• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.25-28
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• 2003

Ion channel inhibitors are widely used for pharmacological discrimination between the different channel types as well as for determination of their functional role. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) could affect the large conductance $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channel ($BK_{Ca}$) currents using perforated-patch or cell-attached configuration of patch-clamp technique in the rabbit pulmonary arterial smooth muscle. Application of 4-AP reversibly inhibited the spontaneous transient outward currents (STOCs). The reversal potential and the sensitivity to charybdotoxin indicated that the STOCs were due to the activation of $BK_{Ca}$. The $BK_{Ca}$ currents were recorded in single channel resolution under the cell-attached mode of patch-clamp technique for minimal perturbation of intracellular environment. Application of 4-AP also inhibited the single $BK_{Ca}$ currents reversibly and dose-dependently. The membrane potential of rabbit pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells showed spontaneous transient hyperpolarizations (STHPs), presumably due to the STOC activities, which was also inhibited by 4-AP. These results suggest that 4-AP can inhibit $BK_{Ca}$ currentsin the intact rabbit vascular smooth muscle. The use of 4-AP as a selective voltage-dependent $K^+$ (KV) channel blocker in vascular smooth muscle, therefore, must be reevaluated.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.361-368
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• 1998

The spontaneous contractions of gastric smooth muscles are regulated by slow waves, which are modulated by both nervous system and humoral agents. This study was designed to examine the effects of prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) on the contractile and electrical activities of antral smooth muscles in guinea-pig stomach, using an intracellular recording technique. To elucidate the underlying mechanism for its effect on contractility, ionic currents were also measured using a whole-cell patch clamp method. The basal tone by $PGE_2$ was variable, whereas the magnitude of phasic contractions was reduced ($19.0{\pm}2.1%$, n=19). The resting membrane potentials were hyperpolarized ($-4.4{\pm}0.5%$ mV, n=10), and plateau potentials were lowered ($-2.9{\pm}0.5%$ mV, n=10). In most cases, however, the initial peak potentials of slow waves were depolarized more by $PGE_2$ than those of control. The frequency of the slows wave was increased from $5.7{\pm}0.2$ cycles/min to $6.5{\pm}0.2$ (n=22). Voltage-operated $Ca^{2+}$ currents were decreased by $PGE_2$ (n=5). Voltage-operated $K^+$ currents, both Ca-dependent and Ca-independent, were increased (n=5). These results suggest that $PGE_2$ plays an important role in the modulation of gastric smooth muscle activities, and its inhibitory effects on the contractility and activities of slow waves are resulted from both decrease of $Ca^{2+}$ currents and increase of $K^+$ currents.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.151-157
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• 1994

Intracellular free $Ca^{2+}$ contributes to regulation of various events occurring in vascular smooth muscle cells. One of these events is modulating the membrane iou currents. Single smooth muscle cells were isolated from rabbit mesenteric artery. Three kinds of $Ca^{2+}-activated\;current$ were studied with the patch clamp method. $Ca^{2+}-activated\;K^+\;current$ with a large oscillation was recorded in the depolarized potential range. The single channel conductance of this current was about 250 pS. It was abolished by replacing intracellular $K^+\;with\;Cs^+$. A $Ca^{2+}-activated$ nonselective cation current was observed in both the depolarized and hyperpolarized potential ranges. And it was blocked by replacement of extracellular $Na^+$ with N-methylglucamine (NMG) or extracellular application of $Cd^{2+}$. $Ca^{2+}-activated\;Cl^-\;current$ was revealed in the whole voltage range and was blocked by niflumic acid. These results indicate that at least three kinds of $Ca^{2+}-activated$ ionic currents exist in smooth muscle cells from rabbit superior mesenteric artery.

