• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.357-362
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• 2003

Carbon monoxide (CO) is low molecular weight oxide gas that is endogenously produced under physiological conditions and interacts with another gas, nitric oxide (NO), to act as a gastrointestinal messenger. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of exogenous CO on L-type calcium channel currents of human jejunal circular smooth muscle cells. Cells were voltage clamped with 10 mM barium ($Ba^{2+}$) as the charge carrier, and CO was directly applied into the bath to avoid perfusion induced effects on the recorded currents. 0.2% CO was increased barium current ($I_{Ba}$) by $15{\pm}2$% ($mean{\pm}S.E.$, p<0.01, n=11) in the cells. To determine if the effects of CO on barium current were mediated through the cGMP pathway, cells were pretreated with 1-H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, $10{mu}M$), a soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, and exogenous CO (0.2%) had no effect on barium currents in the presence of ODQ ($2{\pm}1$% increase, n=6, p>0.05). CO mediates inhibitory neurotransmission through the nitric oxide pathway. Therefore, to determine if the effects of CO on L-calcium channels were also mediated through NO, cells were incubated with $N^G-nitro-L-arginine$ (L-NNA, 1 mM), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor. After L-NNA pretreatment, 0.2 % CO did not increase barium current ($4{\pm}2$% increase, n=6, p>0.05). NO donor, SNAP ($20{\mu}M$) increased barium current by $13{\pm}2$% (n=6, p<0.05) in human jejunal smooth muscle cells. These data suggest that CO activates L-type calcium channels through NO/cGMP dependant mechanism.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.99-103
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• 2002

Geopungdodam-tang(GDT) have been used in oriental medicine for many centuries as a therapeutic agent of apoplexy. The mechanism of GDT on the cerebral blood flow is not known. The purpose of this Study was to investigate effects of GDT on the pial arterial diameter and action mechanism of GDT-induced increased regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF). The changes of regional cerebral blood f1ow(rCBF) was determinated by Laser-Doppler Flowmetry(LDF), and the changes of pial arterial diametet were determinated by video microscopy methods and video analyzer. The results were as follows ; 1. Pial arterial diameter was significantly increased by GDT in a dose-dependent manner. 2. Pretreatment with L-NNA significantly inhibited GDT induced increased rCBF. 3. Pretreatment with methylene blue significantly inhibited GDT induced increased rCBF. 4. Pretreatment with indomethacin inhibited GDT induced increased rCBF. These results suggest that GDT causes a diverse response of cerebral hemodynamics(rCBF and pial arterial diameter). The cerebral hemodynamics is also mediated by nitric oxide synthase, cyclic GMP(guanylyl cydase) and prostaglandin(cyclooxygenase).

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.63-73
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• 2002

Objective : This study aimed to investigate the effects Samyoo-tang Extract (SE) on the vascular systems, including changes in blood pressure and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods : The changes in rCBF were determined by Laser-Doppler flowmetry through the opened cranial method and norepinephrine (NE)-induced blood vessel contractions were determined by physiograph in the pulmonary artery of isolated rabbits. Results and Conclusion : 1. Contractions evoked by NE ($ED_{50}$) were inhibited significantly by SE in the pulmonary artery. 2. SE inhibited the relaxation of NE induced contractions pretreated with propranolol. 3. SE did not inhibit the relaxation of NE induced contractions pretreated with ODQ and L-NNA. 4. Blood pressure was not affected by SE in rats. 5. rCBF was increased by SE in a dose-dependent manner. 6. Pretreatment with propranolol was increased by SE in a dose-dependent manner in blond pressure. 7. Pretreatment with methylene blue, ODQ and L-NNA did not inhibit SE induced increased in rCBF. These results indicate that SE can relax NE-induced contraction of rabbit blood vessels and increased the changes of rCBF in rats, that relate to the sympathetic nerve system.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2018

In order to define the effect of Torilis Fructus(TF) extract which has been used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, experiments were carried out by organ bath study, histochemical and immunohistochemical methods. First, in the organ bath study, when TF extract was administered to the maxillary contracted corpus cavernosum by PE ($10^{-6}M$), there was a significant relaxation effect on corpus cavernosum at concentration of 1, $3mg/m{\ell}$. Compared with the absence of $\text\tiny{L}$-NNA pretreatmen, pretreatment of $\text\tiny{L}$-NNA was inhibited the relaxation effect of penile corpus cavernosum. In the immunohistochemical study, the eNOS positive reaction was significantly increased, and the PDE5 positive reaction was significantly decreased due to the administration of TF extract. Therefore, it show that the TF enhances the production of eNOS and NO, inhibits PDE5 which blocks the action of increased cGMP, relaxes the corpus cavernosum. So TF relaxes the corpus cavernosum and it can be used as a safer erectile dysfunction treatment.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.587-595
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• 2003

