• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.486-494
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• 2000

Background : The dominant innervation of airway smooth muscle is parasympathetic fibers which are carried in the vagus nerve. Activation of these cholinergic nerves releases acetylcholine which binds to $M_3$ muscarinic receptors on the smooth muscle causing bronchocontraction. Acetylcholine also feeds back onto neuronal $M_2$ muscarinic receptors located on the postganglionic cholinergic nerves. Stimulation of these receptors further inhibits acetylcholine release, so these $M_2$, muscarinic receptors act as autoreceptors. Loss of function of these $M_2$ receptors, as it occurs in animal models of hyperresponsiveness, leads to an increase in vagally mediated hyperresponsiveness. However, there are limited data pertaining to whether there are dysfunctions of these receptors in patients with asthma. The aim of this study is to determine whether there are dysfunction of $M_2$ muscarinic receptors in asthmatic patients and difference of function of these receptors according to severity of asthma. Method : We studied twenty-seven patients with asthma who were registered at Pulmonology Division of Korea University Hospital. They all met asthma criteria of ATS. Of these patients, eleven patients were categorized as having mild asthma, eight patients moderate asthma and eight patients severe asthma according to severity by NAEPP Expert Panel Report 2(1997). All subjects were free of recent upper respiratory tract infection within 2 weeks and showed positive methacholine challenge test ($PC_{20}$<16mg/ml). Methacholine provocation tests were performed twice on separate days allowing for an interval of one week. In the second test, pretreatment with the $M_2$ muscarinic receptor agonist pilocarpine($180{\mu}g$) through inhalation was performed be fore the routine procedures. Results : Eleven subjects with mild asthma and eight subjects with moderate asthma showed significant increase of $PC_{20}$ from 5.30$\pm$5.23mg/ml(mean$\pm$SD) to 20.82$\pm$22.56mg/ml(p=0.004) and from 2.79$\pm$1.51mg/ml to 4.67$\pm$3.53mg/ml(p=0.012) after pilocarpine inhalation, respectively. However, in the eight subjects with severe asthma significant increase of $PC_{20}$ from l.76$\pm$1.50mg/ml to 3.18$\pm$4.03mg/ml(p=0.161) after pilocarpine inhalation was not found. Conclusion : In subjects with mild and moderate asthma, function of $M_2$ muscarinic receptors was normal, but there was a dysfunction of these receptors in subjects with severe asthma. ηlese results suggest that function of $M_2$ muscarinic receptors is different according to severity of asthma.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.198-199
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• 2003

Chronic inflammatory processes are associated with pathology of Alzheimer's disease(AD). The expression of both cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) and phospholipase A2(PLA2) appears to be strongly activated during AD, indicating the importance of inflammatory gene pathways as a response to brain injury. Stimulation of heterotrimeric G protein-coupled receptors including muscarinic receptors activates cytosolic PLA2 and receptor-mediated activation of PLA2 generates free fatty acids (i.e., arachidonic acid). (omitted)

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.846-854
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• 2003

The oligomerization of G-proteincoupled receptors (GPCRs) has been shown to occur by various mechanisms, such as via disulfide covalent linkages, non covalent (ionic, hydrophobic) interactions of the N-terminal, and/or transmembrane and/or intracellular domains. Interactions between GPCRs could involve an association between identical proteins (homomers) or non-identical proteins (heteromers), or between two monomers (to form dimers) or multiple monomers (to form oligomers). It is believed that muscarinic receptors may also be arranged into dimeric or oigomeric complexes, but no systematic experimental evidence exists concerning the direct physical interaction between receptor proteins as its mechanism. We undertook this study to determine whether muscarinic receptors form homomers or a heteromers by direct protein-protein interaction within the same or within different subtypes using a yeast two-hybrid system. Intracellular loops (i1, i2 and i3) and the C-terminal cytoplasmic tails (C) of human muscarinic (Hm) receptor subtypes, Hm1, Hm2 and Hm3, were cloned into the vectors (pB42AD and pLexA) of a two-hybrid system and examined for heteromeric or homodimeric interactions between the cytoplasmic domains. No physical interaction was observed between the intracellular domains of any of the Hm/Hm receptor sets tested. The results of our study suggest that the Hm1, Hm2 and Hm3 receptors do not form dimers or oligomers by interacting directly through either the hydrophilic intracellular domains or the C-terminal tail domains. To further investigate extracellular domain interactions, the N-terminus (N) and extracellular loops (o1 and o2) were also cloned into the two-hybrid vectors. Interactions of Hm2N with Hm2N, Hm2o1, Hm2o2, Hm3N, Hm3o1 or Hm3o2 were examined. The N-terminal domain of Hm2 was found to have no direct interaction with any extracellular domain. From our results, we excluded the possibility of a direct interaction between the muscarinic receptor subtypes (Hm1, Hm2 and Hm3) as a mechanism for homo- or hetero-meric dimerization/oligomerization. On the other hand, it remains a possibility that interaction may occur indirectly or require proper conformation or subunit formation or hydrophobic region involvement.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 2000

