• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.19 no.10
• /
• pp.1484-1488
• /
• 2009

Familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HOKPP) is an autosomal dominant muscle disorder characterized by episodic attacks of muscle weakness with concomitant hypokalemia. Mutations in either a calcium channel gene (CACNA1S) or a sodium channel gene (SCN4A) have been shown to be responsible for this disease. The combination of sarcolemmal depolarization and hypokalemia has been attributed to abnormalities of the potassium conductance governing the resting membrane potential. To understand the pathophysiology of this disorder, we examined both mRNA and protein levels of delayed rectifier potassium channel genes, KCNQ3 and KCNQ5, in skeletal muscle fibers biopsied from patients with HOKOur results showed an increase in the cytoplasmic level of KCNQ3 protein in patients' cells exposed to 50 mM external concentration of potassium. However, mRNA levels of both channel genes did not show significant change in the same condition. Our results suggest that long term exposure of skeletal muscle cells in HOKPP patients to high extracellular potassium alters the KCNQ3 localization, which could possibly hinder the normal function of this channel protein. These findings may provide an important clue to understanding the molecular mechanism of familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.38 no.8
• /
• pp.1032-1036
• /
• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary zinc on macro mineral contents of high fat diet-induced obese rats. The obese group was divided into three groups by zinc levels of diet, such as low (50% requirement), adequate (100%) and high (200%) levels of dietary zinc. The calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium contents in serum and organs were measured by ICP. There were no significant differences in the food intake, weight gain and feed efficiency ratio among the different dietary zinc levels. Also, the liver, kidney and spleen weight did not show the significant differences among each level of dietary zinc. However, serum sodium and potassium concentrations in the low zinc diet group were significantly higher than in the other diet groups. In high zinc diet group, the calcium contents of liver was significantly higher than in the other diet groups, magnesium and potassium contents of liver were higher than in the low zinc diet group. The sodium contents of liver and magnesium and potassium contents of spleen were significantly lower in the low zinc diet group than in the other diet groups. In conclusion, the macro mineral contents of serum, liver and spleen in obese rats were changed by dietary zinc levels. Especially, the low zinc diet group considerably changed of macro mineral contents in organs. Therefore, it may be suggested that adequate level of dietary zinc in obese individuals should be required.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.135-151
• /
• 1977

The present paper summerizes the studies on clay mineralogical characteristics of Korean soil, relationship between potassium and clay minerals, potassium release pattern of clay minerals and utilization of clay minerals for soil conditioner and fertilizers, which have been carried out in this laboratory. 1. The red yellow podzolic soil is mostly abundant in the upland of Korea and mainly consists of halloysite and weathered intermediates of mica such as illite and vermiculite. 2. With regard to soil parent material, kaolin mineral occurs abundant in soils derived from granite and granite gneiss. Mica is dominant in basaltic soil. The main clay mineral of the soil, originated from the Tertiary, is found montmorillonite and the volcanic soil of Jeju Island has plenty of allophane as its main clay mineral. 3. It is confirmed that the soil fertility depends on the composition of clay minerals. The red yellow podzolic soil, containing lot of kaolin, shows low productivity while the montmorillonite soil has higher productivity. 4. The release rate of solid phase potassium (micas and fixed potassium) follows the 1st order reaction equation in the equilibrium solution of $IN-NH_4OAc$. The potassium release constant is positively correlated with the mica content of the clay but negatively correlated with the content of $14.5{\AA}$ minerals. On the other hand, the potassium release constant has very high correlation with the ratio(Kex/Kt) of exchangeable potassium(Kex) to total potassium(Kt). 5. It is also found that Kex/Kt has rather high correlation with the content of mica and $14.5{\AA}$ minerals existed in the clay as well as the mica content of the soil.

