• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.148-149
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• 1998

It has been known that potassium channel openers are a new class of molecules that have attracted general interest because of their potent antihypertensive activity in vivo and vasorelaxant activity in vitro (Hamilton and Weston, 1989). In the present study, it was attempted to examine the effect of the potassium channel opener on catecholamine (CA) secretion evoked by cholinergic stimulation, membrane depolarization and calcium mobilization from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland. The perfusion of pinacidil (30-300 uM) into an adrenal vein for 20 min produced relatively dose-dependent inhibition in CA secretion evoked by ACh (5.32 mM), high $K^{+}$ (56 mM), DMPP (100 uM for 2 min), McN-A-343 (100 uM for 2 min), cyclopiazonic acid (10 uM for 4 min) and Bay-K-8644 (10 uM for 4 min). Also, under the presence of minoxidil (100 uM), which is also known to be a potassium channel activator, CA secretory responses evoked by ACh, high potassium, DMPP, McN-A-343, Bay-K-8644 and cyclopiazonic acid were also significantly depressed. However, in adrenal glands preloaded with pinacidil (100 uM) under the presence of glibenclamide (1 uM), an antidiabetic sulfonylurea that has been shown to be a specific blocker of ATP-regulated potassium channels (for 20 min), CA secretory responses evoked by ACh, high potassium, DMPP, McN-A-343, Bay-K-8644 and cyclopiazonic acid were considerably recovered to a considerable extent of the normal release as compared to that of pinacidil only. These results, taken together, suggest that pinacidil cause the marked inhibition of CA secretion evoked by stimulation of cholinergic (both nicotinic and muscarinic) receptors as well as by membrane depolarization, indicating strongly that this effect may be mediated by inhibiting influx of extracellular calcium and release in intracellular calcium in the rat adrenomedullary chromaffin cells. Furthermore, these findings suggest strongly that these potassium channel openers-sensitive membrane potassium channels also play an important role in regulating CA secretion.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.529-539
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• 1998

The effects of membrane surface charge originated from lipid head groups on ion channels were tested by analyzing the activity of single large conductance $Ca^{2+}-activated\;K^+$ (maxi K) channel from rat skeletal muscle. The conductances and open-state probability ($P_o$) of single maxi K channels were compared in three types of planar lipid bilayers formed from a neutral phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) or two negatively-charged phospholipids, phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylinositol (PI). Under symmetrical KCl concentrations $(3{\sim}1,000\;mM)$, single channel conductances of maxi K channels in charged membranes were $1.1{\sim}1.7$ times larger than those in PE membranes, and the differences were more pronounced at the lower ionic strength. The average slope conductances at 100 mM KCl were $251{\pm}9.9$, $360{\pm}8.7$ and $356{\pm}12.4$ $(mean{\pm}SEM)$ pS in PE, PS and PI membranes respectively. The potentials at which $P_o$ was 1/2, appeared to have shifted left by 40 mV along voltage axis in the membranes formed with PS or PI. Such shift was consistently seen at pCa 5, 4.5, 4 and 3.5. Estimation of the effect of surface charge from these data indicated that maxi K channels sensed the surface potentials at a distance of $8{\sim}9\;{\AA}$ from the membrane surface. In addition, similar insulation distance ($7{\sim}9\;{\AA}$) of channel mouth from the bilayer surface charge was predicted by a 3-barrier-2-site model of energy profile for the permeation of $K^+$ ions. In conclusion, despite the differences in structure and fluidity of phospholipids in bilayers, the activities of maxi K channels in two charged membranes composed of PS or PI were strikingly similar and larger than those in bilayers of PE. These results suggest that the enhancement of conductance and $P_o$ of maxi channels is mostly due to negative charges in the phospholipid head groups.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.81-89
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• 1997

Urban river needs continuous observation for the river conservation because river surrounding environment sensitivly is changed by human activity. In order to grasp the effect of human activity against Taebaek river in Chunchon city, this research analysed the channel shape change, fluctuation volume and bias degree over five times, for June, 1993 to June, 1996. The results were as follows : 1. The change of channel shape on each surveying time mainly occurred in June, 1996 and maximum deposition. $1,247m^3$ occurred on 19~20 section, maximum scouring, $340m^3$ occurred on 6~7 section, 2. When comparing with June, 1993, increased deposition volume of channelbed was about $4,600m^3$ in June, 1996, 3. The bias degree of channel mainly occurred in June, 1996 of surveying times and at 6, 7, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 line of surveying lines.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.45-45
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• 2003

