• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.255-264
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• 2013

Background: We investigated the effects of pre-emptive administration of ketamine and norBNI on pain behavior and the expression of DREAM, c-Fos, and prodynorphin proteins on the ipsilateral side of the rat spinal cord at 2 and 4 hours after formalin injection. Methods: Eighty-four male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 4 major groups consisting of control rats (C) (n = 12), rats given only formalin injections (F) (n = 24), and rats treated with pre-emptive administration of either ketamine (K+F) (n = 24) or norBNI (N+F) (n = 24). The non-control groups were further divided into subgroups consisting of rats that were sacrificed at 2 and 4 hours (n = 12 for each group) after formalin injection. Pain behavior was recorded for 1 hour. After 2 and 4 hours, the rats were sacrificed and the spinal cords (L4-L5 sections) were removed for immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Results: The pain behavior response was reduced in the K+F group compared to the other groups during the second phase of the formalin pain response. We detected an increase in the nuclear DREAM protein level in the K+F group at 2 and 4 hours and a transient decrease in the N+F group at 2 hours; however, it increased at 4 hours after injection. Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) and Prodynorphin-like immunoreactivity (PLI) neurons decreased in the K+F group but increased in the N+F group at 2 hours after injection. While FLI decreased, PLI increased in all groups at 4 hours after injection. Conclusions: We suggest that NMDA and kappa opioid receptors can modulate DREAM protein expression, which can affect pain behavior and protein transcriptional processes at 2 hours and bring about either harmful or protective effects at 4 hours after formalin injection.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1994.04a
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• pp.290-290
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• 1994

The binding characteristic of oxomemazine to muscarinic receptor in the cerebrum, heart, and ileum were compared to those of pirenzepine to investigate whether oxomemazine could classify the muscarinic receptor subtypes. 〔$^3$H〕Quinucl idinyl benzilate(QNB) identified a single class of muscarinic receptors with apparent K$\sub$D/ value of about 60 pM in three tissues. Analysis of the pirenzepine inhibition curve of 〔$^3$H〕QNB binding to cerebral microsome indicated the presence of two receptor subtypes with high (Ki=16 nM, M$_1$-receptor) and low (Ki=400 nM, M$_2$-receptor) affinity for pirenzepine. Oxomemazine also identified two receptor subtypes with high (Ki=84 nM, On-receptor) and low (Ki=1 4 ${\mu}$M, O$\sub$L/-receptor) affinity in rat cerebral microsome, The percentage population of the M$_1$-and M$_2$-receptors to the total receptors were 61 : 39, and those of the O$\^$H/- and O$\sub$L/-receptors 39 : 61, respectively, However, the Hill coefficients of these two drugs for the inhibition of 〔$^3$H〕QNB binding to the heart and ileum were close to unity which indicated that these drugs bound to a uniform population of receptors in these two tissues. The Ki values for the low affinity sites of pirenzepine and oxomemazine in the cerebrum were similar to those of these drugs in the heart ileum. Both pirenzepine and oxomemazine increased K$\sub$D/ value for 〔$^3$H〕QNB without affecting the binding sites concentration and Hill coefficient for the 〔$^3$H〕QNB binding. Oxomemazine had a 10-fold lower affinity at Ma-receptors than at M$_1$-receptors, and pirenzepine a 8-fold lower affinity at O$\sub$L/-receptors than OH-receptors. Analysis of the shal low competition curves of oxomemazine for the H$_1$ receptors and pirenzepine for the O$\sub$L/-receptors yielded that 69% of the M$_1$-receptors were of the O$\sub$H/-receptors and the remaining 31% of the O$\sub$L/-receptors, and that 29% of the O$\sub$L/-receptors were of the M$_1$-receptors and 71% of the M$_2$-receptors. However, M$_2$ for oxomemazine and O$\sub$H/ for pirenzepine were composed of a uniform population. These results suggest that oxomemazine could discriminatethe muscarnic receptor subtypes and may subclassify the M$_1$-receptors into two subtypes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.4949-4954
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• 2015

