• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• 제28권6호
• /
• pp.691-698
• /
• 2005

Phlorotannins, the polyphonic compounds found in brown Eisenia and Ecklonia algae, have several pharmacologically beneficial effects such as anti-inflammation. In addition, our recent data show that these compounds may improve the cognitive functions of aged humans suggesting the potential ability to enhance memory in several neurodegenerative disorders. To examine the experimental hypothesis that two effective components of Ecklonia cava, dieckol and phlorofucofuroeckol (PFF), have memory-enhancing abilities, both were administered orally to mice before a passive avoidance test. The repeated administration of either dieckol or PFF dose-dependently reduced the inhibition of latency by the administration of ethanol. To investigate the mode of memory-enhancing actions, the levels of major central neurotransmitters in three different regions (striatum, hippocampus, and frontal cortex) of the mouse brain were measured. The levels of some of the neurotransmitters were significantly changed by ethanol. Both dieckol and PFF altered the levels of some neurotransmitters modified by the ethanol treatment. It is noteworthy that both dieckol and PFF increased the level of acetylcho-line, and they exerted anticholinesterase activities. Overall, the memory-enhancing abilities of dieckol and PFF may result from, at least in part, the increment of the brain level of acetylcho-line by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase.

• 한국응용약물학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국응용약물학회 1994년도 춘계학술대회 and 제3회 신약개발 연구발표회
• /
• pp.88-93
• /
• 1994

The mechanisms controlling the intensity and duration of synaptic transmission are numerous. Once an action potential reaches a nerve terminal, the stored neurotransmitters are released in a quantum fashion into the synaptic cleft. At that point neurotransmitters can act on post-synaptic receptors to elicit an action on the post-synaptic cell or net at so-called auto-receptors that are located on the presynaptic side and which often regulate the further release of the neutotransmitter. Whereas the action of the neurotransmitter receptors is regulated by desensitization phenomenon, the major mechanism by which the intensity and duration of neurotransmitter action is presumably regulated by either its degradation or its removal from the synaptic cleft. In the central nervous system, specialized proteins located in fe plasma membrane of presynaptic terminals function to rapidly remove neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft in a sodium chloride-dependent fashion. These proteins have been referred to as uptake sites or neurotransmitter transporters. Once taken up by the plasma membrane transporters, neurotransmitters are repackaged into secretory vesicles by distinct transporters which depend on a proton gradient.

• 한국연초학회지
• /
• 제27권2호
• /
• pp.212-218
• /
• 2005

Cigarette smoking has been known to have a few beneficial effects on some neuronal diseases such as Alzheimer's disease(AD), Parkinson's disease(PD) and prion disease by scrapie agent shows many similar properties with AD. In this respect, we investigated what biological effects are exerted by cigarette smoke exposure(CSE) in the brain of mouse infected by 87V scrapie. The scrapie agent was inoculated through stereotaxic microinjection of the homogenates of the scrapie agent infected brain into the intracerebral system in the 1M mice. The inoculation into mice typically exhibits neurochemical, physiological and histopathological characteristics of prion disease: loss of neurotransmitters and induction of astrocytosis and vacuolation in brain as well as reduction of spatial movement and loss of body weight. CSE led to alleviated the loss of body weight and also improved spatial movement of the infected mice. Most interestingly, CSE attenuated astrocytosis and vacuolation caused by scrapie infection in the brain. In addition, decreased levels of dopamine in striatal and hypothalamic regions as well as serotonin level in hippocampus caused by scrapie infection were also attenuated by exposure to cigarette smoke. These findings suggest that cigarette smoke, by its inhibition of astrocytosis and vacuolation followed by its restoration of levels of some neurotransmitters, may partly contribute to suppression in the progress of neurodegeneration caused by scrapie infection.

• 대한불안의학회지
• /
• 제2권2호
• /
• pp.79-85
• /
• 2006

Anxiety and anxiety disorders are related to many neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine, serotonine, dopamine, glutamate, and Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter of the CNS, is known to counterbalance the action of the excitatory neurotransmitters and control anxiety. GABA acts on 3 GABA receptor subtypes, $GABA_A$, $GABA_B$, and $GABA_C$. $GABA_A$ and $GABA_c$ receptors are oligomeric transmembrane glycoproteins composed of 5 subunits that are arranged around a central chloride channel. $GABA_B$ receptor comprises two 7-transmembraneis-spanning proteins that are coupled to either calcium or potassium channel via G proteins. This article highlights neurobiological interactions between anxiety and GABA system.