We isolated a novel ankyrin-repeat containing protein, rSIAP (rSlo Interacting Ankyrin-repeat Protein), as an interacting protein to the cytosolic domain of the alpha-subunit of rat large-conductance Ca$\^$2+/-activated K$\^$+/ channel (rSlo) by yeast two-hybrid screening. Affinity pull-down assay showed the direct and specific interaction between rSIAP and rSlo domain. The channel-binding proteins can be classified into several categories according to their functional effects on the channel proteins, i.e. signaling adaptors, scaffolding net, molecular tuners, molecular chaperones, etc. To obtain initial clues on its functional roles, we investigated the cellular localization of rSIAP using immunofluorescent staining. The results showed the possible co-localization of rSlo and rSIAP protein near the plasma membrane, when co-expressed in CHO cells. We then investigated the functional effects of rSIAP on the rSlo channel using electrophysiological means. The co-expression of rSIAP accelerated the activation of rSlo channel. These effects were initiated at the micromolar [Ca$\^$2+/]$\_$i/ and gradually increased as [Ca$\^$2+/]$\_$i/ raised. Interestingly, rSIAP decreased the inactivation kinetics of rSlo channel at micromolar [Ca$\^$2+/]$\_$i/, while the rate was accelerated at sub-micromolar [Ca$\^$2+/]$\_$i/. These results suggest that rSIAP may modulate the activity of native BK$\_$Ca/ channel by altering its gating kinetics depending on [Ca$\^$2+/]$\_$i/. To localize critical regions involved in protein-protein interaction between rSlo and rSIAP, a series of sub-domain constructs were generated. We are currently investigating sub-domain interaction using both of yeast two-hybrid method and in vitro binding assay.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.219-227
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• 2019

Polycystic kidney disease 2-like-1 (PKD2L1), polycystin-L or transient receptor potential polycystin 3 (TRPP3) is a TRP superfamily member. It is a calcium-permeable non-selective cation channel that regulates intracellular calcium concentration and thereby calcium signaling. Although the calmodulin (CaM) inhibitor, calmidazolium, is an activator of the PKD2L1 channel, the activating mechanism remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to clarify whether CaM takes part in the regulation of the PKD2L1 channel, and if so, how. With patch clamp techniques, we observed the current amplitudes of PKD2L1 significantly reduced when co-expressed with CaM and $CaM{\triangle}N$. This result suggests that the N-lobe of CaM carries a more crucial role in regulating PKD2L1 and guides us into our next question on the different functions of two lobes of CaM. We also identified the predicted CaM binding site, and generated deletion and truncation mutants. The mutants showed significant reduction in currents losing PKD2L1 current-voltage curve, suggesting that the C-terminal region from 590 to 600 is crucial for maintaining the functionality of the PKD2L1 channel. With PKD2L1608Stop mutant showing increased current amplitudes, we further examined the functional importance of EF-hand domain. Along with co-expression of CaM, ${\triangle}EF$-hand mutant also showed significant changes in current amplitudes and potentiation time. Our findings suggest that there is a constitutive inhibition of EF-hand and binding of CaM C-lobe on the channel in low calcium concentration. At higher calcium concentration, calcium ions occupy the N-lobe as well as the EF-hand domain, allowing the two to compete to bind to the channel.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.253-258
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• 2006

