• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.8
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• pp.391-397
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• 2013

The ATP-inhibited Plant Mitochondrial $K^+$ Channel ($PmitoK_{ATP}$) was discovered about fifteen years ago in Durum Wheat Mitochondria (DWM). $PmitoK_{ATP}$ catalyses the electrophoretic $K^+$ uniport through the inner mitochondrial membrane; moreover, the co-operation between $PmitoK_{ATP}$ and $K^+/H^+$ antiporter allows such a great operation of a $K^+$ cycle to collapse mitochondrial membrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}$) and ${\Delta}pH$, thus impairing protonmotive force (${\Delta}p$). A possible physiological role of such ${\Delta}{\Psi}$ control is the restriction of harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) production under environmental/oxidative stress conditions. Interestingly, DWM lacking ${\Delta}p$ were found to be nevertheless fully coupled and able to regularly accomplish ATP synthesis; this unexpected behaviour makes necessary to recast in some way the classical chemiosmotic model. In the whole, $PmitoK_{ATP}$ may oppose to large scale ROS production by lowering ${\Delta}{\Psi}$ under environmental/oxidative stress, but, when stress is moderate, this occurs without impairing ATP synthesis in a crucial moment for cell and mitochondrial bioenergetics.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.183-186
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• 2002

Ischemic damage is one of the most serious problems. The openers of KATP channel have been suggested to have an effect to limit the ischemic damage. However, it is not yet clear how KATP channels of a cell correspond to hypoxic damage. To address the question, N2a cells were exposed to two different hypoxic conditions as follows: 6 hours hypoxia followed by 3 hours reperfusion and 12 hours hypoxia followed by 3 hours reperfusion. As the results, 6 hours hypoxic treatment increased glibenclamide- sensitive basal $K_{ATP}$ current activity (approximately 6.5-fold at 0 mV test potential) when compared with nomoxic condition. In contrast, 12 hours hypoxic treatment induced a relatively smaller change in the $K_{ATP}$ current density (2.5-fold at 0 mV test potential). Additionally, in experiments where $K_{ATP}$ channels were opened using diazoxide, the hypoxia for 6 hours significantly increased the current density in comparison to control condition (p＜0.001). Interestingly, the augmentation in the $K_{ATP}$ current density reduced after exposure to the 12 hours hypoxic condition (p＜0.001). Taken together, these results suggest that $K_{ATP}$ channels appear to be recruited more in cells exposed to the 6 hours hypoxic condition and they may play a protective role against hypoxia-reperfusion damage within the time range.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.247-253
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• 2002

Major pelvic ganglia (MPG) neurons are classified into sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons according to the electrophysiological properties; membrane capacitance (Cm), expression of T-type $Ca^{2+}$ channels, and the firing patterns during depolarization. In the present study, function and molecular expression of ATP-sensitive $K^+\;(K_{ATP})$ channels was investigated in MPG neurons of male rats. Only in parasympathetic MPG neurons showing phasic firing patterns, hyperpolarizing changes were elicited by the application of diazoxide, an activator of $K_{ATP}$ channels. Glibenclamide $(10{\mu}M),$ a $K_{ATP}$ channel blocker, completely abolished the diazoxide-induced hyperpolarization. Diazoxide increased inward currents at high $K^+$ (90 mM) external solution, which was also blocked by glibenclamide. The metabolic inhibition by the treatment with mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibitors (rotenone and antimycin) hyperpolarized the resting membrane potential of parasympathetic neurons, which was not observed in sympathetic neurons. The hyperpolarizing response to metabolic inhibition was partially blocked by glibenclamide. RT-PCR analysis revealed that MPG neurons mainly expressed the $K_{ATP}$ channel subunits of Kir6.2 and SUR1. Our results suggest that MPG neurons have $K_{ATP}$ channels, mainly formed by Kir6.2 and SUR1, with phenotype-specificity, and that the conductance through this channel in parasympathetic neurons may contribute to the changes in excitability during hypoxia and/or metabolic inhibition.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.131-136
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• 2011

Background: Pregabalin is an anticonvulsant and analgesic agent that interacts selectively with the voltage-sensitive-$Ca^{2+}$-channel alpha-2-delta subunit. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the analgesic action of intrathecal (IT) pregabalin is associated with KATP channels in the rat formalin test. Methods: IT PE-10 catheters were implanted in male Sprague-Dawley rats (250.300 g) under inhalation anesthesia using enflurane. Nociceptive behavior was defined as the number of hind paw flinches during 60 min after formalin injection. Ten min before formalin injection, IT drug treatments were divided into 3 groups: normal saline (NS) $20\;{\mu}l$ (CON group); pregabalin 0.3, 1, 3 and $10\;{\mu}g$ in NS $10\;{\mu}l$ (PGB group); glibenclamide $100\;{\mu}g$ in DMSO $5\;{\mu}l$ with pregabalin 0.3, 1, 3 and $10\;{\mu}g$ in NS $5\;{\mu}l$ (GBC group). All the drugs were flushed with NS $10\;{\mu}l$. Immunohistochemistry for the $K_{ATP}$ channel was done with a different set of rats divided into naive, NS and PGB groups. Results: IT pregabalin dose-dependently decreased the flinching number only in phase 2 of formalin test. The log dose response curve of the GBC group shifted to the right with respect to that of the PGB group. Immunohistochemistry for the $K_{ATP}$ channel expression on the spinal cord dorsal horn showed no difference among the groups 1 hr after the formalin test. Conclusions: The antinociceptive effect of pregabalin in the rat formalin test was associated with the activation of the $K_{ATP}$ channel. However, pregabalin did not induce $K_{ATP}$ channel expression in the spinal cord dorsal horn.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2002