The aim of this study was to investigate trazodone's effect on vasorelaxation and blood pressure lowering and to examine its underlying mechanism of action in isolated thoracic aorta and anesthesized rats. Precontracted aortic rings with high KCl were relaxed with trazodone, at concentrations of $50{\mu}M$ or greater. However, precontracted rings with phenylephrine (PE) were relaxed with trazodone, at concentrations of $0.03{\mu}M$ or greater, in a concentration-dependent manner. These relaxant effects of trazodone on endothelium intact rat aortic rings were significantly greater than those on denuded rings. The trazodone-induced relaxations were suppressed by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) and N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), guanylate cyclase inhibitors, methylene blue and 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), a $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channel blocker, tetrabutylammonium (TBA), a $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker, nifedipine, $Na^+$ channel blockers, lidocaine and procaine, and removal of extracellular $Na^+$, but not by aminoguanidine, 2-nitro-4-carboxyphenyl-n, n-diphenylcarbamate (NCDC), indomethacin, glibenclamide and clotrimazole. In vivo, infusion of trazodone elicited significant decrease in arterial blood pressure. Trazodone-induced decrease in blood pressure was markedly inhibited by pretreatment of intravenous injection of saponin, L-NNA, methylene blue, TBA, lidocaine or nifedipine. These findings suggest that the endothelium-dependent relaxation and decrease in blood pressure induced by trazodone is mediated by release of NO from the endothelium, activation of TBA-sensitive $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels or inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ entry through voltage-gated channel.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.180-188
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the relaxation effects and its mechanisms of Nelumbinis Semen(NS) extract in isolated rabbit corpus cavernous tissues. In order to examine the relaxation effects and its mechanisms of NS, we treated the ethanol extract of NS(0.01-3.0 mg/ml) and indomethacin(IM), tetraethylammonium chloride(TEA), Nω -nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), methylene blue(MB) were treated before NS extract to contracted strips induced by PE 1 μM. We also treated calcium chloride(Ca) 1 mM after pretreatment of NS extract in Ca²⁺-free krebs-ringer solution to contracted strips induced by PE. Cell viability and NO concentration on human umbilical vein endothelial cell(HUVEC) was measured by MTT assay, Griess reagent system. eNOS production was investigated by histochemical and immunohistochemical staining. NS extract was significantly affected on the relaxation of cavernous strips and NS extract-induced relaxation was not different by pretreatment of IM, TEA, MB, but inhibited by the pretreatment of L-NNA. And increase of contraction induced by Ca²⁺ addition, in a Ca²⁺-free solution, was decreased by pretreatment of NS. NO concentration on HUVEC was increased. When NS extract was applicated on corpus cavernosum of penis(CCP) in SHR, ratio of smooth muscles to collage fibers by PE was decreased and formation of eNOS around helicine artery was increased. These results suggest that CCP relaxation effects of NS extract are shown by suppressing influx of extracellular Ca²⁺ through the production of NO and eNOS.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2017

This study was aimed to examine relaxing effects of Acanthopanacis cortex(AC) through nitric oxide(NO) production and phosphodiesterase type 5(PDE-5) inhibition in corpus cavernosum. In order to define the relaxation effects of AC extract, rabbit corpus cavernous tissues were prepared in $2{\times}2{\times}8mm$ sized strip. AC extract ($0.01-3.0mg/m{\ell}$) were treated in contracted strips induced by phenylephrine(PE) and $N{\omega}$-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) was treated before AC extract-treated. And calcium chloride($Ca^{2+}$) 1 mM was infused into precontracted strips after pretreatment of AC extract in $Ca^{2+}-free$ krebs-ringer solution. When AC extract was applied to human umbilical vein endothelial cell(HUVEC), cell viability was measured by MTT assay, and NO concentration was measured by Griess reagent system. Ratio of smooth muscles to collagen fibers and eNOS, PDE-5 positive reaction were measured by histochemical and immunohistochemical process on mice corpus cavernosum. AC extract significantly affected relaxion of the cavernous strips, and the pretreatment of L-NNA inhibited AC extract-induced relaxation. Contraction induced by the addition of $Ca^{2+}$ was inhibited by treatment with the AC extract in $Ca^{2+}-free$ solution. In AC group, NO concentration, ratio of smooth muscle to collagen fibers, and eNOS positive reaction were increased, PDE-5 positive reaction was decreased compared to PE group. As a result of the above experiment, it was thought that AC extract inhibits the inflow of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ by activating cGMP through the increase of eNOS / NO and the decrease of PDE-5 which inhibits cGMP activity, in the corpus cavernosum.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.730-737
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to investigate vasorelaxant effect of Epimedium koreanum(EK) extract on rabbit carotid artery. In this study, to determine vasorelaxant effect of EK extract on rabbit carotid artery, arterial rings with intact or damaged endothelium were used for experiment using organ bath, and were contracted by norepinephrine(NE). After being contracted, arterial rings were treated with EK extract in a dose-dependent manner To study its mechanism, the contracted arterial rings induced by NE were pretreated with indomethacin(IM), $N_{\omega}$-nitro-L-arginine(L-NNA), methylene blue(MB) or tetraethylammonium chloride(TEA) and 0.1 $mg/m{\ell}$ EK extract was added. To analyze the effect of the EK extract on influx of extracellular calcium chloride($Ca^{2+}$) in rabbit carotid artery, in $Ca^{2+}$-free krebs solution, krebs solution containing 1 mM $Ca^{2+}$ was infused into the contracted arterial ring by NE after pretreatment of EK extract. To measure the cytotoxicity of the EK extract, cell viability of human umbilical vein endothelial cell(HUVEC) was measured by MTT assay, and nitric oxide(NO) was measured by Griess reagent. The EK extract significantly was relaxed the arterial ring with intact endothelium contracted by NE, but the vasorelaxant effect of the EK extract was inhibited in the arterial rings with damaged endothelium. The vasorelaxant effect of the EK extract was not different between the IM-pretreatedand and non-treated arterial rings. The vasorelaxant effect of EK extract were significantly inhibited, when arterial rings were pretreated with L-NNA, TEA, MB. And in $Ca^{2+}$-free krebs solution, increasing of arterial contraction by $Ca^{2+}$ addition were also inhibited by the treatment of EK, but not significant. The treatment of EK extract was increased NO concentration in HUVEC. This study suggested that the vasorelaxant effect of EK extract would be related with EDHF and NO production and increasing of cyclic GMP.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.437-445
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• 2013

