• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.357-363
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• 1994

We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of $^{99m}Tc$-DISIDA scintigrauhy as a mean of differentiating biliary atresia from neonatal hepatitis. $^{99m}Tc$-DISIDA scintigraphy was visually interpreted by assessing the presence or absence of radioactivity in the intestine or gall bladder. In patients without intestinal radioactivity, we measured the hepatic retention index and the hepatic uptake index. The hepatic retention Index was expressed as the amount of change of liver activity from 5 minutes to 30 minutes postinjection. The hepatic uptake Index was graded visually with 5 minute images using the following scoring scheme : grade 0(normal hepatic uptake), grade 1(decreased hepatic uptake), grade 2(hepatic uptake equal to cardiac uptake), and grade 3(hepatic uptake less than cardiac uptake). Age, total bilirubin, and hepatic uptake index were compared between the biliary atresia and the neonatal hepatitis group, between neonatal hepatitis patients with and without intestinal radioactivity, and between the biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis patients with absent intestinal radioactivity. The results were as follows ; 1) None of the 30 biliary atresia patients showed intestinal radioactivity, while 31/40 neonatal hepatitis patients showed intestinal radioactivity. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the presence of intestinal radioactivity ?or the diagnosis of biliary atresia was 100%, 78%, and 87%, respectively. 2) In patients with absent intestinal radioactivity the mean hepatic retention index was $1.5{\pm}0.6$ in the 16 biliary atresia patients, and $1.1{\pm}0.2$ in the 7 neonatal hepatitis patients(p<0.01). All 7 patients with hepatic retention index over 1.5 had biliary atresia. But there were 9 patients with biliary atresia below 1.5. 3) No significant differences were found in age, total bilirubin, or hepatic uptake Index between biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis patients. However there were differences in age, total bilirubin, and hepatic uptake index between neonatal hepatitis patients with and without intestinal radioactivity. The hepatic uptake index was significantly lower, age was old, and total bilirubin was low in the group with intestinal radioactivity compared the group without intestinal radioactivity(p<0.05). Relation between total bilirubin and the hepatic uptake index was that total bilirubin was relatively low at normal hepatic uptake index in biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis patients. 4) When hepatic uptake index and hepatic retention index were high it suggest that biliary atresia is more likely, considered relation between hepatic uptake Index and the hepatic retention index. Thus, we conclude that $^{99m}Tc$-DISIDA scintigraphy is accurate in the differential diagnosis of biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis. In patients without intestinal radioactivity, the hepatic retention index and hepatic uptake index, along with the patient's age and total bilirubin level may supplement diagnosis and improve diagnostic accuracy.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.421-434
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• 2008

This study was carried out to estimate the selection of appropriate forage crops, proper application levels of livestock manure, and carrying capacity per unit area for organic livestock, as influenced by livestock manure application levels compared with chemical fertilizer to corn and sorghum $\times$ sorghum hybrid, in order to produce organic forages by utilizing livestock manure. For both corns and sorghum $\times$ sorghum hybrids, no fertilizer plots had significantly (p<0.05) lower annual dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) yields than those of other plots, whereas the N+P+K plots ranked the highest yields, followed by 150% cattle manure plots and 100% cattle manure plots. Dry matter, CP and TDN yields of cattle manure plots were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those of no fertilizer and P+K plots. In applying cattle manure, the yields of cattle slurry plots tended to be a little higher than those of composted cattle manure plots. Assuming that corns and sorghum $\times$ sorghum hybrids produced from this trial were fed at 70% level to 450kg of Hanwoo heifer with 400g of average daily gain, livestock carrying capacity (head/year/ha) ranked the highest in N+P+K plots of the case of corns (mean 6.7 heads), followed by 150% cattle slurry plots (mean 5.6 heads), 150% composted cattle manure plots (mean 4.8 heads), 100% cattle slurry plots (mean 4.4 heads), 100% composted cattle manure plots (mean 4.3 heads), P+K plots (mean 4.1 heads), and no fertilizer plots (mean 3.1 heads). Meanwhile, in case of sorghum $\times$ sorghum hybrids, N+P+K plots (mean 5.7 heads) ranked the highest carrying capacity, followed by $100{\sim}150%$ cattle slurry plots (mean $4.8{\sim}5.2$ heads), 150% composted cattle manure plots (mean 4.7 heads), 100 % composted cattle manure plots (mean 4.3 heads), P+K plots (mean 3.8 heads), and no fertilizer plots (mean 3.4 heads). The results indicated that replacing chemical fertilizer by livestock manure application to cultivation soil for forage crops could enhance not only DM and TDN yields, but also organic stock carrying capacity. In conclusion, it was conceived that organic forage production by reutilizing livestock manure might contribute to reduced environmental pollution and the production of environment friendly agricultural products through resources recycling.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.76-82
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• 2010

Experiments were conducted to investigate seed persistence of Chinese milk vetch(CMV) in naturally reseeded rice field in 2007~2009. The seed and pods with seeds were buried in rice field at 0, 5 and 10 cm depths and retrieved from the field at one to three month intervals from July to the following year March and determined change of seed dormancy and viability. In the second experiment, persistence of the CMV seeds in the naturally reseeded rice field at different tillage methods and soil depths were also investigated after rice harvest in autumn. Burial depths and durations affected recovery rate, dormancy and viability of CMV seed. The viability loss was faster and greater in the seed than the pod with seeds and on the soil surface than the 5 or 10 cm burial depths. The recovery rate of CMV seed was decreased starting from one month as seed burial and it was significantly decreased to 52~65% for the seed in September. However, unlike the seed burial, the nearly 100% CMV seeds were recovered for burial as pod with seeds even after four months burial in both 0 and 5 cm depths. However, the recovery rate was sharply declined to below 30% at October in 2007 in both seed and pods with seeds and in the 2008/2009 experiment. the 15~47% of CMV seeds still remained even after October. The CMV had high seed dormancy of 95%, showing only 4~5% germination at the beginning in June but the seed germination increased to 25 to 35% in seed and 55 to 61% in pod with seeds in September due to breakage of hard seed dormancy. The viability loss was faster in the seed than in the pod with seeds regardless of depths of placement in the soil base on decayed seeds. Also the seed placed on the soil surface lost viability faster than the 5~10 burial depths. On the other hand, field observation in the naturally reseeded CMV rice field showed that as many as 917~2,185 CMV seeds $m^2$ were from the 0~15 cm soil depth in the rotary tillage and 250~10,105 CMV seeds in minimum tillage treatmints. The recovered seed germinated 25~33%, 23~43% but still had high percentage of hard seed having 64~72% and 51~77% even after rice harvest in autumn. These results indicate that freshly harvested CMV seeds had high level of primary dormancy and the dormancy was gradually broken in soil with time during rice cultivation periods and appreciable number of CMV seeds remained even 4 month after burial in soil. CMV plant regenerated naturally from the remained seed bank at rice harvest time in autumn. The CMV seedling still emerged even after 2 years of continuous destructive killing of emerged CMV plant by rotary tillage in naturally reseeded CMV plant in rice field, indicating that CMV seeds do persistent as least two years in soil.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.287-302
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• 2017

The carbonate rocks of the Daegi Formation are composed of the limestone at the upper and lower zones, and the dolomite at the middle zone, in which the upper zone has higher CaO content than others. The colors of carbonate rock in the Daegi Formation can be divided into five types; white, light brown, light gray, gray, and dark gray. The white to light gray colored rocks correspond to the high purity limestone with 53.15 ~ 55.64 wt. % CaO, and the light brown colored rocks contain 20.71 ~ 21.67 wt. % MgO. The bleaching of carbonate rocks are not related to CaO composition of the rocks, as light gray rocks tend to be higher in CaO content than those of the white rocks at the lower zone. The pelitic components are also