In several species, a short period of ischemic preconditioning protects the heart by reducing the size of infarcts resulting from subsequent prolonged bouts of ischemia. The mechanism by which activation of ATP-sensitive $K^+$($K_ATP$) channels could provide the memory associated with ischemic preconditioning is still under debate. Several signal transduction pathways have been implicated in the mechanisms of protection induced by ischemic preconditioning. The exact receptor-coupled pathways involved in preconditioning remain to be identified. Likely extracellular agonists are those whose circulating levels increase under conditions that activate $K_ATP$ channels; these conditions include ischemia and ischemic preconditioning. Potential physiological agonists include the following: (1) nitric oxide; (2) catecholamine; (3) adenosine; (4) acetylcholine; (5) bradykinin and (6) prostacycline. The purpose of this review was to understand the mechanism by which biological signal transduction mechanism acts as a link in one or more known receptor-mediated pathways to increase $K_ATP$ channel activity during ischemic preconditioning.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.209-218
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• 1996

Acetylcholine (ACh) activates the inwardly rectifying muscarinic $K^{+}$ channel in rat atrial cells via pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G-protein ($G_k$) coupled with the muscarinic receptor (mAChR). Although this $K^{+}\;(K_{ACh})$ channel function has reported to be modulated by the phosphorylation process, a kinase and phosphatase involved in these processes are still unclear. Since either PKA or PKC was not effective on this ATP-modulation, the present study examined the possible involvement of the protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) and protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) in the function of the $K_{ACh}$ Channel. In the inside-out (I/O) patch preparation excised from the adult rat atrial cell, when activated by 10 ${\mu}M$ ACh in the pipette and 100 ${\mu}M$ GTP in the bath, the mean open time (${\tau}_{o}$) and the channel activity ($K_{ACh}$) was 1.13 ms (n=5) and 0.19 (n=6), respectively. Following the application of 1 mM ATP into the bath, ${\tau}_{o}$ increased by 34% (1.54 ms, n=5) and $K_{ACh}$ by 66% (0.28, n=6). Channel function elevated by ATP was lasted after washout of ATP. However, this ATP-induced increase in the $K_{ACh}$ channel function did not occur in pretreated cells with genistein ($50{\sim}100 {\mu}M$), a selective PTK inhibitor, but occurred in pretreated cells with equimolar daidzein, a negative control of the genistein. On the contrary, PTP which acts on tyrosine residue conversely reversed both ATP-induced increased ${\tau}_{o}$ by 32% (1.20 ms, n=3) and $K_{ACh}$ by 41% (0.15, n=3), respectively. Taken together, these results suggest that $K_{ACh}$ channel may, at least partly, be regulated by the tyrosyl phosphorylation, although it is unclear where this process exerts on the muscarinic signal transduction pathway comprising the mAChR-$G_{k}$-the $K_{ACh}$ channel.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.19-19
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• 2003

We have developed a cardiac cell model (Kyoto Model) for the sinoatrial node and ventricle, which is composed of a common set of kinetic equations of membrane ionic currents, Ca$\^$2+/dynamics of sarcoplasmic reticulum and contractile protein. To expand this model by including metabolic pathways, the intracellular ATP metabolism, which is pivotal in cardiac excitation - contraction coupling, was incorporated. ATP consumption by the sarcolemmal Na$\^$+/ pump and the Ca pump in the sarcoplasmic reticulum were calculated with stoichiometry of 3Na:2K:1ATP and 2Ca:1ATP, respectively. ATP consumption by contraction was estimated according to experimental data. Dependence of contraction on ATP and inorganic phosphate was modeled, based on data of skinned cardiac fiber. in production by mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation was modified from Korzeniewski '||'&'||' Zoladz (2001), and creatine kinase and adenylate kinase reactions were incorporated. ATP dependence of ATP-sensitive K channel and L type Ca channel were also included.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.107-112
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• 2005

