• International Journal of Molecular Medicine
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.1801-1810
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• 2019

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels have been known to participate in the regulation of neuronal excitability, synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation in the hippocampus. The present study investigated transient ischemia-induced changes of HCN1 and HCN2 expressions in the Cornu Ammonis 1 (CA1) subfield of the hippocampus in gerbils subjected to 5 min transient global cerebral ischemia (tgCI). Neuronal death was exhibited in pyramidal neurons of the striatum pyramidale in the CA1 subfield 4 days after tgCI. HCN1 and HCN2 immunoreactivities were demonstrated in intact CA1 pyramidal neurons, and were transiently and markedly increased in the CA pyramidal neurons at 6 h after ischemia. Thereafter, they gradually decreased in a time-dependent manner. A total of 4 days after ischemia, HCN1 and HCN2 immunoreactivities were barely detected in the CA1 pyramidal neurons; however, HCN1 and HCN2 were began to be expressed in pericytes and astrocytes at 4 days after ischemia. The results indicated that HCN1 and HCN2 expression levels were apparently changed in the gerbil hippocampal CA1 subfield following tgCI and suggested that ischemia-induced alterations in HCN1 and HCN2 expression levels may be closely associated with the death of CA1 pyramidal neurons following 5 min of tgCI.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.176-182
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• 2011

Deep seawater (DSW) generally refers to seawater at depths equal to or greater than 200 meters. DSW is rich in inorganic materials which have attracted attention for its various applications. In this study we investigated the effects of the DSW upwelled from the East Sea, offshore Yang Yang (KangWon-do, Korea), on the expression of ${\mu}$-opioid receptor (MOR) of cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Neurons were grown in a minimal essential medium containing 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum and either 25% (v/v) distilled water, or hardness (H) 800, or H 1000 DSW. Cultures grown in the presence of DSW with H 800 and H 1000 exhibited robust MOR immunoreactive signals in both neurons and astrocytes. Interestingly, the increase in MOR immunoreactive signals was more dramatic in astrocytes than in neurons. Statistical analysis revealed that the relative intensities for MOR clusters increased approximately 4-fold in astrocytes cultured in H 800 and H 1000 media. These increases were statistically very significant (p<0.001). In contrast, the increase in intensities for MOR immunoreactive signals was relatively less dramatic in neurons, where only the increase in the H 1000 culture was statistically very significant (p<0.001). These results indicated that DSW promotes expression of MOR in both neurons and astrocytes, and more significantly in the latter.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.349-356
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• 1998

We identified S9940, a novel microbial metabolite from Streptomyces spp., to inhibit the release of neurotransmitter from PC12 cells. S9940 is an inhibitor of trifiated norepinephrine ([$^{3}H$]-NE) release in high $K^+$ buffer solution containing ionomycin, indicating that S9940 inhibits neurotransmitter release after the influx of $Ca^{2+}$ ions. We also examined the effect of S9940 on $\beta-glucuronidase$ release from guinea pig neurophils and the effect on the neurite extension of PC12 cells and rat hippocampal neurons. As a result, S9940 inhibited $\beta-glucuronidase$ release: when treated with $5{\mu}g/ml$ of S9940, which prevented [$^{3}H$]-NE release, the inhibition of neurite extension for both PC12 cells and rat hippocampal neurons was observed.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.256-262
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• 2005

The neuronal cytoskeleton is essential for establishment of neuronal polarity, but mechanisms controlling generation of polarity in the cytoskeleton are poorly understood. The nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, Fer, has been shown to bind to microtubules and to interact with several actin-regulatory proteins. Furthermore, Fer binds p120 catenin and has been shown to regulate cadherin function by modulating cadherin-${\beta}$-catenin interaction. Here we show involvement of Fer in neuronal polarization and neurite development. Fer is concentrated in growth cones together with cadherin, ${\beta}$-catenin, and cortactin in stage 2 hippocampal neurons. Inhibition of Fer-p120 catenin interaction with a cell-permeable inhibitory peptide (FerP) increases neurite branching. In addition, the peptide significantly delays conversion of one of several dendrites into an axon in early stage hippocampal neurons. FerP-treated growth cones also exhibit modified localization of the microtubule and actin cytoskeleton. Together, this indicates that the Fer-p120 interaction is required for normal neuronal polarization and neurite development.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1463-1467
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• 2003