occasionally increased in white limestone than light grey one. $Al_2O_3$ is one of the most difficult content to remove during hydrothermal processes, so the interpretation that the limestone is purified together with hydrothemral bleaching, has little merit. The wide range (over 16 ‰) of ${\delta}^{18}O_{SMOW}$, smaller variation (within 2 ‰) of ${\delta}^{13}C_{PDB}$ are apparent in both the upper and lower zones, which indicate the Daegi Formation had been affected overall by hydrothermal fluids. The K-Ar isotopic age of hydrothermal alteration in the GMI limestone mine is $85.1{\pm}1.7Ma$. Gradual change from grey through light grey to white limestone is accompaned by lower oxygen stable isotope values, which is major evidence that the hydrothermal effect is the main process of the bleaching. Although the Daegi Formation has suffered from hydrothermal activity and increase in whiteness, there is no clear evidence demonstrating the relationship between bleaching and high purity of limestone. The purification of limestone has nothing to do with the hydrothermal activity in this area. Instead, it should be considered that the change of sedimentary environment related to see-level fluctuation which can prevent deposition of pelitic components especially $Al_2O_3$ contrbuted to the formation of the high purity limestone in the upper zone of the Daegi Formation. Considering the evidences such as increase in CaO content of limestone by depth, gradual change from calcite to dolomite at the lower zones, and occurring the high purity limestone at the upper zone, the interpretation of sequence stratigraphic aspect to the formation of the high purity Daegi limestone appears to be more suitable than that of hydrothermal alteration origin.

• 한국유가공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.09a
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• pp.49-58
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• 2007

Inflammatory process leads to the well-known mucosal damage and therefore a further disturbance of the epithelial barrier function, resulting abnormal intestinal wall function, even further accelerating the inflammatory process[1]. Despite of the records, etiology and pathogenesis of IBD remain rather unclear. There are many studies over the past couple of years have led to great advanced in understanding the inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) and their underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms. From the current understanding, it is likely that chronic inflammation in IBD is due to aggressive cellular immune responses including increased serum concentrations of different cytokines. Therefore, targeted molecules can be specifically eliminated in their expression directly on the transcriptional level. Interesting therapeutic trials are expected against adhesion molecules and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-${\alpha}$. The future development of immune therapies in IBD therefore holds great promises for better treatment modalities of IBD but will also open important new insights into a further understanding of inflammation pathophysiology. Treatment of cytokine inhibitors such as Immunex(Enbrel) and J&J/Centocor(Remicade) which are mouse-derived monoclonal antibodies have been shown in several studies to modulate the symptoms of patients, however, theses TNF inhibitors also have an adverse effect immune-related problems and also are costly and must be administered by injection. Because of the eventual development of unwanted side effects, these two products are used in only a select patient population. The present study was performed to elucidate the ability of TNF-${\alpha}$ antibodies produced in sheep colostrums to neutralize TNF-${\alpha}$ action in a cell-based bioassay and in a small animal model of intestinal inflammation. In vitro study, inhibitory effect of anti-TNF-${\alpha}$ antibody from the sheep was determined by cell bioassay. The antibody from the sheep at 1 in 10,000 dilution was able to completely inhibit TNF-${\alpha}$ activity in the cell bioassay. The antibodies from the same sheep, but different milkings, exhibited some variability in inhibition of TNF-${\alpha}$ activity, but were all greater than the control sample. In vivo study, the degree of inflammation was severe to experiment, despite of the initial pilot trial, main trial 1 was unable to figure out of any effect of antibody to reduce the impact of PAF and LPS. Main rat trial 2 resulted no significant symptoms like characteristic acute diarrhea and weight loss of colitis. This study suggested that colostrums from sheep immunized against TNF-${\alpha}$ significantly inhibited TNF-${\alpha}$ bioactivity in the cell based assay. And the higher than anticipated variability in the two animal models precluded assessment of the ability of antibody to prevent TNF-${\alpha}$ induced intestinal damage in the intact animal. Further study will require to find out an alternative animal model, which is more acceptable to test anti-TNF-${\alpha}$ IgA therapy for reducing the impact of inflammation on gut dysfunction. And subsequent pre-clinical and clinical testing also need generation of more antibody as current supplies are low.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.856-868
