• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.389-397
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• 2004

The therapeutic efficacy of xylamine in the field of psychological medicine has been recognized for years and the drug is used to treat depression and some other conditions, but little is known about its mechanism of action on vascular system. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the influence of xylamine on the contractile responses of isolated rat thoracic arteries to phenylephrine(PE) and potassium chloride(KCl). Xylamine produced a concentration-dependent relaxation in PE-precontracted endothelium intact(+E) rat aortic rings, but not in a KCl-precontracted aortic rings. Also, xylamine inhibited the PE-induced contraction in concentration-dependent manner, but not in the high KCl-induced contraction in +E rings. This concentration-dependent inhibition was suppressed by the removal of the endothelium (-E). The inhibitory effects of xylamine($0.3{\mu}M$) on the PE-induced contractions were suppressed by N(G)-nitro-L-arginine(L-NNA), N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester(L-NAME), aminoguanidine, dexamethasone, methylene blue, 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo [4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one(ODQ), indomethacin, ryanodine, tetrabutylammonium(TBA), lidocaine, procaine and 0 mM extracellular $Na^+$, but not by 2-nitro-4-carboxyphenyl-n,n-diphenylcarbamate(NCDC), lithium, nifedipine, verapamil, 0 mM extracellular $Ca^{2+}$, glibenclamide and clotrimazole. These findings suggest that xylamine could act as a vasorelaxant and direct inhibitor of arterial contraction. This vasorelaxation involves an endothelial nitric oxide (NO)/cGMP (guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate) pathway or cyclooxygenase system, and an interference with $Ca^{2+}$ release, TBA-sensitive $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels and $Na^+$$ channels.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.45-52
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• 2017

Calcium has versatile roles in diverse physiological functions. Among these functions, intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ plays a key role during the secretion of salivary glands. In this review, we introduce the diverse cellular components involved in the saliva secretion and related dynamic intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ signals. Calcium acts as a critical second messenger for channel activation, protein translocation, and volume regulation, which are essential events for achieving the salivary secretion. In the secretory process, $Ca^{2+}$ activates $K^+$ and $Cl^-$ channels to transport water and electrolyte constituting whole saliva. We also focus on the $Ca^{2+}$ signals from intracellular stores with discussion about detailed molecular mechanism underlying the generation of characteristic $Ca^{2+}$ patterns. In particular, inositol triphosphate signal is a main trigger for inducing $Ca^{2+}$ signals required for the salivary gland functions. The biphasic response of inositol triphosphate receptor and $Ca^{2+}$ pumps generate a self-limiting pattern of $Ca^{2+}$ efflux, resulting in $Ca^{2+}$ oscillations. The regenerative $Ca^{2+}$ oscillations have been detected in salivary gland cells, but the exact mechanism and function of the signals need to be elucidated. In future, we expect that further investigations will be performed toward better understanding of the spatiotemporal role of $Ca^{2+}$ signals in regulating salivary secretion.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.71-81
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• 1988

