• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.48-58
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• 2005

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of nicorandil on arterial blood pressure and vascular contractile responses in the normotensive anesthetized rats and to establish the mechanism of action. Nicorandil (30~300 ${\mu}g/kg$) given into a femoral vein of the normotensive anesthetized rat produced a dose-dependent depressor response. These nicorandil-induced hypotensive responses were not affected by pretreatment with atropine (3.0 mg/kg, i.v.) or propranolol (2.0 mg/kg, i.v.), while markedly inhibited in the presence of chlorisondamine (1.0 mg/kg, i.v.) or phentolamine (2.0 mg/kg, i.v.). Futhermore, after the pretreatment with 4-aminopyridine (1.0 mg/kg/30 min, i.v.) or glibenclamide (50.0 ${\mu}g/kg$/30min) into a femoral vein made a significant reproduction in pressor responses induced by intravenous norepinephrine. In he isolated rat aortic strips, both phenylephrine (10$^{-5}$ M)- and high potassium (5.6 ${\times}\;10^{-2}$ M)-inducedcontractile responses were dose-dependently depressed in the presence of nicorandil (25~100 ${\mu}M$). Collectively, these experimental results demonstrate that intravenous nicorandil causes a dose-dependent depressor action in the anesthetized rat at least partly through the blockade of vascular adrenergic ${\alpha}_1$-receptors, in addition to the well-known mechanism of potassium channel opening-induced vasorelaxation.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.1 s.26
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• pp.57-63
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• 1980

The Pharmacologic action of ethanol extracts and essential substance obtained from fruits of Evodia rutaecarpa are studied. 1) Motility of the isolated rabbit-intestine was decreased in proportion to the concentration of essential substance. 2) Intestinal contraction induced by acetylcholine 10? 6g/ml was inhibited by the essential substance $10^{-5}g/ml$. 3) Contractile responses of the isolated rabbit-intestine by serotonin $10^{-5}g/ml$ and histamine $10^{-5}g/ml$ were depressed significantly with the essential substance $10^{-5}g/ml$. 4) Alpha adrenergic receptor blocking effect of dihydroergotamine was interfered significantly with the essential substance. 5) Analgesic effect in mice by acetic acid stimulating method was observed significantly with both of the ethanol extracts and essential substance. 6) Blood pressure and respiration of the rabbits were not significantly influenced with the essential substance.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.9-17
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• 1975

The adrenergic blocking activity and refractory period of cardiac muscle on isolated rabbit atria were measured after administration of Scutellaria. In rabbits and cats the antiarrhythmic action of Scutellaria on atrial and ventricular arrhythmias produced by epinephrine or ouabain was examined and also compared with that of propranolol and quinidine. The alcoholic extract of Scutellaria produced a marked decrease in heart rate and contractile amplitude of the isolated rabbit atria. Pretreatment with Scutellaria rendered the atria to fail to respond to epinephrine, indicating that this crude drug possesses an adrenergic blocking activity. The extract produced a marked prolongation of the refractory period of atrial muscle. The extract effectively abolished the spontaneous arrhythmia occurring in the isolated rabbit atria. As propranolol and quinidine it also suppressed the atrial arrhythmia induced by ouabain. The extract prevented, as propranolol and quinidine, the induction of ventricular arrhythmia arising from excessive dose of epinephrine in anesthetized rabbits and cats. With regard to the ventricular arrhythmia induced by a continuous infusion of ouabain, the alcoholic extract of Scutellaria exerted some suppressive effect in anesthetized rabbits but no effect on cats. From the above results, it may be concluded that Scutellaria is effective against atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. The antiarrhythmic effects of this drug may be the result of adrenergic beta receptor blocking and cardiac depressive activities including prolongation of the refractory period of cardiac muscle.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.75-80
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• 2000

Fructus Aristolochiae has been used in Korea for many centuries as a treatment for various disease.The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of Fructus Aristolochiae on norepinephrine(NE) induced blood vessel contraction in rabbits. Rabbit(2 kg, male) were killed by $CO_2$ exposure and a segment (8-10mm) of each rabbit was cut into equal segments and mounted in a tissue bath. Contractile force was measured with force displacement transducers under 2-3 g loading tension. The dose of norepinephrine(NE) which evoked 50% of maximal response ($ED_{50}$) was obtained from cumulative dose response curves for NE ($10^{-6}{\sim}10^{-3}M$). Contractions evoked by NE ($ED_{50}$) were inhibited significantly by Fructus Aristolochiae in abdominal aorta and femoral artery. Fructus Aristolochiae inhibited the relaxation pretreated propranolol and L-NNA in femoral artery. But Fructus Aristolochiae did not effect the relaxation pretreated ODQ in femoral artery and abdominal aorta. These results indicate that Fructus Aristolochiae can relax NE induced contraction of rabbit blood vessel selectively, and that this relaxation relates to nitric oxide synthesis and sympathetic action.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.1 s.15
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• pp.31-40
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• 1974