• Tribology and Lubricants
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.246-253
• /
• 2010

Friction characteristics of the brake friction materials without environmentally regulated ingredients were examined to find their role in the brake performance. Five friction materials were produced based on a nearcommercial formulation by changing the relative amount of potentially hazardous ingredients to health and environment, such as $Sb_2S_3$, potassium titanate, and brass fiber. Tribological properties of the friction materials were obtained using a scale dynamometer and Krauss type tribometer. Results showed that the excluded three ingredients played important synergetic effects on tribological properties in terms of fade resistance, wear resistance and friction effectiveness. In particular, brass fibers played important roles in the friction stability by providing excellent thermal diffusivity at the friction interface. Potassium titanate whiskers showed excellent fade resistance and wear resistance compared to the substituted barite. Antimony trisulfide, on the other hand, showed little effect on the high temperature fade resistance and wear resistance, while it increased friction effectiveness at moderate temperatures. The friction materials without the three ingredients showed severe fade, indicating antisynergy effects.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.282-286
• /
• 2005

Leucite crystal has been utilized for dental porcelain due to its high thermal expansion coefficient to meet its counter metal side. Many industrial applications of leucite from the incongruently melting of potassium feldspar are used and its minimum temperature of crystallization is $1150^{\circ}C$. This study aimed to get leucite crystal from lower temperature through congruently melting, and the starting materials are taken from K-feldspar mainly, and aluminum hydroxide and potassium carbonate are additionally supplied to meet stoichiometry of leucite. We report that the leucite crystal can be synthesized in congruently melting from the temperature $950^{\circ}C$ through solid-state sintering with k-feldspar, potassium carbonate and aluminum hydroxide.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.2 no.5
• /
• pp.581-589
• /
• 1998

A regulating mechanism of the ATP-sensitive potassium channels $(K_{ATP}\;channels)$ is yet to fully explained. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of intracellular application of monocarboxylates (acetate, formate, lactate, and pyruvate) on $K_{ATP}$ channels in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes. Single channel currents of $K_{ATP}$ channels were recorded using the excised inside-out or permeabilized attached (open-cell) patch-clamp technique at room temperature. Intracellular application of acetate, formate and pyruvate led to an inhibition of channel activity, whereas intracellular application of lactate increased channel activity. These effects were reversible upon washout. Analysis of single channel kinetics showed that monocarboxylates did not affect open-time constant and close-time constant. These results suggest that monocarboxylates participate in modulating $K_{ATP}$ channels activity in cardiac cells and that modulation of $K_{ATP}$ channels activity may resolve the discrepancy between the low $K_i$ in excised membrane patches and high levels of intracellular ATP concentration during myocardial ischemia or hypoxia.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.198-204
• /
• 2002

In this paper, impregnated activated carbon fiber (IACF) was manufactured to pitch-based activated carbon fibers (ACF) with potassium hydroxide (KOH) by using wet impregnation method to raise nitrogen oxides ($NO_x$) adsorptivity. The properties of IACF were observed using EPMA, TGA and DSC and $NO_x$ adsorptivity was observed at high and low temperature. Before and after adsorption was analyzed using ToF-SIMS for examine surface characterization of adsorbed $NO_x$. The results showed that the better adsorptivity appeared for increasing KOH ratio. So, $NO_x$ adsorptivity showed result that is proportional between KOH and the adsorbed amount. On the other hand, adsorbent that manufactured without washing was better $NO_x$ adsorptivity than adsorbent that manufactured with washing. The behavior of adsorption show that crossing time of NO and $NO_2$ delayed for a rising adsorptivity. And NO ratio increased but $NO_2$ ratio decreased according as KOH ratio increases. $NO_x$ was confirmed through surface analysis that remain in $NO_2^-$ and $NO_3^-$ form on IACF surface.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.129-135
• /
• 1991

