also increased the activity of protein kinase C during the fusionprogressed period. It seems that intracellular calcium ion plays an important role in the myoblast differentiation in vitro together with the protein kinase C and calcium-activated neutral protease.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 1997

An experiment was conducted to clarify the effects of dietary supplementation of monensin or salinomycin on mineral utilization of growing goats. Six goats weighing 10.54 kg initially were randomly assigned to treatments in a replicated $3{\times}3$ Latin square design. Treatments were a basal diet, basal plus 30 ppm monensin and basal plus 20 ppm salinomycin on a DM basis. The basal diet was a mixture of Italian ryegrass wafer, soybean meal, ground maize and $CaCO_3$ with DM proportions of 50, 13.76, 36 and 0.24%, respectively. Each period lasted for 21 days, and the apparent absorption and retention of minerals were measured during the last 7 days of each period. Salinomycin supplementation improved NDF digestibility and plasma glucose. The apparent absorption and retention of Ca, P, Mg, Na and K were not influenced by the treatments. The concentrations of plasma Ca, P, Mg, Na, K and Cl were similar in all treatments. The ionophore supplementation had no significant effect on acid excretion. The results suggest that 30 ppm monensin or 20 ppm salinomycin supplementation is not effective in improving the utilization of Ca, P, Mg, Na and K in growing goats fed a diet composed of the 50% concentrate.