This study was investigated to evaluate the vasorelaxant effect of Rubus coreanus(RC) extract on contracted rabbit carotid artery and its mechanism. To study the effect of RC extract on contracted rabbit carotid arterial strips, arterial strips with intact or damaged endothelium were used for experiment using organ bath. The pre-contracted arterial strips with norepinephrine(NE) or potassium chloride(KCl) was treated with various concentrations of an extract of RC(0.01, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3 and 1.0 $mg/m{\ell}$). To determine the mechanisms of RC-induced vasorelaxant, RC extract was infused into contracted arterial rings which had been pretreated by indomethacin(IM), tetraethylammonium chloride(TEA), $N{\omega}$-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), methylene blue(MB). And calcium chloride(Ca) 1 mM was infused into precontracted arterial ring induced by NE or KCl after treatment of RC extract in $Ca^{2+}$-free krebs solution. Cytotoxic activity of RC extract on human umbilical vein endothelial cell(HUVEC) was measured by MTT assay, and nitric oxide(NO) prodution was measured by Griess reagent. RC extract revealed significant relaxation on NE-induced arterial contraction, but didn't relax on KCl-induced arterial contraction. RC extract also had an effective relaxation to the intact endothelium arterial ring, but not the damaged endothelium arterial ring. Treatment of IM, TEA, L-NNA, MB reduced the relaxation of RC extract. Pretreatment of RC extract inhibited the contraction by influx of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ in contracted arterial ring induced by NE, but it didn't work the contraction by influx of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ in contracted arterial ring induced by KCl in $Ca^{2+}$-free krebs solution. RC extract increased nitric oxide production on HUVEC. This study indicated that the relaxation effect of RC extract on contracted rabbit carotid artery is related with NO-cGMP pathway, EDHF, prostacyclin.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.71-79
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• 2015

Objectives : These present study was designed to investigate the relaxation effects of Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus(AOF) on isolated corpus cavernosum smooth muscle.Methods : Rabbit corpus cavernous tissues were prepared in strip. Then relaxation responses of AOF at 0.01-3 ㎎/㎖ in contracted strips induced by phenylephrine(PE) were measured. To evaluate mechanisms, indomethacin(IM) tetraethylammonium chloride(TEA), Nω-nitro-L-arginine(_L-NNA), methylene blue(MB) were treated before AOF extract(0.1-3 ㎎/㎖) infused into precontracted strips induced by PE. And 1 mM Ca²⁺was infused into precontracted strips after pretreatment of AOF extract(3 ㎎/㎖) in Ca²⁺-free krebs-ringer solution. NO concentration was measured by Griess reagent system. Ratio of smooth muscles to collagen fibers and eNOS positive reaction were measured by histocheminal and immunohistochemical process.Results : The cavernous strips were significantly relaxed by AOF extract 0.1, 0.3, 1, 3 ㎎/㎖ and the pretreatment with IM 10 μM,_L-NNA 100 μM, MB 10 μM inhibited relaxation of AOF compared to non-pretreatment, but the pretreatment with TEA 100 μM didn't affect relaxation of AOF. In a Ca²⁺-free solution, pretreatment with AOF reduced increase on contraction of strips by Ca²⁺supply than non-pretreatment. On HUVEC, NO concentration was increased. On corpus cavernosum of penis in Spontaneous Hypertensive Rat, ratio of smooth muscles to collagen fibers and eNOS positive reaction in AOF group were increased compared to PE groupConclusions : Taken this results, we can suggest that AOF extract exerts a relaxation effects on rabbit corpus cavernosum smooth muscle in part by suppressing influx of extracellular Ca²⁺throughout prostacyclin, the NO-cGMP system.