1. The authors investigated the effects of $PGE_1$ on the action of sympathomimetics in the vas deferens of guinea-pig, comparing with those in the rat vas deferens, and also the action of $PGE_1$ on the motility of nerve-free smooth muscle of chick amnion. 2. In the isolated guinea-pig vas deferens, the actions of phenylephrine and norepinephrine were much potentiated by pretreatment with $PGE_1$. Futher, in the isolated hypogastric nerve-vas deferens preparation of guinea-pig, effects of phenylephrine, norepinephrine and tyramine on the contractile response of vas to the hypogastric nerve stimulation and to the transmural stimulation were also augumented especially in tension by $PGE_1$-pretreatment. 3. In the isolated hypogastric nerve-vas preparation of rat, both contractile responses to hypogastric nerve and transmural stimulation were slowly reduced by treatment with $PGE_1$ and the potentiated effect of phenylephrine or norepinephrine was not observed in spite of pretreatment with $PGE_1$. 4. The actions of phenylephrine and norepinephrine on the denervated vas deferens of guinea-pig were also enhanced by $PGE_1$ as it were in the intact vas deferens, but there was no significant effect by $PGE_1$ on the action of norepinephrine in the denervated rat vas deferens. 5. $PGE_1$ in low concentration $(10^{-8}g/ml)$ did not affect the spontaneous motility of nerve-free smooth muscle of chick amnion ($9{\sim}11$ th day incubated chick), but in large concentration $(5{\times}10^{-8}g/ml)$ it caused irregular and slightly inhibitory movement. Pretreatment with $PGE_1$ on chick amnion did not exert any change on the action of phenylephrine applied. However, the stimulatory action of physostigmine on the chick amnion was a little antagonized by the low concentration of $PGE_1$. 6. It might be summarized that there is species difference between the actions of $PGE_1$ on the vas deferens of guinea-pig and that of rat, and the action of $PGE_1$ on the guinea-pig vas deferens might be mediated by the other mechanism rather than by direct action on the vas musculature.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.95-98
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• 1992

Alcoholic extract of seeds of Sesamum indicum (SI, 1-30mg/kg) caused hypotensive action in anesthetized rats. Heart rate was also decreased at slightly higher doses (10-30 mg/kg). Pretreatment with atropine (2 mg/kg) abolished these cardiovascular responses. In isolated spontaneously beating atria from guinea-pigs. SI caused decrease in force and rate of atrial contractions. In isolated guinea-pig ileum and rat uterus, SI (100-1000 ug/ml) produced contractile responses. All these actions of SI were abolished in the presence of atropine ($1\mu$M). These results indicate that alcoholic extract of seeds of Seamum indicum contains acetylcholine-like constituent(s) which explains some of the folkloric uses of plant.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 1988

To elucidate one of the effect of piperine on the peripheral sympathetic nervous system, influence of piperine upon the contractile action of norepinephrine, methoxamine and tyramine as well as uptake and release of $[^{3}H]-norepinephrine$ has been investigated in naive and chronic piperine-treated vas deferens of rats. $pA_2$ value for ${\alpha}_1-adrenoceptor$ of phentolamine was significantly increased. Chronic piperine-treated group was markedly shown increased efflux of $[^{3}H]-norepinephrine$ and muscular tension, but was not affected the neuronal up-take and release of $[^{3}H]-norepinephrine$. It can be concluded that potentiation of the effect of norepinephrine by acute and chronic piperine treated group may be due to the change of affinity of ${\alpha}_1-adrenoceptor$, and partly due to possible modification of storage mechanism.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 2001

