• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• 제15권5호
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• pp.799-804
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• 2006

Ingestion of green tea has been shown to decrease prostaglandin $E_2$ levels in human colorectum, suggesting that tea constituents modulate arachidonic acid metabolism. In the present study, we investigated the effects of four purified green tea catechins, (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), and (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), on the catalytic activity of cytosolic phospholipase $A_2$ ($cPLA_2$) and release of arachidonic acid and its metabolites from intact cells. At $50\;{\mu}M$, EGCG and ECG inhibited $cPLA_2$ activity by 19 and 37%, respectively, whereas EC and EGC were less effective. The inhibitory effects of these catechins on arachidonic acid metabolism in intact cells were much more pronounced. At $10\;{\mu}M$, EGCG and ECG inhibited the release of arachidonic acid and its metabolites by 50-70% in human colon adenocarcinoma cells (HT-29) and human esophageal squamous carcinoma cells (KYSE-190 and 450). EGCG and ECG also inhibited arachidonic acid release induced by A23187, a calcium ionophore, in both HT-29 and KYSE-450 cell lines by 30-50%. The inhibitory effects of green tea catechins on $cPLA_2$ and arachidonic acid release may provide a possible mechanism for the prevention of human gastrointestinal inflammation and cancers.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.199-203
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• 1995

The focus of this study was to investigate that cellular parameters and glucose uptake might be altered by extracellular calcium and starvation. Addition of 1 mM $Ca^{++}$ to hepatocytes (equalling to the free calcium concentration of blood) significantly increased intracellular $Na^+$ and decreased $Na^+$ & LDH leakage. This pertains to the hepatocytes of control rats as well as those of rats fasted for 24 and 48. hr. These effects might be come from the membrane-stabilizing effects of calcium. But calcium had no effects on cell volumes, superoxide-formation and glucose uptake. Actually hepatocytes of starved rats showed changes in several cellular parameters. Starvation increased LDH leakage, glucose uptake and the total concentration of $Na^+$ and $Na^+$ whereas it markedly decreased cell volumes. Since total tonicity remained unchanged, intracellular $Na^+$ and $Na^+$ could contribute to a higher share of total osmolarity in starvation. Starvation increased the cytoplasmic pH because $R-NH^{3+}$ions and their corresponding counterions disappeared. This increase may be related to suppress the protonization of amino groups in proteins. Starvation decreased hepatic glycogen, a major compound that affects cytosolic volume of hepatocytes. The data indicate that starvation increases the glucose transport activity. The possible molecular basis will be discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.437-445
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• 2018

${\alpha}$-Iso-cubebene (ICB) is a dibenzocyclooctadiene lignin contained in Schisandra chinensis (SC), a well-known medicinal herb that ameliorates cardiovascular symptoms, but the mechanism responsible for this activity has not been determined. To determine the role played by ICB on the regulation of vascular tone, we investigated the inhibitory effects of ICB on vascular contractile responses by adrenergic ${\alpha}$-receptor agonists. In addition, we investigated the role on myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation and cytosolic calcium concentration in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). In aortic rings isolated from C57BL/6J mice, ICB significantly attenuated the contraction induced by phenylephrine (PE) and norepinephrine (NE), whereas ICB had no effects on KCl (60 mM)-induced contraction. In vasculatures precontracted with PE, ICB caused marked relaxation of aortic rings with or without endothelium, suggesting a direct effect on VSMC. In cultured rat VSMC, PE or NE increased MLC phosphorylation and increased cytosolic calcium levels. Both of these effects were significantly suppressed by ICB. In conclusion, our results showed that ICB regulated vascular tone by inhibiting MLC phosphorylation and calcium flux into VSMC, and suggest that ICB has anti-hypertensive properties and therapeutic potential for cardiovascular disorders related to vascular hypertension.

• BMB Reports
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.499-503
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• 1995

In our previous studies (Chae et al., 1990; Chae et a1., 1993), we found that a phytochrome signal was clearly connected with the change in cytosolic free $Ca^{2+}$ concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) in oat cells. It was determined that the $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ change occured both by mobilization out of the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ store and by influx from the medium. The specific aim of this work is to elucidate the processes connecting $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization and influx. The cells treated with thapsigargin (increasing $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ by inhibition of the $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase in the calcium pool) in the presence of external $Ca^{2+}$ showed the same increasing pattern (sustained increasing shape) of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ as that measured in animal cells. Red light irradiation after thapsigargin treatment did not increase $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ These results suggest that thapsigargin also acts specifically in the processes of mobilization and influx of $Ca^{2+}$ in oat cells. When the cells were treated with TEA ($K^+$ channel blocker), changes in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ were drastically reduced in comparison with that measured in the absence of TEA. The results suggest that the change in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ due to red light irradiation is somehow related with $K^+$ channel opening to change membrane potential. The membrane potential change due to $K^+$ influx might be the critical factor in opening a voltage-dependent calcium channel for $Ca^{2+}$ influx.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.103-109
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• 2018

Calcium ions are involved in the regulation of diverse cellular processes. Fourteen genes encoding calcium binding proteins have been identified in Dictyostelium. CBP7, one of the 14 CBPs, is composed of 169 amino acids and contains four EF-hand motifs. Here, we investigated the roles of CBP7 in the development and cell migration of Dictyostelium cells and found that high levels of CBP7 exerted a negative effect on cells aggregation during development, possibly by inhibiting chemoattractant-directed cell migration. While cells lacking CBP7 exhibited normal development and chemotaxis similar that of wild-type cells, CBP7 overexpressing cells completely lost their chemotactic abilities to move toward increasing cAMP concentrations. This resulted in inhibition of cellular aggregation, a process required for forming multicellular organisms during development. Low levels of cytosolic free calcium were observed in CBP7 overexpressing cells, which was likely the underlying cause of their lack of chemotaxis. Our results demonstrate that CBP7 plays an important role in cell spreading and cell-substrate adhesion. cbp7 null cells showed decreased cell size and cell-substrate adhesion. The present study contributes to further understanding the role of calcium signaling in regulation of cell migration and development.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.217-239
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• 2011