Background: Nerve ligation injury may produce mechanical allodynia, but this can be reversed after an intrathecal administration of adenosine analogues. In many animal and human studies, ATP-sensitive potassium channel blockers have been known to reverse the antinociceptive effect of various drugs. This study was performed to evaluate the mechanical antiallodynic effects of spinal R-PIA (Adenosine A1 receptor agonist) and the reversal of these effects due to pretreatment with glibenclamide (ATP-sensitive potassium channel blocker). Thus, the relationship between the antiallodynic effects of R-PIA and ATP-sensitive potassium channel were investigated in a neuropathic model. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were prepared by tightly ligating the left lumbar 5th and 6th spinal nerves and implantation of a chronic lumbar intrathecal catheter for drug administration. The mechanical allodynia was measured by applying von Frey filaments ipsilateral to the lesioned hind paw. And the thresholds for paw withdrawal assessed. In study 1, either R-PIA (0.5, 1 and $2{\mu}g$) or saline were administered intrathecally for the examination of the antiallodynic effect of R-PIA. In study 2, glibenclamide (2, 5, 10 and 20 nM) was administered intrathecally 5 min prior to an R-PIA injection for investigation of the reversal of the antiallodynic effects of R-PIA. Results: The antiallodynic effect of R-PIA was produced in a dose dependent manner. In study 1, the paw withdrawal threshold was significantly increased with $2{\mu}g$ R-PIA (P < 0.05). In study 2, the paw withdrawal threshold with $2{\mu}g$ R-PIA was significantly decreased almost dose dependently by intrathecal pretreatment of 5, 10 and 20 nM glibenclamide (P < 0.05). Conclusions: These results demonstrated that an intrathecal injection of ATP-sensitive potassium channel blockers prior to an intrathecal injection of adenosine A1 receptors agonist had an antagonistic effect on R-PIA induced antiallodynia. The results suggest that the mechanism of mechanical antiallodynia, as induced by an intrathecal injection of R-PIA, may involve the ATP-sensitive potassium channel at both the spinal and supraspinal level in a rat nerve ligation injury model.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2005

This study was performed to investigate the regulatory mechanism of cerebral blood flow of adenosine A$_{2B}$ receptor agonist in the rats, and to define whether its mechanism is mediated by adenylate cyclase, guanylate cyclase and potassium channel. In pentobarbital-anesthetized, pancuronium-paralyzed and artificially ventilated male Sprague-Dawley rats, all drugs were applied topically to the cerebral cortex. Blood flow from cerebral cortex was measured using laser-Doppler flowmetry. Topical application of an adenosine A$_{2B}$ receptor agonist, 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA; 4 umol/I) increased cerebral blood flow. This effect of NECA (4 umol/I) was not blocked by pretreatment with adenylate cyclase inhibitor, MDL-12,330 (20 umol/I). But effect of NECA (4 umol/I) was blocked by pretreatment with guanylate cyclase inhibitor, LY-83,583 (10 umol/I) and pretreatment with ATP-sensitive potassium channel inhibitor, glipizide (5 umol/I). These results suggest that adenosine A$_{2B}$ receptor increases cerebral blood flow. It seems that this action of adenosine A$_{2B}$ receptor is mediated via the activation of guanylate cyclase and ATP-sensitive potassium channel in the cerebral cortex of the rats.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.445-453
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• 2000

The present investigation tested the hypothesis that the activation of protein kinase G (PKG) leads to a phosphorylation of $Ca^{2+}-activated$ potassium channel $(K_{Ca}\;channel)$ and is involved in the activation of $K_{Ca}$ channel activity in cerebral arterial smooth muscle cells of the rabbit. Single-channel currents were recorded in cell-attached and inside-out patch configurations of patch-clamp techniques. Both molsidomine derivative 3-morpholinosydnonimine-N-ethylcarbamide $(SIN-1,\;50\;{\mu}M)$ and 8-(4-Chlorophenylthio)-guanosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate $(8-pCPT-cGMP,\;100\;{\mu}M),$ a membrane-permeable analogue of cGMP, increased the $K_{Ca}$ channel activity in the cell-attached patch configuration, and the effect was removed upon washout of the drugs. In inside-out patches, single-channel current amplitude was not changed by SIN-1 and 8-pCPT-cGMP. Application of ATP $(100\;{\mu}M),$ cGMP $(100\;{\mu}M),$ ATP+cGMP $(100\;{\mu}M\;each),$ PKG $(5\;U/{\mu}l),$ ATP $(100\;{\mu}M)+PKG\;(5\;U/{\mu}l),$ or cGMP $(100\;{\mu}M)+PKG\;(5\;U/{\mu}l)$ did not increase the channel activity. ATP $(100\;{\mu}M)+cGMP\;(100\;{\mu}M)+PKG\;(5\;U/{\mu}l)$ added directly to the intracellular phase of inside-out patches increased the channel activity with no changes in the conductance. The heat-inactivated PKG had no effect on the channel activity, and the effect of PKG was inhibited by 8-(4-Chlorophenylthio)-guanosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate, Rp-isomer $(Rp-pCPT-cGMP,\;100\;{\mu}M),$ a potent inhibitor of PKG or protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A, 1 U/ml). In the presence of okadaic acid (OA, 5 nM), PP2A had no effect on the channel activity. The $K_{Ca}$ channel activity spontaneously decayed to the control level upon washout of ATP, cGMP and PKG, and this was prevented by OA (5 nM) in the medium. These results suggest that the PKG-mediated phosphorylations of $K_{Ca}$ channels, or some associated proteins in the membrane patch increase the activity of the $K_{Ca}$ channel, and the activation may be associated with the vasodilating action.