Glutamate and aspartate may evoke an increase in membrane permeability to monovalent cations and $Ca^{++}$. However, it is uncertain whether $Ca^{++}$ influx is mediated by voltage dependent $Ca^{++}$ channels or by excitatory amino acid activated channels. In addition, the influences of excitatory amino acids on $Ca^{++}$ uptake by neuronal tissues as well as the responses of their actions to extracellular $Mg^{++}$ concentration are different. $K^{+}$ induced $Ca^{++}$ uptake by synaptosomes was dependent on extracellular $Mg^{++}$ up to 5 mM and at concentration of 10 mM, $Ca^{++}$ influx was rather reduced. In $Na^{+}$ rich media, glutamate-and aspartate-induced $Ca^{++}$ uptake was increased by $Mg^{++}$ in a dose independent manner. However, the response for NMDA was inhibited by $Mg^{++}$ at concentrations above 2 mM. $K^+$-and glutamate-induced $Ca^{++}$ influx s were inhibited by 2,4-dinitrophenol, chlorprom-azine and verapamil but not by tetraethylammonium chloride. Tetrodotoxin effectively inhibited the action of glutamate but did not affect that of $K^+$. The response for MNDA was inhibited by 2, 4-dinitrophenol and tetrodotoxin, slightly inhibited by verapamil, and not affected by tetraethylammonium chloride. In $Na^{++}$ rich medium, depolarizing action of glutamate, aspartate and MNDA on synaptosomes was not demonstrated, whereas these agents stimulated $Ca^{++}$ uptake and caused $Ca^{++}$ influx induced depolarization at mitochondria. On the other hand, the activities of synaptosomal ATPases were not affected by excitatory amino acids at 5 mM. The results suggest that glutamate or NMDA induced $Ca^{++}$ influx at synaptosomes exhibits different responses for extracellular $Mg^{++}$ Ex citatory amino acids induced $Ca^{++}$ influx at synaptosomes may be associated with increased permeability of membrane for $Na^{++}$ and $Ca^{++}$ except $K^{++}$ and membrane depolarization due to increased ionic permeability.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.66-74
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• 2021

Background: Abnormal chloride (Cl-) transport has a detrimental impact on mucociliary clearance in both cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-CF chronic rhinosinusitis. Ginseng is a medicinal plant noted to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. The present study aims to assess the capability of red ginseng aqueous extract (RGAE) to promote transepithelial Cl- secretion in nasal epithelium. Methods: Primary murine nasal septal epithelial (MNSE) [wild-type (WT) and transgenic CFTR-/-], fisher-rat-thyroid (FRT) cells expressing human WT CFTR, and TMEM16A-expressing human embryonic kidney cultures were utilized for the present experiments. Ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and airway surface liquid (ASL) depth measurements were performed using micro-optical coherence tomography (μOCT). Mechanisms underlying transepithelial Cl- transport were determined using pharmacologic manipulation in Ussing chambers and whole-cell patch clamp analysis. Results: RGAE (at 30㎍/mL of ginsenosides) significantly increased Cl- transport [measured as change in short-circuit current (ΔISC = ㎂/㎠)] when compared with control in WT and CFTR-/- MNSE (WT vs control = 49.8±2.6 vs 0.1+/-0.2, CFTR-/- = 33.5±1.5 vs 0.2±0.3, p < 0.0001). In FRT cells, the CFTR-mediated ΔISC attributed to RGAE was small (6.8 ± 2.5 vs control, 0.03 ± 0.01, p < 0.05). In patch clamp, TMEM16A-mediated currents were markedly improved with co-administration of RGAE and uridine 5-triphosphate (8406.3 +/- 807.7 pA) over uridine 5-triphosphate (3524.1 +/- 292.4 pA) or RGAE alone (465.2 +/- 90.7 pA) (p < 0.0001). ASL and CBF were significantly greater with RGAE (6.2+/-0.3 ㎛ vs control, 3.9+/-0.09 ㎛; 10.4+/-0.3 Hz vs control, 7.3 ± 0.2 Hz; p < 0.0001) in MNSE. Conclusion: RGAE augments ASL depth and CBF by stimulating Cl- secretion through CaCC, which suggests therapeutic potential in both CF and non-CF chronic rhinosinusitis.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2015