• 대한약리학회지
• /
• 제24권1호
• /
• pp.17-29
• /
• 1988

Lidocaine 투여에 의한 전신경련의 작용기전을 추구하고자 흰쥐의 전체뇌를 또는 선조체, 해마, 및 중뇌를 부위별로 적출하여 synaptosomes를 마련하고 $20{\mu}M$ veratrine또는 $5{\mu}M\;K^+$ 첨가에 의한 신경 전달물질 (Aspartic acid, Glutamic acid, GABA, Norepinephrine)의 유리촉진작용에 미치는 lidocaine, propranolol, norepinephrine 또는 serotonin의 억제효과를 관찰하였고 $[^3H]M$와 $[^3H]-glutamic$ acid의 synaptosomes로의 섭취에 미치는 lidocaine의 영향도 관찰하였다. 아울러 crude synaptic membrane을 이용하여 $[^3H]-GABA$와 $[^3H]-glutamic$ acid의 수용체 결합에 미치는 lidocaine의 작용도 실험하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 1. Lidocaine과 propranolol은 veratrine에 의한 aspartate, glutamate, GABA 및 norepinephrine의 유리를 억제하였고, 그중 GABA 유리에 대한 억제작용이 가장 현저하였다. 2. Norepinephrine과 serotonin은 $100{\mu}M$의 농도에서 veratrine에 의한 aspartate, glutamate 및 GABA의 유리촉진 작용을 억제하였다. 3. Lidocaine은 veratrine에 의한 아미노산 유리촉진 효과에 대해서 보다 과 $K^+$ 에 의한 유리촉진 효과를 더욱 약하게 억제하였고 특히 GABA 유리에 대한 억제작용이 가장 약했다. 4. GABA와 glutamic acid의 수용체 결합과 synaptosomes로의 섭취는 1 mM 이하의 lidocaine농도에서 크게 면화가 없었다. 이상의 결과로 보아 신경전도물질의 veratrine에 의한 유리가 과 $K^+$에 의한 유리보다 더욱 생리적이라는 점을 고려한다면, lidocaine 경련은 lidocaine이 흥분성 전도물질인 aspartate나glutamate보다 억제성 전도물질인 GABA의 유리를 더욱 현저하게 억제함으로서 나타남을 시사한다.

• 분석과학
• /
• 제13권5호
• /
• pp.630-635
• /
• 2000

전기화학검출기를 이용한 HPLC법으로 흰쥐의 뇌 부위별 신경전달물질의 함량을 측정하였고 이것을 이용하여 뇌기능 개선에 빈용되는 원지, 육두구, 산조인, 석창포, 상기생, 맥문동, 몰약의 메탄올 추출물이 에탄올 투여 흰쥐의 뇌 부위별 신경전달 물질의 함량변화에 미치는 영향을 검토하였다. 에탄올 투여에 의해 전피질의 dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid (DOPAC) 및 serotonin (5-HT) 함량이, 해마의 5-HT 함량이 각각 생리식염수 투여군에 비해 증가하였고, 전피질의 ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid(GABA) 함량은 생리식염수 투여군에 비해 감소하였다. 에탄올 투여 흰쥐의 선조체와 전피질의 DA 함량은 생약 추출물의 투여로 증가되는 경향을 보였다. 특히, 몰약 및 상기생은 에탄을 투여 휜쥐의 전피질에서 DA함량은 유의적으로 증가시키는 반면, 5-HT 함량은 유의적으로 감소시키는 것으로 나타났다. 몰약, 육두구, 상기생은 에탄올 투여 흰쥐의 선조체에서 GABA 함량을 유의적으로 감소시켰다. 이러한 결과는 실험에 사용된 생약 추출물의 작용이 에탄올 투여 흰쥐에서 뇌 부위 및 신경전달물질에 대해 선택적으로 나타나고 있음을 보여준다.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• 제27권2호
• /
• pp.163-174
• /
• 1993

Vertebrate retinal neurons, like brain tracts farm complex synaptic relations in the enter and inner plexiform layers which ape equivalent to the central nervous system nuclei. The effects of $\gamma-aminobutyric$ acid(GABA) and glycine on retinal neurons were explored to discern the mechanisms of action of neurotransmitters. Experiments were performed in the superfused retina-eyecup preparation of the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, using intracellular electrophysiological techniques. The roles of GABA and glycine as inhibitory neurotransmitters are well established in the vertebrate retina. But, we found that the depolarizing action of GABA and glycine on third-order neurons in the catfish retina. GABA and glycine appeared to act on retinal ueurons based on the observations that (1) effects on photoreceptors were not observed, (2) horizontal cells were either hyperpolarized $({\sim}33%)$ or depolarized $({\sim}67%)$, (3) bipolar cells were all hyperpolarized (4) amacrine and ganglion cells were either hyperpolarized $({\sim}37%)$ or depolarized $({\sim}63%)$, (5) GABA and glycine may be working to suppress presynaptic inhibition. The results suggest that depolarization of third-order neurons by GABA and glycine is due to at least two mechanisms; a direct postsynaptic effect and an indirect effect. Therefore, in the catfish retina, a mechanism of presynaptic inhibition or disinhibition including the direct postsynaptic effect may exist in the third-order neurons.