LDD175(4-choloro-7-trifluoromethyl-10H-benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]indole-l-carboxylic acid) is one of benzofuroindole derivatives that act as a potent $BK_{Ca}$ channel openers. In the process of testing LDD175 as a new drug candidate, an acute toxicity study was carried out in mice. The mice were administered LDD175 intraperitoneally at dose of 0.2, 1, 10, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800mg/kg and orally at dose of 10, 100, 400, 800mg/kg body weight. After administering LDD175, the vital organs such as the liver, kidney and spleen were carefully observed for any significant pathological features or differences from the norm over a l4-day period. LDD175 did not induce any short-term toxicity at doses less than 100mg/kg. A $LD_{50}$ of LDD175 was 2493mg/kg in male mice and 4908mg/kg in female mice. Weight reduction was observed at a dose of 800mg/kg in male, and 400 and 800mg/kg in female. The kidney weight decreased in females after an intraperitoneal injection of LDD175 high dose(>400mg/kg, i.p.), and the spleen weight increased in the male(800mg/kg, i.p.) and female(400mg/kg, i.p.) mice. Inspite of the change in organ weights, there were neither histopathological changes nor any gross morphological abnormalities detected in any organ. LDD175 did not produce significant changes in the general behavior at doses of <200mg/kg, but decreased locomotor activity was observed at an intraperitoneal dose of 400mg/kg. Its effects on the locomotor activity and activity on the rotarod were tested and compared with the effects of diazepam 5mg/kg. The decrement in the locomotor activity and the activity on the rotarod induced by LDD175 was less serious than it by diazepam.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.69-70
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• 2006

Purpose: Panaxadiols are more potent than panaxatriols as far as insulin secretory activity is concerned. In this study, we examined insulin secretory activity and mechanism of compound K (CK), a major intestinal bacterial metabolite of ginsenosides. Method: Insulin secretory activity of CK was examined using pancreatic beta cells and in Oral Glucose Tolerance Test assay. In addition, insulin secretory mechanism was studied in terms of calcium dependent or independent pathways. Results: In vitro, CK enhanced the insulin secretion concentration-dependently when compared to glucose-stimulated control cells. Insulin secretory mechanism of CK seems to block ATP sensitive K channels, which was confirmed by diazoxide (K channel opener) but, insulin resistance ameliorating activity of CK can't be ruled out. In vivo, CK showed hypoglycemic effect in OGTT.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 1999.06a
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• pp.126-129
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• 1999

In this paper, it is assumed that a mobile radio channel is a Rayleigh distributed multipath fading channel and Erlang capacity and equivalent channel numbers are calculated for the reverse link of a imperfect power controlled DS/CDMA cellular system considering both shadowing and multipath fading. The DS/CDMA blocking probability is calculated based on a new analysis method that considers Erlang capacity and ICF(interference correction factor) using the median value of $E_{b(i)}$/ $I_{o}$ corresponding to each reverse link user. It is showed that the effect of multipath fading must not be ignored in Erlang capacity of the IS-95 DS/CDMA cellular system and the Erlang capacity is decreased according to the increase of the deviation of the imperfect power control, to the decrease of the processing gain, to the increase of the voice activity.y.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.845-855
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• 2015

To enable the coexistence of Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) and Wi-Fi in 5 GHz unlicensed bands, a new channel access mechanism is proposed. Accounting for the fairness between LAA and Wi-Fi, the proposed mechanism finds the optimal transmission time ratio by adaptively adjusting the transmission durations for LAA and Wi-Fi. In addition, we propose a new analytical model for the distributed coordination function of IEEE 802.11 through some modifications of conventional analytical models for saturation and non-saturation loads. By computing the activity ratio of Wi-Fi, the proposed analytical model is able to control the time ratio between LAA and Wi-Fi, which is required for practical implementation of the proposed access mechanism. Through numerical simulations, the proposed channel access mechanism is compared with conventional methods in terms of throughput and utility.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.1033-1043
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• 1999

We consider an improved multicarrier(MC) CDMA system that combines both DS-CDMA with a concatenated orthogonal/PN spreading sequence and MC modulation. This system incorporates the advantages of DS-CDMA with a concatenated sequence to achieve large user capacity and MC modulation technique to combat the effects of a multipath fading channel and intersymbol interference(ISI). Considering voice activity and imperfect sectorization, the system performance is analysed for the maximal ratio combiner(MRC) under a multicell, multiuser, and multipath Rayleigh/Rician fading channels. The performance of the system is improved much more for the single path fading channel compared to the multipath fading channel. Also the system is shown to have the more improved average bit error rate(BER) over the orthogonal MC-CDMA with the conventional PN sequence.