Background Wound healing is an interaction of a complex signaling cascade of cellular events, including inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. $K^+$ channels modulate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Here, we investigated whether $K^+$ channel-activated MAPK signaling directs collagen synthesis and angiogenesis in wound healing. Methods The human skin fibroblast HS27 cell line was used to examine cell viability and collagen synthesis after potassium chloride (KCl) treatment by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and western blotting. To investigate whether $K^+$ ion channels function upstream of MAPK signaling, thus affecting collagen synthesis and angiogenesis, we examined alteration of MAPK expression after treatment with KCl (channel inhibitor), NS1619 (channel activator), or kinase inhibitors. To research the effect of KCl on angiogenesis, angiogenesis-related proteins such as thrombospondin 1 (TSP1), anti-angiogenic factor, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), pro-angiogenic factor were assayed by western blot. Results The viability of HS27 cells was not affected by 25 mM KCl. Collagen synthesis increased dependent on time and concentration of KCl exposure. The phosphorylations of MAPK proteins such as extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 increased about 2.5-3 fold in the KCl treatment cells and were inhibited by treatment of NS1619. TSP1 expression increased by 100%, bFGF expression decreased by 40%, and there is no significant differences in the VEGF level by KCl treatment, TSP1 was inhibited by NS1619 or kinase inhibitors. Conclusions Our results suggest that KCl may function as a therapeutic agent for wound healing in the skin through MAPK signaling mediated by the $K^+$ ion channel.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.126.2-126.2
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• 2010

The "grafting from" technology to prepare the well-defined microphase-separated structure of polymer using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) will be introduced in this presentation. Various amphiphilic comb copolymers were synthesized through this approach using poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-chlorotrifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-co-CTFE) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) as a macroinitiator. Hydrophilic side chains such as poly (styrene sulfonic acid) (PSSA) or poly (sulfopropyl methacrylate) (PSPMA) were grafted from the mains chains using direct initiation of the chlorine atoms. The structure of mass transport channels has been controlled and fixed by crosslinking the hydrophobic domains, which also provides the greater mechanical properties of membranes. Successful synthesis and microphase-separated structure of the polymer were confirmed by $^1H$ NMR, FT-IR spectroscopy and TEM. The grafted/crosslinked membranes exhibited good mechanical properties (400 MPa of Young's modulus) and high thermal stability (up to $300^{\circ}C$), as determined by a universal testing machine (UTM) and TGA, respectively.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.112-117
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• 2013

We studied the modulation of pacemaker activities by Samchulkunbi-tang (SCKB) in cultured interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) from murine small intestine with the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Externally applied SCKB produced membrane depolarization in the current-clamp mode. The pretreatment with $Ca^{2+}$-free solution and thapsigargin, a $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase inhibitor in endoplasmic reticulum, abolished the generation of pacemaker potentials and suppressed the SCKB-induced action. The application of flufenamic acid (a nonselective cation channel blocker) abolished the generation of pacemaker potentials by SCKB. However, the application of niflumic acid (a chloride channel blocker) did not inhibit the generation of pacemaker potentials by SCKB. In addition, the membrane depolarizations were inhibited by not only GDP-${\beta}$-S, which permanently binds G-binding proteins, but also U-73122, an active phospholipase C inhibitor. These results suggest that SCKB modulates the pacemaker activities by nonselective cation channels and external $Ca^{2+}$ influx and internal $Ca^{2+}$ release via G-protein and phospholipase C-dependent mechanism. Therefore, the ICC are targets for SCKB and their interaction can affect intestinal motility.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.313-323
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• 2022

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common supraventricular arrhythmia, and it corresponds highly with exercise intensity. Here, we induced AF in mice using acetylcholine (ACh)-CaCl₂ for 7 days and aimed to determine the appropriate exercise intensity (no, low, moderate, high) to protect against AF by running the mice at different intensities for 4 weeks before the AF induction by ACh-CaCl₂. We examined the AF-induced atrial remodeling using electrocardiogram, patch-clamp, and immunohistochemistry. After the AF induction, heart rate, % increase of heart rate, and heart weight/body weight ratio were significantly higher in all the four AF groups than in the normal control; highest in the high-ex AF and lowest in the low-ex (lower than the no-ex AF), which indicates that low-ex treated the AF. Consistent with these changes, G protein-gated inwardly rectifying K⁺ currents, which were induced by ACh, increased in an exercise intensity-dependent manner and were lower in the low-ex AF than the no-ex AF. The peak level of Ca²⁺ current (at 0 mV) increased also in an exercise intensity-dependent manner and the inactivation time constants were shorter in all AF groups except for the low-ex AF group, in which the time constant was similar to that of the control. Finally, action potential duration was shorter in all the four AF groups than in the normal control; shortest in the high-ex AF and longest in the low-ex AF. Taken together, we conclude that low-intensity exercise protects the heart from AF, whereas high-intensity exercise might exacerbate AF.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.113-129
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• 2002