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate causes for health problems among college women by analyzing factors related to their dietary habits, physical development, health habits, and blood parameters. The subjects were ages 20 to 24 years, lived in the Seoul area and were randomly selected during March, 2008 to August, 2009. The average height and weight of the overall subjects were $162.02{\pm}4.89\;cm$ and $53.96{\pm}7.00\;kg$, respectively. According to a 3-point assessment scale for the subjects' dietary habits, the average point value was 21.2. The percentage of subjects that ate breakfast daily was only 30.5%, and they omitted regular meals at least once a week. Approximately 83.5% of the subjects reported eating out often or frequently, and preferred Korean foods when they ate out. The subjects had interim meals (snacks) one or two times daily, and 40.4% of them preferred unbalanced meals. As their interim meals, among the 'good' group, ate breaded potatoes (39.3%), carbonated beverages, and ice cream (36.8%), whereas the 'poor' group, drank milk and ate dairy products (38.0%) as well as fast food and fried food (22.8%). Intakes of energy, fat, vitamins $B_2$ and $B_6$, niacin, folic acid, calcium, iron, zinc, and phosphorus were higher in the 'poor' group. The average hemoglobin level ($13.77{\pm}1.00\;g/dL$) among the subjects was within normal range; while 2.7% of subjects had hemoglobin levels under 11.1 g/dL (standard value) and were examined as anemic. The degree of interest in health was 24.5% higher among the subjects who had poor dietary habits. In contrast, among those who had good dietary habits, 49.6% reported they had no interest in regular exercise. The subjects reported that regular meals, nutrient intake, sufficient rest, and sleep as necessary to maintain health. The average amount of sleep obtained by the subjects was 6~8 hours. Among the 'poor' group, 36.2% reported that they exercised regularly, whereas 18.5% of the subjects in the 'good' group reported regular exercise (p<0.05). In conclusion, it appears necessary to provide nutrition education through teaching and to promote nutrition and health to college women so they can control their individual health status and create practicable dietary plans.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1230-1238
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• 2013

The regulatory effect of the tumor-suppressor protein p53 on the apoptogenic activity of $17{\alpha}$-estradiol ($17{\alpha}-E_2$) was compared between HCT116 ($p53^{+/+}$) and HCT116 ($p53^{-/-}$) cells. When the HCT116 ($p53^{+/+}$) and HCT116 ($p53^{-/-}$) cells were treated with $2.5{\sim}10{\mu}M$ $17{\alpha}-E_2$ for 48 h or with $10{\mu}M$for various time periods, cytotoxicity and an apoptotic sub-$G_1$ peak were induced in the HCT116 ($p53^{+/+}$) cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. However, the HCT116 ($p53^{-/-}$) cells were much less sensitive to the apoptotic effect of $17{\alpha}-E_2$. Although $17{\alpha}-E_2$ induced aberrant mitotic spindle organization and incomplete chromosome congregation at the equatorial plate, $G_2/M$ arrest was induced to a similar extent in both cell types. In addition, $17{\alpha}-E_2$-induced activation of Bak and Bax, ${\Delta}{\Psi}m$ loss, and PARP degradation were more dominant in the HCT116 ($p53^{+/+}$) than in the HCT116 ($p53^{-/-}$) cells. In accordance with enhancement of p53 phosphorylation (Ser-15) and p53 levels, p21 and Bax levels were elevated in the HCT116 ($p53^{+/+}$) cells treated with $17{\alpha}-E_2$. The HCT116 ($p53^{-/-}$) cells exhibited barely or undetectable levels of p21 and Bax, regardless of $17{\alpha}-E_2$ treatment. On the other hand, although the level of Bcl-2 was slightly lower in the HCT116 ($p53^{+/+}$) than in the HCT116 ($p53^{-/-}$) cells, it remained relatively constant after the $17{\alpha}-E_2$ treatment. Together, these results show that among the components of the $17{\alpha}-E_2$-induced apoptotic-signaling pathway, which proceeds through mitotic spindle defects causing mitotic arrest, subsequent activation of Bak and Bax and the mitochondria-dependent caspase cascade, leading to PARP degradation, $17{\alpha}-E_2$-induced activation of Bak and Bax is the upstream target of proapoptotic action of p53.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.130-140