We carried out a series of experiment demonstrating the role of mitochondria in the cytosolic and mitochondrial $Ca^{2+}$ transients and compared the results with those from computer simulation. In rat ventricular myocytes, increasing the rate of stimulation (1~3 Hz) made both the diastolic and systolic [$Ca^{2+}]$ bigger in mitochondria as well as in cytosol. As L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel has key influence on the amplitude of $Ca^{2+}$ -induced $Ca^{2+}$ release, the relation between stimulus frequency and the amplitude of $Ca^{2+}$ transients was examined under the low density (1/10 of control) of L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel in model simulation, where the relation was reversed. In experiment, block of $Ca^{2+}$ uniporter on mitochondrial inner membrane significantly reduced the amplitude of mitochondrial $Ca^{2+}$ transients, while it failed to affect the cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ transients. In computer simulation, the amplitude of cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ transients was not affected by removal of $Ca^{2+}$ uniporter. The application of carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP) known as a protonophore on mitochondrial membrane to rat ventricular myocytes gradually increased the diastolic [$Ca^{2+}$] in cytosol and eventually abolished the $Ca^{2+}$ transients, which was similarly reproduced in computer simulation. The model study suggests that the relative contribution of L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel to total transsarcolemmal $Ca^{2+}$ flux could determine whether the cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ transients become bigger or smaller with higher stimulus frequency. The present study also suggests that cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ affects mitochondrial $Ca^{2+}$ in a beat-to-beat manner, however, removal of $Ca^{2+}$ influx mechanism into mitochondria does not affect the amplitude of cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ transients.

• 한국생물물리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국생물물리학회 1998년도 학술발표회
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• pp.32-32
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• 1998

The effect of neurotensin (NT) was investigated in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. When PC12 cells were treated with micromolar concentrations of NT, [$^3$H]norepinephrine ([$^3$H]NE) secretion and elevation of cytosolic Ca$\^$2＋/ concentration ([Ca$\^$2＋/]i) were evoked in a concentration-dependent manner with an EC$\sub$50/ of 50 ${\mu}$M.(omitted)

• 한국작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국작물학회 2006년도 한국약용작물학회 공동춘계학술발표회
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• pp.556-557
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• 2006

• 대한약리학회지
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.355-363
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• 1995

Calcium수송에 대한 기전을 추구하기위하여, carbachol을 사용하여 ml muscarinic receptor-transfected RBL-2H3 cell-line에서 다음과 같은 실험결과를 얻었기에 이에 보고한다. 1) Carbachol의 투여로 이들 cell-line에서 $Ca^{2+}$ influx가 농도에 따라 증가하였고, hexosaminidase 분비양도 의의있게 증가하였다. 2) Atropine 투여로 Carbachol의 상승작용이 의의있게 억제되었다. 3) 수종의 금속양이온을 투여하여 carbachol의 $Ca^{2+}$수송에 대한 영향을 관찰한 바, 이들 금속이온들은 $Ca^{2+}$의 influx를 의의있게 억제하였다. 4) PMA(20 nM) 투여로 carbachol의 hexosaminidase의 분비는 억제되지 못했지만 $Ca^{2+}$ influx는 억제되었다. 5) PTx $(0.2\;{\mu}g/ml)$ 투여로 carbachol의 hexosaminidase 분비가 의의있게 억제되었다. 위의 결과로 미루어 보아, 이 세포의 muscarinic receptor가 calcium channel을 통한 calcium수송에 매우 중요한 영향을 나타내는데, 이들 calcium ion channel은 적어도 두 종류가 존재하며, 하나는G-protein-dependent calcium channel에 의하며, 다른 하나는 G-protein-independent calcium channel에 대한 작용에 의한 것으로 생각된다. 또한 이 calcium channel들은 2가 또는 3가의 다른 금속 ion들에 의하여 calcium수송이 억제된다.

• International Journal of Vascular Biomedical Engineering
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2005

Flow-induced dilation of blood vessel is the result of a series of bioreaction in vascular endothelial cells(VEC). Shear stress change by blood flow in human artery or vein is sensed by the mechanoreceptor and responsible for such a chain reaction. The inositol(1,4,5)-triphophate($IP_3$) is produced in the first stage to elevate permeability of the intercellular membrane to calcium ions by which the cytosolic calcium concentration is consequently increased. This intracellular calcium transient triggers synthesis of EDRF and prostacyclin. The mathematical model of this VEC calcium dynamics is reproduced from the literature. We then use the Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) technique to investigate the blood stream dictating the VEC calcium dynamics. The pulsatile blood flow in a stenosed blood vessel is considered here as a part of study on thrombogenesis. We calculate the pulsating shear stress (thus its temporal change) distributed over the stenosed artery that is implemented to the VEC calcium dynamics model. It has been found that the pulsatile shear stress induces larger intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ transient plus much higher amount of EDRF and prostacyclin release in comparison with the steady shear stress case. It is concluded that pulsatility of the physiological shear stress is important to keep the vasodilation function in the stenosed part of the blood vessel.