• 통합자연과학논문집
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.143-150
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• 2013

Prevailing role of intracellular amyloid ${\beta}$ ($iA{\beta}$) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) initiation and progression attracts more and more attention in recent years. To address whether $iA{\beta}$ induces early alterations of electrophysiological properties in cultured human primary neurons, we delivered $iA{\beta}$ with adenovirus and measured the electrophysiological properties of infected neurons with whole-cell recordings. Our results show that $iA{\beta}$ induces an increase in neuronal resting membrane potentials, a decrease in $K^+$ currents and a hyperpolarizing shift in voltage-dependent activation of $K^+$ currents. These results suggest the electrophysiological impairments induced by $iA{\beta}$ may be responsible for its neuronal toxicity.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.259-264
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• 2010

This study was designed to investigate the effects of nitric oxide on the neuronal activity of rat cerebellar Purkinje cells. Sprague-Dawley rats aged 14 to 16 days were decapitated under ether anesthesia. After treatment with pronase and thermolysin, the dissociated Purkinje cells were transferred into a chamber on an inverted microscope. Spontaneous action potentials and potassium current were recorded by standard patch-clamp techniques under current and voltage-clamp modes respectively. 15 Purkinje cells revealed excitatory responses to $20\;{\mu}M$ of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and 4 neurons (20%) did not respond to SNP. Whole potassium currents of Purkinje cells were decreased by SNP (n=10). Whole potassium currents of Purkinje cells were also decreased by L-arginine, substrate of nitric oxide (n=10). These experimental results suggest that nitric oxide increases the neuronal activity of Purkinje cells by altering the resting membrane potential and after hyperpolarization.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제3권5호
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• pp.471-479
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• 1999

The Kv channel activity in vascular smooth muscle cell plays an important role in the regulation of membrane potential and blood vessel tone. It was postulated that increased blood vessel tone in hypertension was associated with alteration of Kv channel and membrane potential. Therefore, using whole cell mode of patch-clamp technique, the membrane potential and the 4-AP-sensitive Kv current in cerebral arterial smooth muscle cells were compared between normotensive rat and one-kidney, one-clip Goldblatt hypertensive rat (lK,lC-GBH rat). Cell capacitance of hypertensive rat was similar to that of normotensive rat. Cell capacitance of normotensive rat and 1K,lC-GBH rat were $20.8{\pm}2.3$ and $19.5{\pm}1.4$ pF, respectively. The resting membrane potentials measured in current clamp mode from normotensive rat and 1K,lC-GBH rat were $-45.9{\pm}1.7$ and $-38.5{\pm}1.6$ mV, respectively. 4-AP (5 mM) caused the resting membrane potential hypopolarize but charybdotoxin $(0.1\;{\mu}M)$ did not cause any change of membrane potential. Component of 4-AP-sensitive Kv current was smaller in 1K,lC-GBH rat than in normotensive rat. The voltage dependence of steady-state activation and inactivation of Kv channel determined by using double-pulse protocol showed no significant difference. These results suggest that 4-AP-sensitive Kv channels playa major role in the regulation of membrane potential in cerebral arterial smooth muscle cells and alterations of 4-AP-sensitive Kv channels would contribute to hypopolarization of membrane potential in 1K,lC-GBH rat.

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.29-38
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• 2000