In order to determine the role of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the important sex-steroid hormone precursor, in vascular reactivity in rats, animals were treated for two weeks with DHEA or sex hormones, and the vascorelaxant and contractile responses of isolated aorta were examined. DHEA diminished the acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxation in female rats, while the drug was without effect in males. Testoterone lowered the vasorelaxant activity to ACh in either sex. 17$\beta$-Estradiol enhanced ACh-induced vasorelaxation in male rats, but this female sex hormone did not influence in females. In male rats, the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide also enhanced vasorelaxant action of ACh. When the male rat aorta was incubated in vitro with a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor L-NAME, phenylephrine-induced contraction was greatly potentiated in DHEA-pretreated rats compared to control ones. The present results suggest that DHEA stimulates mainly androgen in female, but both androgen and estrogen in male rats. The participation of NO In the modulation of vascular reactivity with pretreated DHEA was also considered.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.385-395
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• 2017

Vasoconstrictive properties of sympathomimetic drugs are the basis of their widespread use as decongestants and possible source of adverse responses. Insufficiently substantiated practice of combining decongestants in some marketed preparations, such are those containing phenylephrine and lerimazoline, may affect the overall contractile activity, and thus their therapeutic utility. This study aimed to examine the interaction between lerimazoline and phenylephrine in isolated rat aortic rings, and also to assess the substrate of the obtained lerimazoline-induced attenuation of phenylephrine contraction. Namely, while lower concentrations of lerimazoline ($10^{-6}M$ and especially $10^{-7}M$) expectedly tended to potentiate the phenylephrine-induced contractions, lerimazoline in higher concentrations ($10^{-4}M$ and above) unexpectedly and profoundly depleted the phenylephrine concentration-response curve. Suppression of NO with NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor $N^w$-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; $10^{-4}M$) or NO scavanger $OHB_{12}$ ($10^{-3}M$), as well as non-specific inhibition of $K^+$-channels with tetraethylammonium (TEA; $10^{-3}M$), have reversed lerimazoline-induced relaxation of phenylephrine contractions, while cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin ($10^{-5}M$) did not affect the interaction between two vasoconstrictors. At the receptor level, non-selective 5-HT receptor antagonist methiothepin reversed the attenuating effect of lerimazoline on phenylephrine contraction when applied at $3{\times}10^{-7}$ and $10^{-6}M$, but not at the highest concentration ($10^{-4}M$). Neither the 5-$HT_{1D}$-receptor selective antagonist BRL 15572 ($10^{-6}M$) nor 5-$HT_7$ receptor selective antagonist SB 269970 ($10^{-6}M$) affected the lerimazoline-induced attenuation of phenylephrine activity. The mechanism of lerimazoline-induced suppression of phenylephrine contractions may involve potentiation of activity of NO and $K^+$-channels and activation of some methiothepin-sensitive receptors, possibly of the 5-$HT_{2B}$ subtype.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 1999

The pharmacological actions of ambrein were investigated alone or in combination as a pretreatment with agonists (adrenaline, noradrenaline, acetylcholine, histamine, nicotine), antagonists (atropine, atenolol) and calcium channel blocker (verapamil) in vivo in anaesthetized SWR rats using blood pressure, heart rate and myocardial contractility as parameters. Ambrein in the dose range of 50-200 mg/kg to the normotensive anaesthetized rats demonstrated negative chronotropic effect and increased the myocardial contractility significantly. At the mid dose (100 mg/kg) this increase in contractile force was 36% and 44% above the normal at 30 min and 60 min intervals post-treatment, respectively. Both of the lower and high doses (50 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) had similar effects. Furthermore, this contractile response was dose related. Also, this compound produced a considerable increase in myocardial contractility when used as a pretreatment with some agonists and antagonists. The results on blood pressure did not show a considerable change when ambrein was used alone. However, ambrein pretreatment at the dose of 100 mg/kg did not block the effects of adrenaline, noradrenaline, isoprenaline and acetylcholine on heart rate and blood pressure. On the other hand, this pretreatment attenuated the sympathoadrenal effects of nicotine significantly. Chronotropic and blood pressure changes produced by histamine were also inhibited by ambrein pretreatment. This pretreatment significantly reversed the effects of atenolol but failed to demonstrate any change in the negative chronotropic, inotropic and hypotensive responses induced by verapamil. It is concluded that ambrein induced nonselective dose dependent antagonism of the effects of some agonists and antagonists require contribution of some neuromediators. However, the positive isotropic effects of ambrein possibly involve the enhancement of slow Ca channels and/or activation of ${\beta}-adrenergic$ receptors in the heart. At this moment it is difficult to explain the exact mode of action of ambrein and the studies dealing with Ca channel blocker and adrenergic blocker followed by ambrein may help to define the factors which contribute to its positive inotropic effects.