To investigate on the trace element content of twelve edible mushrooms and Aloe arborescens, i. e., Lentinus edodes, Ganoderma lucidum (culturing in wood and soil), Tricholoma matsutake, Agaricus bisporus, Cyrophora esculenta, Auricularia auricula-Jude (produced in Korea and China), Sarcodon asparatus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Coriolus versicolor, Smilax rotundifolia and Aloe arborescerts were analyzed by Atomic absorption spectrometer. The obtained results were summerized as follows: 1. Potassium, sodium, magnesium and iron content for the most part samples were in large quantities, especially phosphorus content of those was highest ammount for the all samples. 2. Sodium content was much ammount in the Lentinus edodes (39mg) and Ganoderma lucidurn (20 mg), Culturing in wood and soil, while potassium was very high ammount in the Aloe arborescens and other samples. Mush ammount of magnesium as compared with others was Lentinus edodes (144mg), Ganoderma lucidurn (128mg), Aloe arborescerts (50mg) and pleurotus ostreatus (60mg). Phosphorus content of Ganoderma lucidurn, Lentinus edodes, Gyrophora esculenta, Auricularia polytricha and Agaricus bisporus was much ammount while iron content of all samples equality higher ammount. Sodium content of Aloe arborescens was not analyzed out for almost all, its potassium (82mg), magnesium (50mg) and iron (18rng) content comparatively higher quentity than others minerals and phosphorus volume (4.9mg) as compared with others, was conspicuously lower detect. 4. Cadimium and lead content of harmful metal element were detected on trace quentity for the most part samples 5. Organic acids of samples i.e., Legtinus edodes, Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus and Ganoderma lucidum were Citrate, Malate, Fumalate, Succinate, Oxalate, Acetate, Lactate, and Tartarate and Citrate, Malate and Fumarate contents were higher amount remarkbly than other organic acids. Tartarate content was trace amount.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.719-723
• /
• 2010

Ingestion of forage containing a large quantity of soluble oxalate can result in calcium deficiency and even death of livestock. Fertilization is one of the most practical and effective ways to improve yield and nutritional quality of forage. An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization (150, 300 and 600 kg/ha) across varying levels (150, 300 and 600 kg/ha) of potassium (K) on oxalate accumulation in napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum). Application of N at 300 kg/ha produced higher dry matter yield than at 150 or 600 kg/ha, while K fertilization had no effect on yield. In general, N fertilization did not affect the soluble and total oxalate contents, but slightly affected the insoluble oxalate content. Soluble oxalate content showed an increasing trend and insoluble oxalate content showed a decreasing trend with increasing K level, but total oxalate content remained relatively constant. There were significant interactions between N and K fertilization for the content of soluble and insoluble oxalate fractions. The greatest increase in soluble oxalate content with N level at 300 kg/ha was found at the high level (600 kg/ha) of K application. The greatest increase in insoluble oxalate content with N level at 600 kg/ha was found at the low level (150 kg/ha) of K application. These results indicated the possibility of controlling the content of soluble and insoluble oxalate fractions in forage by fertilization.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.211-216
• /
• 2015

Nitric Oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule in the nociceptive process. Our previous study suggested that high concentrations of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, induce a membrane hyperpolarization and outward current through large conductances calcium-activated potassium ($BK_{ca}$) channels in substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons. In this study, patch clamp recording in spinal slices was used to investigate the sources of $Ca^{2+}$ that induces $Ca^{2+}$-activated potassium currents. Application of SNP induced a membrane hyperpolarization, which was significantly inhibited by hemoglobin and 2-(4-carboxyphenyl) -4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide potassium salt (c-PTIO), NO scavengers. SNP-induced hyperpolarization was decreased in the presence of charybdotoxin, a selective $BK_{Ca}$ channel blocker. In addition, SNP-induced response was significantly blocked by pretreatment of thapsigargin which can remove $Ca^{2+}$ in endoplasmic reticulum, and decreased by pretreatment of dentrolene, a ryanodine receptors (RyR) blocker. These data suggested that NO induces a membrane hyperpolarization through $BK_{ca}$ channels, which are activated by intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ increase via activation of RyR of $Ca^{2+}$ stores.