The present study designed to investigate whether hwangryunhaedok-tang show an anti-hypertensive effect and elucidate its possible mechanism in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The systolic blood pressures (SBP) were significantly decreased as an oral administration of hwangryunhaedok-tang compared with their control group. The urine volume was significantly increased by administration of hwangryunhaedok-tang but urinary sodium (UNaV), potassium (UKV), chloride excretion (UCIV) were not remarkably affected. The urinary creatinine excretion rate (UcrV) was significantly increased in rats administered with hwangryunhaedok-tang in association with increase of creatinine clearance (Ccr). The urine osmolality (Uosmol) was significantly decreased in SHR administered with hwangryunhaedok-tang without being changed in solute-free water reabsorption ( TcH20). The expressions of Aquaporin 2 (AQP-2). 3 and ${\alpha}\;1$, ${\beta}\;1$ subunits of Na.K-ATPase were determined by Western blot analysis to assess the role of these proteins in association with changes of renal functions in SHR administered with hwangryunhaedok-tang. The expression of AQP-2 and 3 protein was significantly down-regulated in the kidney of SHR administered with hwangryunhaedok-tang compared with those in control rats without being altered expression of ${\alpha}\;1$, ${\beta}\;1$ subunits of Na,K-ATPase. In the in vitro assay, Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) was inhibited by hwangryunhaedok-tang in a dose-dependent manner. Berberine and/or palmatine, which are well known as a main components of hwangryunhaedok-tang, also have an ACE inhibitory effects in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these results suggest that hwangryunhaedok-tang lowered blood pressure through the increase of diuresis caused by down-regulation of water channels and the inhibition of Angiotensin converting enzyme.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.201-208
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• 2001

The present study was conducted to examine the effects of cholinergic stimulation and membrane depolarization on secretion of epinephrine (EP) and norepinephrine (NE) in the perfused model of the rat adrenal gland and to investigate the effect of bromocriptine on secretion of EP and NE evoked by these secreta-gogues. Acetylcholine (ACh, 5.32 mM), high $K^{+}$(56mM), 1.1-dimethyl-4-phenyl piperazinium iodide (DMPP, 100 $\mu$M for 2 min), (3-(m-cholro-phenyl-carbamoyl-oxy)-2butynyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (McN-A-343, 100 $\mu$M for 2 min), cyclopiazonic acid (10 $\mu$M for 4 min) and methyl-1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-3-nitro-4-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl) -pyridine-5-carboxylate (Bay-K-8644, 10 $\mu$M for 4 min) evoked a 1.3~5.3-fold greater secretion of EP than NE in the perfused rat adrenal gland. The perfusion of bromocriptine (1-10 $\mu$M) into an adrenal vein for 20 min produced relatively dose-dependent inhibition in secretion of EP and NE evoked by ACh, high $K^{+}$, DMPP, and McN-A-343. Moreover, under the presence of bromocriptine (1~10 $\mu$M), releasing responses of EP and NE evoked by cyclopiazonic acid and Bay-K-8644 were also greatly reduced. Taken together, these results suggest that cholinergic stimulation and membrane depolarization enhance more release of EP than NE in the perfumed rat adrenal medulla, and that bromocriptine inhibits the release of EP and NE evoked by stimulation of cholinergic receptors as well as by membrane depolarization. It seems that this inhibitory effect of bromocriptine is associated with inhibition of calcium channels through activation of dopaminergic D2-receptors located in the rat adrenomedullary chromaffin cells.lls.