Stimulation of muscarinic receptors by carbachol (CCh) in the circular smooth muscle of the guinea pig gastric antrum causes muscle contraction. In the present study, muscarinic receptor subtype controlling the muscle contraction in response to CCh was studied using putative muscarinic receptor antagonists. Isometric force of the isolated circular muscle strips was measured in an organ bath. CCh contracted the muscle in a dose-dependent way, and each of the three muscarinic receptor antagonists, 4-diphenylacetoxy- N-methylpeperdine methiodide (4-DAMP), methoctramine and pirenzepine shifted the concentration- response curves to the right without significantly reducing the maximum force. The affinities of the muscarinic antagonists $(pA_2\;values)$ obtained from Schild plot analysis were 10.15, 7.05 and 6.84 for 4-DAMP, methoctramine and pirenzepine, respectively. These results suggest that the $M_3-subtype$ mainly mediate the muscle contraction in response to CCh in guinea pig gastric antrum.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.322-329
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• 2016

Voltage-gated $Ca^{2+}$ ($Ca_V$) channels are dynamically modulated by Gprotein-coupled receptors (GPCR). The $M_1$ muscarinic receptor stimulation is known to enhance $Ca_V2.3$ channel gating through the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Here, we found that $M_1$ receptors also inhibit $Ca_V2.3$ currents when the channels are fully activated by PKC. In whole-cell configuration, the application of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a PKC activator, potentiated $Ca_V2.3$ currents by ~two-fold. After the PMA-induced potentiation, stimulation of $M_1$ receptors decreased the $Ca_V2.3$ currents by $52{\pm}8%$. We examined whether the depletion of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate ($PI(4,5)P_2$) is responsible for the muscarinic suppression of $Ca_V2.3$ currents by using two methods: the Danio rerio voltage-sensing phosphatase (Dr-VSP) system and the rapamycin-induced translocatable pseudojanin (PJ) system. First, dephosphorylation of $PI(4,5)P_2$ to phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI(4)P) by Dr-VSP significantly suppressed $Ca_V2.3$ currents, by $53{\pm}3%$. Next, dephosphorylation of both PI(4)P and $PI(4,5)P_2$ to PI by PJ translocation further decreased the current by up to $66{\pm}3%$. The results suggest that $Ca_V2.3$ currents are modulated by the $M_1$ receptor in a dual mode-that is, potentiation through the activation of PKC and suppression by the depletion of membrane $PI(4,5)P_2$. Our results also suggest that there is rapid turnover between PI(4)P and $PI(4,5)P_2$ in the plasma membrane.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.307-314
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• 1999

The human muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtypes Hml, Hm2 and Hm3 have been expressed in insect cells (Spodoptera frugiperda, Sf9) using the baculovirus expression system. Expression of relevant DNA, transcript and receptor proteins was identified by PCR, Northern blotting and [$^{3}H$]QNB binding, respectively. As assessed by [$^{3}H$]QNB binding sites, yields of muscarinic receptors in membrane preparations in this study were as about 5-20 times high as those in mammalian cells reported in previous studies. The [$^{3}H$]QNB competition binding studies with well-known subtype-selective mAChR antagonists showed that the receptors expressed in Sf9 cells retain the pharmacological characteristics expected for the ml , m2 and m3 muscarinic receptors. The ml-selective antagonist, pirenzepine, displayed a considerably higher affinity for Hml by 110-fold and 35-fold than for Hm2 and Hm3, respectively, The m2-selective methoctramine displayed a significantly higher affinity for Hm2 than for Hml and Hm3 (10- and 26-fold, respectively). p-F-HHSiD exhibited high affinity for Hm3 that is not significantly different from those for Hml, but 66-fold higher than its affinity for Hm2. The functional coupling of the recombinant receptors to second messenger systems was also examined. While both Hml and Hm3 stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis upon activation by carba-chol, Hm2 produced no response. On the other hand, activation of mAChRs induced the inhibition of forsko-lin-stimulated cyclic AMP formation in Hm2-expressing cells, whereas the significant dose-dependent increase in or poor response on cyclic AMP formation were produced in Hml or Hm3-expressing cells, respectively. These results indicate the differential coupling of recombinant Hml, Hm2 and Hm3 receptors expressed in SF9 cells to intracellular signalling system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.209-209
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• 1996