The present study was planned to investigate the role of sex hormone receptor gene expression in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Adult male Wistar rats were divided into seven groups. Group (1) was negative control. Groups (2), (5), (6), and (7) were orally administered with N-nitrosodiethylamine for the induction of HCC, then group (2) was left untreated, group (5) was orally treated with curcumin, group (6) was orally treated with carvacrol, and group (7) was intraperitoneally injected with doxorubicin, whereas groups (3) and (4) were orally administered only curcumin and carvacrol, respectively. The HCC group showed significant upregulation in the androgen receptor (AR) and the estrogen receptor-alpha ($ER{\alpha}$) gene expression levels in the liver tissue. On the contrary, HCC groups treated with either curcumin or carvacrol showed significant downregulation in AR and $ER{\alpha}$ gene expression levels in the liver tissue. In conclusion, the obtained data highlight that both AR and $ER{\alpha}$ but not estrogen receptor-beta ($ER{\beta}$) gene expression may contribute to the male prevalence of HCC induced in male rats. Interestingly, both curcumin and carvacrol were found to have a promising potency in alleviating the male predominating HCC.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2012

Korean red ginseng (KRG) has been used worldwide as a traditional medicine for the treatment of various reproductive diseases. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are the fundamental regulators of pulsatile release of gonadotropin required for fertility. In this study, an extract of KRG (KRGE) was applied to GnRH neurons to identify the receptors activated by KRGE. The brain slice patch clamp technique in whole cell and perforated patch was used to clarify the effect of KRGE on the membrane currents and membrane potentials of GnRH neurons. Application of KRGE (3 ${\mu}g$/${\mu}L$) under whole cell patch induced remarkable inward currents (56.17${\pm}$7.45 pA, n=25) and depolarization (12.91${\pm}$3.80 mV, n=4) in GnRH neurons under high $Cl^-$ pipette solution condition. These inward currents were not only reproducible, but also concentration dependent. In addition, inward currents and depolarization induced by KRGE persisted in the presence of the voltage gated $Na^+$ channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX), suggesting that the responses by KRGE were postsynaptic events. Application of KRGE under the gramicidin perforated patch induced depolarization in the presence of TTX suggesting its physiological significance on GnRH response. Further, the KRGE-induced inward currents were partially blocked by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX; non-NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, 10 ${\mu}M$) or picrotoxin (PIC; $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist, 50 ${\mu}M$), and almost blocked by PIC and CNQX mixture. Taken together, these results suggest that KRGE contains ingredients with possible GABA and non-NMDA glutamate receptor mimetic activity, and may play an important role in the endocrine function of reproductive physiology, via activation of $GABA_A$ and non-NMDA glutamate receptors in GnRH neurons.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2001

A novel clonidine binding sites were characterized in the intestinal membrane isolated from seawater eels, Anguilla japonica. The specific clonidine binding sites consisted of at least two classes, high affinity ($K_d=1.4{\pm}0.3$ nM n = 5) and low affinity ($K_d=175{\pm}34$ nM n = 5) sites. The specific binding of 2 nM [$^3H$]clonidine was most enhanced at $20^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.5, and reversed by unlabelled clonidine. Such binding was hardly inhibited by adrenaline, yohimbine or rauwolscine, indicating that most binding sites are distinct from $\alpha_2$-adrenoceptor. The specific clonidine binding sites was inhibited by various imidazoline/guanidinium drugs, indicating existence of imidazoline/guanidinium receptive sites (IGRS) or imidazoline receptors in the eel intestine. Competition experiments revealed that rank order to displace 2 nM [$^3H$]clonidine from their binding sites was as follows : guanabenz > cirazoline = naphazoline = UK14,304 = ST587 $\geq$ clonidine $\geq$ idazoxan = RX821002 = tolazoline > ST93 = oxymetazoline = amiloride = ST91 > yohimbine = efaroxan = rauwolscine $\geq$ adrenaline = ST567 = histamine = agmatine. Although physiological role of IGRS is not clear yet even in mammalian cell/tissues, eel intestine may be a good model to elucidate how the IGRS act in the cell and to decide what is the endogenous ligand for the IGRS.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.225-233
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• 1997