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• 2014

Recently, some of the previous studies reported that tolclofos-methyl is still exist in ginseng cultivated soil, even though it is has been banned for ginseng. Therefore, the current study was aimed to examine the levels of absorption and translocation of tolclofos-methyl from ginseng cultivated soil to ginseng root and leaf stem for the period of 1 year. For this study, ginseng plants were transplanted in pots and treated with $5.0mg\;kg^{-1}$ of tolclofos-methyl (50% WP). At the end of each interval periods (every three months) the samples (soil, roots and leaf stems) were collected and analyzed the absorption and translocation levels of tolclofos-methyl using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The limit of quantitation of tolclofos-methyl was found to be $0.02mg\;kg^{-1}$ and 70.0~120.0% recovery was obtained with coefficient of variation of less than 10% regardless of sample types. In this study, a considerable amount of translocation of tolclofos-methyl residues were found in soil (4.28 to $0.06mg\;kg^{-1}$), root (7.09 to $1.54mg\;kg^{-1}$) and leaf stem (0.79 to $0.69mg\;kg^{-1}$). The results show that the tolclofos-methyl was absorbted and translocated from ginseng cultivated soil to ginseng root and ginseng leaf stem and found to be decreased time-coursely. Secondly, we were also analyzed soil, root and leaf stems samples from Hongcheon, Cheorwon, Punggi and Geumsan by GC-MS/MS (172 pesticides), LC-MS/MS (74 pesticides). In this study, 43 different pesticides were detected ($0.01{\sim}7.56mg\;kg^{-1}$) in soil, root and leaf stem. Further, tolclofos-methyl was detected 4 times separately in root sample alone which is less ($0.01{\sim}0.05mg\;kg^{-1}$) than their maximum residual limit (MRL) in ginseng. Consequently, the results from both studies indicate the residues of tolclofos-methyl found in ginseng cultivated soil and ginseng ensuring their safety level. Moreover, long-term evaluations are needed in order to protect the soil as well as ginseng free from tolclofos-methyl residues.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.26-44
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• 2017

Regarded as Korea's traditional pond, Gungnamj Pond was surmised to be "Gungnamji" due to its geological positioning in the south of Hwajisan (花枝山) and relics of the Gwanbuk-ri (官北里) suspected of being components to the historical records of Muwang (武王)'s pond of The Chronicles of the Three States [三國史記] and Sabi Palace, respectively, yet was subjected to a restoration following a designation to national historic site. This study is focused on the distortion of authenticity identified in the course of the "Gungnamji Pond" restoration and the invention of tradition, whose summarized conclusions are as follows. 1. Once called Maraebangjuk (마래방죽), or Macheonji (馬川池) Pond, Gungnamji Pond was existent in the form of a low-level swamp of vast area encompassing 30,000 pyeong during the Japanese colonial period. Hong, Sa-jun, who played a leading role in the restoration of "Gungnamji Pond," said that even during the 1940s, the remains of the island and stone facilities suspected of being the relics of Gungnamji Pond of the Baekje period were found, and that the traces of forming a royal palace and garden were discovered on top of them. Hong, Sa-jun also expressed an opinion of establishing a parallel between "Gungnamji Pond" and "Maraebangjuk" in connection with a 'tale of Seodong [薯童說話]' in the aftermath of the detached palace of Hwajisan, which ultimately operated as a theoretical ground for the restoration of Gungnamj Pond. Assessing through Hong, Sa-jun's sketch, the form and scale of Maraebangjuk were visible, of which the form was in close proximity to that photographed during the Japanese colonial period. 