지금까지 각종 신경전달물질의 칼슘통로 억제 효과는 일반적으로 protein kinase 의 관여없이 G-protein mediated, membrane-delimited mechanism$^{1)}$ 으로 설명되어왔다. 그러나 최근들어 protein kinase C (PKC)의 활성화가 몇몇 신경전달물질에 의한 칼슘통로 억제효과를 야기하는 중요한 세포내 기전으로 보고되고 있다 그러므로 본 연구에서는 흰쥐 교감신경뉴론을 대상으로 하여 whole cell patch clamp technique을 사용하여 칼슘전류를 기록하고, 세포밖에 norepinephrine (NE)과 함께 PKC agonist 인 phorbol-12, 13-dibutyrate (PDBu)을 투여하면서 PDBu 전 처치로 인하여 NE 에 의한 칼슘전류 억제에 어떤 변화가 초래되는 지를 분석함으로써, 신경전달물질의 칼슘전류 억제효과시 PKC의 역할을 밝히고자 하였다. PDBu (500 nM) 처치는 칼슘전류의 크기를 증가시켰으며 이는 막전압 의존성을 보여 -10 mV ~ +10 mV 의 저분극 자극시 가장 크게 전류크기가 증가하였다. 또한 PDBu 처치는 tail current 의 deactivation을 느리게 하였다. PDBu 는 NE 에 의하여 활성화되는 pertussis toxin 예민성 G protein pathway를 통한 칼슘전류 억제를 감소시켰다. 비특이적인 protein kinase 길항제인 staurosporine (1 $\mu$M) 을 전처치 하고 PDBu를 투여하면 PDBu의 칼슘전류 크기 증가 효과가 소실되었으며 또한 NE에 의한 칼슘전류 억제를 해제하는 PDBu 의 조절효과도 소실되었다. 이상의 결과로부터 Protein Kinase C 가 활성되면 G protein을 경유하여 나타나는 칼슘전류 억제 효과가 소실된다고 결론지을 수 있다. Protein Kinase C 에 의하여 인산화되는 부위가 G-protein 인지 혹은 칼슘통로인 지에 관한 해답을 얻기 위하여는 추후 연구가 진행되어야 한다.

• 한국생물물리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국생물물리학회 1998년도 학술발표회
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• pp.38-38
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• 1998

Resting membrane potential of atrial myocytes is less negative than K+ equilibrium potential, suggesting the presence of ion channels carrying inward currents. We investigated the background Na$\^$＋/ current in rat atrial myocytes using both conventional whole cell voltage clamp technique and single channel recording.(omitted)

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.215-223
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• 2017

The effects of acidic pH on several voltage-dependent ion channels, such as voltage-dependent $K^+$ and $Ca^{2+}$ channels, and hyperpolarization-gated and cyclic nucleotide-activated cation (HCN) channels, were examined using a whole-cell patch clamp technique on mechanically isolated rat mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus neurons. The application of a pH 6.5 solution had no effect on the peak amplitude of voltage-dependent $K^+$currents. A pH 6.0 solution slightly, but significantly inhibited the peak amplitude of voltage-dependent $K^+$ currents. The pH 6.0 also shifted both the current-voltage and conductance-voltage relationships to the depolarization range. The application of a pH 6.5 solution scarcely affected the peak amplitude of membrane currents mediated by HCN channels, which were profoundly inhibited by the general HCN channel blocker $Cs^+$ (1 mM). However, the pH 6.0 solution slightly, but significantly inhibited the peak amplitude of HCN-mediated currents. Although the pH 6.0 solution showed complex modulation of the current-voltage and conductance-voltage relationships, the midpoint voltages for the activation of HCN channels were not changed by acidic pH. On the other hand, voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channels were significantly inhibited by an acidic pH. The application of an acidic pH solution significantly shifted the current-voltage and conductance-voltage relationships to the depolarization range. The modulation of several voltage-dependent ion channels by an acidic pH might affect the excitability of mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus neurons, and thus physiological functions mediated by the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus could be affected in acidic pH conditions.

• BMB Reports
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.151-155
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• 1996

To swimming motor neurons (SMNs) of Polyorchis penicillatus, a hydrozoan medusae, dopamine (DA) acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter by hyperpolarizing its membrane potential and decreasing its firing rate as well. Such an inhibitory action of DA is caused by an increased permeability to potassium (K) ions. To investigate whether voltage-gated K channels are directly responsible for the membrane hyperpolarization induced by DA, we employed whole-cell voltage clamp configuration. One ${\mu}M$ DA applied to SMNs increased the peak and rear values of voltage-gated K currents by 37 and 54%, respectively, in a reversible manner. Combined with subtraction analysis, this result suggests that the outflux of K ions by DA in SMNs occurs mainly through rectifier-like K channels.