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors contain two highly conserved tyrosine residues which are located within or at the extracellular border of the second transmembrane domain. These tyrosine residues are located at positions 82 and 85 of the sequence of the ml subtype of muscarinic receptors. In this wok, we studied the involvement of these two residues in ligand binding to and agonist-induced activation this receptor subtype. our data suggest an important role for these two tyrosines in these processes, with a more prominent role for the tyrosine residue located at position 82 than that located at position 85. Evidence is also provided that while the aromatic moiety of these tyrosine residues is important for antagonist binding, both this moiety and the tyrosine phenolic hydroxyl group are involved in agonist binding and receptor activation.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 1994

The binding properties of oxomemazine to muscarinic receptors using the ability of oxomemazine to inhibit $[^3H]QNB$ binding in membrane fractions of rat cerebrum and guinea pig ventricle and ileum were investigated. $[^3H]QNB$ bound to a single class of muscarinic receptors with a dissociation constant of approximately 60 pM in three tissue preparations. Pirenzepine and oxomemazine inhibited $[^3H]QNB$ binding in cerebrum with a Hill coefficient lower than unity, and the inhibition data were best described by a two-site model. The relative densities of the high $(M_1)\;and\;low\;(M_2)$ affinity sites for pirenzepine were 60 and 40%, with corresponding Ki values of 16 and 431 nM, and those $(O_H\;and\;O_L)$ for oxomemazine 40 and 60%, with corresponding Ki values of 80 and 1350 nM. However, the inhibition data of both drugs vs $[^3H]QNB$ in ventricle and ileum appeared to obey the law of mass-action (Hill coefficient close to 1). The apparent Ki values of pirenzepine were 850 and 250 nM, and those of oxomemazine 1460 and 570 nM in ventricle and ileum, respectively. Thus, oxomemazine like pirenzepine has high affinity for cerebrum, moderate affinity for ileum and low affinity for ventricle. These results suggest that oxomemazine could recognize the muscarinic receptor subtypes with a high affinity for the $M_1$ sites.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.181-187
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• 1991

The muscarinic antagonist 1-[benzilic 4, 4'-$[^3H]$ QUINUCLIDINYL BENZILATE $([^3H]$ QNB) bound to a single class of muscarinic receptors with high affinity in rabbit ileal membranes. The $K_D\;and\;B_{ max}$ values for $([^3H]$ QNB calculated from analysis of saturation isotherms were 52.5 pM AND 154 fmol/mg, respectively. Chlopheniramine (CHP), histamine $H_1$ blocker, increased $K_D$ vlue for $([^3H]$QNB without affecting the binding site concentrations and Hill coefficient. The $K_i$ value of CHP for inhibition of $([^3H]$QNB binding in ileal membranes was 1.44\mu{M}$ and the pseudo-Hill coefficient for CHP was close to unit. In the functional assay carbachol, muscarinic agonist, increased the contractile force of ileum with $ED_{50}$ value of $0.11\mu{M}$. CHP caused the rightward shift of the dose-response curve to carbachol. The $pA_2$ value of CHP determined from Schild analysis of carbacholinduced contraction was 5.77 and the slope was unity indicating competitive antagonism with carbachol. The dissociation constant $(K_i)$ of CHP obtained in competitive experiments with $([^3H]$ QNB was similar to the $K_A$ value (1.69 \mu{M)}$ of CHP as inhibitor of carbachol induced contraction in rabbit ileum. This result suggest that the binding of $H_i$ blocker. CHP, vs $([^3H]$QNB to muscarinic receptors in ileal membranes represents an interaction with a receptor of physiological relevance.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.128.2-129
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• 2003

We previously reported that phospholipase$A_2$ ($PLA_2$)-related pathway and capacitative calcium entry (CCE) via store-operated calcium channel (SOC) were involved in the regulation of muscarinic receptor- mediated sAPP release. We also observed that stimulation of muscarinic receptor associated with the inositol phosphate cascade resulted not only in increase of CCE but also in activation of PLA$_2$ in SH-SY5Y cells. In this study, we further investigated whether the $PLA_2$ isoforms differently regulate the muscarinic receptor-mediated sAPP release, and examined the relationships between activation of $PLA_2$ isoforms and CCE mediated by muscarinic receptors in SH-SY5Y cells. (omitted)