2. The minimized restoration of Gungnamji Pond faced deterrence for the land redevelopment project implemented in the 1960s, and the remainder of the land size is an attestment. The fundamental problem manifest in the restoration of Gungnamji Pond numerously attempted from 1964 through 1967 was the failure of basing the restorative work in the archaeological facts yet in the perspective of the latest generations, ultimately yielding a replication of Hyangwonji Pond of Gyeongbok Palace. More specifically, the methodologies employed in setting an island and a pavilion within a pond, or bridging an island with a land evidenced as to how Gungnamji Pond was modeled after Hyangwonji Pond of Gyeongbok Palace. Furthermore, Chihyanggyo (醉香橋) Bridge referenced in the designing of the bridge was hardly conceived as a form indigenous to the Joseon Dynasty, whose motivation and idea of the misguided restoration design at the time all the more devaluated Gungnamji Pond. Such an utterly pure replication of the design widely known as an ingredient for the traditional landscape was purposive towards the aesthetic symbolism and preference retained by Gyeongbok Palace, which was intended to entitle Gungnamji Pond to a physical status of the value in par with that of Gyeongbok Palace. 3. For its detachment to the authenticity as a historical site since its origin, Gungnamji Pond represented distortions of the landscape beauty and tradition even through the restorative process. The restorative process for such a historical monument, devoid of constructive use and certain of distortion, maintains extreme intimacy with the nationalistic cultural policy promoted by the Park, Jeong-hee regime through the 1960s and 1970s. In the context of the "manipulated discussions of tradition," the Park's cultural policy transformed the citizens' recollection into an idealized form of the past, further magnifying it at best. Consequently, many of the historical sites emerged as fancy and grand as they possibly could beyond their status quo across the nation, and "Gungnamji Pond" was a victim to this monopolistic government-led cultural policy incrementally sweeping away with new buildings and structures instituted regardless of their original space, and hence, their value.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.231-238
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• 1994

Backgroud: Since the demonstration of the fact that vascular relaxation by acetylcholine(Ach) results from the release of relaxing factor from the endothelium, the identity and physiology of this endothelium-derived relaxing factor(EDRF) has been the target for many researches. EDRF has been identified as nitric oxide(NO). With the recent evidences that EDRF is an important mediator of vascular tone, there have been increasing interests in defining the role of the EDRF as a potential mediator of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. But the role of EDRF in modulating the pulmonary circulation is not compeletely clarified. To investigate the endothelium-dependent pulmonary vasodilation and the role of EDRF during hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, we studied the effects of $N^G$-monomethyl-L-arginine(L-NMMA) and L-arginine on the precontracted pulmonary arterial rings of the rat in normoxia and hypoxia. Mothods: The pulmonary arteries of male Sprague Dawley(300~350g) were dissected free of surrounding tissue, and cut into rings. Rings were mounted over fine rigid wires, in organ chambers filled with 20ml of Krebs solution bubbled with 95 percent oxygen and 5 percent carbon dioxide and maintained at $37^{\circ}C$. Changes in isometric tension were recorded with a force transducer(FT.03 Grass, Quincy, USA) Results: 1) Precontraction of rat pulmonry artery with intact endothelium by phenylephrine(PE, $10^{-6}M$) was relaxed completely by acetylcholine(Ach, $10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$) and sodium nitroprusside(SN, $10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$), but relaxing response by Ach in rat pulmonary artery with denuded endothelium was significantly decreased. 2) L-NMMA($10^{-4}M$) pretreatment inhibited Ach($10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$)-induced relaxation, but L-NMMA ($10^{-4}M$) had no effect on relaxation induced by SN($10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$). 3) Pretreatment of the L-arginine($10^{-4}M$) significantly reversed the inhibition of the Ach ($10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$)-induced relaxation caused by L-NMMA($10^{-4}M$) 4) Pulmonary arterial contraction by PE($10^{-6}M$) was stronger in hypoxia than normoxia but relaxing response by Ach($10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$) was decreased, 5) With pretreatment of L-arginine($10^{-4}M$), pulmonary arterial relaxation by Ach($10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$) in hypoxia was reversed to the level of relaxation in normoxia. Conclusion: It is concluded that rat pulmonary arterial relaxation by Ach is dependent on the intact endothelium and is largely mediated by NO. Acute hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction is related to the suppression on NO formation in the vascular endothelium.