In the present study, the effects of Ginseng radix and Ophiopogonis tuber on field potentials in rat hippocampal slices and cardiac muscle slices were investigated by multi-channel extracellular recording using MED64 system. The field potentials in the brain slices represent synaptic transmission and nerve excitability, and the field potentials in heart muscles represent muscle contractility. The present results show that the aqueous extract of Ginseng radix enhanced field potentials in the both hippocampal slices and cardiac muscle slices. In contrast, the aqueous extract Ophiopogonis tuber exerted no significant effect on the field potentials in the hippocampal slices and cardiac muscle slices. These results suggest the possibility that Yin-Yang theory could be studied in relation with excitability in neurons and muscles.

• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.182-187
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• 2024

Neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult hippocampus divide infrequently; the endogenous molecules modulating adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) remain largely unknown. Here, we show that ErbB3 binding protein 1 (Ebp1), which plays important roles in embryonic neurodevelopment, acts as an essential modulator of adult neurogenic factors. In vivo analysis of Ebp1 neuron depletion mice showed impaired AHN with a low number of hippocampal NSCs and neuroblasts. Ebp1 leads to transcriptional repression of Bmp4 and suppression of Ascl1 promoter methylation in the dentate gyrus of the adult hippocampus reflecting an unusually high level of Bmp4 and low Ascl1 level in neurons of Ebp1-deficient mice. Therefore, our findings suggests that Ebp1 could act as an endogenous modulator of the interplay between Bmp4 and Ascl1/Notch signaling, contributing to AHN.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.43.1-43.1
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• 2006

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.115-115
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• 2005

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.218-223
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• 2008

Oxidative stress is believed to contribute to the neuronal damage induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the possible antioxidant neuroprotective effect of hydroxyfullerene (a radical absorbing cage molecule) against neuronal death in hippocampal CA1 neurons following transient global cerebral ischemia in the rat. Transient global cerebral ischemia was induced in male Wistar rats by four vessel- occlusion (4VO) for 10 min. Lipid peroxidation in brain tissues was determined by measuring the concentrations of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS). Furthermore, the apoptotic effects of ${H_2}{O_2}$ on PC12 cells were also investigated. Cell viabilities were measured using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assays. Hydroxyfullerene, when administered to rats at 0.3-3 mg/kg i.p. at 0 and 90 minutes after 4-VO was found to significantly reduce CA1 neuron death by 72.4% on hippocampal CA1 neurons. Our findings suggest that hydroxyfullerene protects neurons from transient global cerebral injury in the rat hippocampus by reducing oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation levels, which contribute to apoptotic cell death.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.248-256
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• 2014

N-acetylglucosamine kinase (GlcNAc kinase or NAGK; EC 2.7.1.59) is a N-acetylhexosamine kinase that belong to the sugar kinase/heat shock protein 70/actin superfamily. In this study, we investigated both the expression and function of NAGK in neurons. Immunohistochemistry of rat brain sections showed that NAGK was expressed at high levels in neurons but at low levels in astrocytes. Immunocytochemistry of rat hippocampal dissociate cultures confirmed these findings and showed that NAGK was also expressed at low levels in oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, several NAGK clusters were observed in the nucleoplasm of both neuron and glia. The overexpression of EGFP- or RFP (DsRed2)-tagged NAGK in rat hippocampal neurons (DIV 5-9) increased the complexity of dendritic architecture by increasing the numbers of primary dendrites and dendritic branches. In contrast, knockdown of NAGK by shRNA resulted in dendrite degeneration, and this was prevented by the co-expression of RFP-tagged NAGK. These results suggest that the upregulation of dendritic complexity is a non-canonical function of NAGK.