• 대한의생명과학회지
• /
• 제26권3호
• /
• pp.217-225
• /
• 2020

Scuttle fly which moves abruptly after standing for a while and stop suddenly to rush off again, is a fly species in the Phoridae family. This species like rotten organic materials and it is known to proliferate even in the industrial materials including organic solvents. These characteristic behaviors of the scuttle fly seem to be related to muscular and nervous system or neurotransmitters. Thus, we focused at the neurotransmitter, corazonin (Crz) that is known to be related to resistance to stress and investigated the developmental process of the neurons in the scuttle fly. Corazonin is a neuropeptide being expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and is known to control mainly physiological functions and behaviors. Its many functions that have been proposed are still in controversy. In this studies, we found that there are three groups of corazoninergic neurons in the larval CNS of the scuttle fly and these neurons undergo distinguishable changes through metamorphic process compared to different fly species. Larva has 3 pairs of Crz neurons at the dorsolateral area of the brain, 1 pair at the dorsomedial brain and 8 pairs at the ventral nerve cord.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• 제6권1호
• /
• pp.21-26
• /
• 2006

The ethanolic extract of Fleurya interrupta Gaud, (Urticaceae) was tested for its possible neuropharmacological effects on experimental animals, For the primary neuropharmacological screening of this plant, the ethanolic extract of its aerial parts was subjected to preliminary evaluation for acute toxicity, antinociceptive activity and central nervous system (CNS) activities. At the doses of 125 and 250 mg/kg, the extract significantly (P < 0.01 and P < 0. 001) and dose-dependently increased the frequency of acetic acid induced writhing in mice. In the pentobarbitone induced sleeping time test, the extract at the above dose levels, significantly and dose-dependently decreased the pentobarbitone induced sleeping time (P < 0.001) and increased the time for onset of sleep (P < 0.001) in mice. In the open field and hole cross tests, test animals showed an increase in their movement in the both tests from the 2nd observation period (30 min) and persisted throughout the entire experimental period (240 min). These results of the extract may attribute a stimulating action on the CNS. On the basis of these findings, it can be assumed that the extract exerts its stimulating effect on the CNS in mice by interfering with the cortical function or increasing the effect of some CNS stimulating neurotransmitters.

• 정신신체의학
• /
• 제9권1호
• /
• pp.81-92
• /
• 2001

스트레스는 여러 가지 정신질환의 병태생리와 관련되는 것으로 알려졌다. 최근 여러 가지 동물 모델이 제시되고 뇌에 대한 연구가 활발해지면서 스트레스의 선경생물학적 기전에 대해 많은 사실이 밝혀지고 있다. 저자들은 동물과 사람을 대상으로 스트레스가 지각되고 대뇌에서 처리되고 신경내분비적 반응으로 전환되는 경로를 밝히고자 했던 최근의 연구들을 고찰하였다. 과거 변연계-시상하부-뇌하수체-부신 축(LHPA axis)과 자율신경계가 스트레스반응의 신경생물학적 담당자로 가장 많이 연구되어 왔으나, 최근에는 노르에피네프린(NE), 세로토닌, GABA/Glutamate, 도파민, 아세틸콜린 등의 신경전달물질과 부신피질자극호르몬방출인자(CRF), arginine vasopressin. glucocorticoid 등의 신경호르몬이 상호작용을 하면서 스트레스반응에 관계되는 것으로 알려지고 있다. 이러한 대뇌의 신경전달체계는 LHPA축과 유기적으로 연관되면서 스트레스반응을 매개하며, 구조적으로도 LHPA축은 해마, 편도 등 다양한 대뇌 부위와 연결된다. LHPA축은 이렇게 중층적으로 조절되는데, 여기에 생기는 이상은 만성 스트레스나 우울증 등 병적 상태와 관련된다. CRF는 LHPA축의 호르몬 역할 이외에 대뇌의 광범위한 부위에 분포하면서 신경전달물질로서 기능하며 다양한 스트레스반응을 매개한다. 스트레스를 주변 자율신경계가 활성화되는데, 청색반점에서 기시하는 NE계가 직접 자극되어 카테콜아민을 분비하기도 하지만, CRF나 다른 신경전달계가 먼저 자극되면서 간접적으로 활성화되기도 한다. 특히 CRF와 NE계는 서로 자극시키는 feed-forward 상호작용을 하며, 이것이 생체가 외부환경의 도전에 맞서 내분비계 뿐만 아니라 중추신경계를 동원하는 데 중요한 역할을 할것으로 보인다. 또한 CRF-NE 상호작용은 불안이나 우울 등 비정상적 스트레스반응의 병태생리를 이해하는 데 중요한 역할을 할 것으로 시사된다. 스트레스반응은 구조적, 신경화학적, 유전적 수준의 다양한 신경생물학적 작용을 통해 일어나며, 이에 대한 연구는 스트레스반응의 병태생리를 밝히고 불안장애, 기분장애 등 정신질환의 원인 규명과 치료에도 크게 기여할 것으로 보인다.