The authors attempted to examine the allelic association between the A1 allele of Dopamine $D_2$ receptor and schizophrenia, alcoholism, drug addiction in Koreans. Schizophrenic patients(n=31), alcoholism(n=65), drug addiction(n=18) and controls(n=52) were examined by case-control study for distribution of the TaqI polymorphism of the dopamine $D_2$ receptor gene in Korean population to minimize the effect of racial differencies in gene frequencies. In schizophrenics, the numbers of schizophrenics with A1A1, A1A2, A2A2 were 9(29.0%), 15(48.4%) and 7(22.6%) respectively and in alcoholics with A1A1, A1A2, A2A2 were 14(21.5%), 36(55.4%) and 15(23.1%) respectively and in drug addiction with A1A1, A1A2, A2A2 were 2(11.1%), 10(55.6%) and 6(33.3%) respectively and in controls with A1A1, A1A2, A2A2 were 4(7.6%), 24(46.2%) and 24(46.2%) respectively. The prevalence of the A1 allele in schizophrenics, alcoholics, drug addiction and controls were 77%, 76.9%, 67% and 53.8% respectively. And the frequency of the A1 allele in schizophrenics, alcoholics, drug addiction and controls were 0.53, 0.49 0.39 and 0.31 respectively. There was significant difference in the frequency of the A1 allele between schizophrenics, alcoholics and controls. We also classified our alcoholic population. For classification by severity, we used the median MAST score 30 in our samples. There was also significant difference in the frequency of the A1 allele between less severe group(0.42) and more severe group(0.57). This data suggest that the A1 allele is associated with schizophrenia and alcoholism in Koreans. Furthermore the prevalence of the A1 allele increassed in more severely affected alcoholics. The authors conclude that our data support an allelic association between the A1 allele at dopamine $D_2$ receptor and schizophrenia, alcoholism. These results suggest the A1 allele of the $DRD_2$ gene is associated with a number of behavior disorders in which it may act as a modifying gene rather than as the primary etiological agent.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.242-242
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• 1996

The influence of glucocorticoids on the secretory responses of catecholamines (CA) evoked by acetylcholine (ACh), DMPP, McN-A-343, excess K$\^$+/ and Bay-K-8644 from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland and to clarify the mechanism of its action. The perfusion of the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (10-100 uM) into an adrenal vein for 20min produced relatively a dose-dependent inhibition in CA secretion evoked by ACh (5.32mM), excess K$\^$+/ (56mM), DMPP (a selective nicotinic receptor agonist, 100uM for 2min), McN-A-343 (a muscarinic receptor agonist, 100uM for 4min), Bay-K-8644 (a calcium channel activator, 10 uM for 4min) and cyclopiazonic acid (a releaser of intracellular Ca$\^$2+/, 10uM for 4min).

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.184-188
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• 1987

Evidences that the mannose permease of Escherichia coli mediates the infection of N4 in early steps, were obtained as follows. First, A mutant strain of Escherichia coli which was resistant to both wild type N4 and lambda whose genome is Charon 4A containing human genomic fragments in its EcoR I site, could not use mannose efficiently. Second, N4 could not infect pel mutant strains which lack one or all of intact components of mannose permease. However, unknown alterations in N4 made it possible for the phage to infect pel mutant of E. coli. It also turned out to be clear that the receptor of N4 was different from that of lambda.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.350-355
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• 2021

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a severe autoimmune paraneoplastic syndrome associated with ovarian teratomas. Most patients develop neurologic symptoms, including psychosis, memory deficits, seizures, or abnormal movements, and experience abdominal pain related to ovarian neoplasm. We present a case report of three patients diagnosed with anti-NMDAR encephalitis accompanied by ovarian teratomas at Ajou University Hospital in Korea. The patients demonstrated a different clinical course of the disease. However, upon diagnosis, all patients underwent surgical removal of the ovarian teratoma followed by intensive immunotherapy. The symptoms progressively improved following treatment. This is a case report of a rare autoimmune anti-NMDAR encephalitis associated with ovarian neoplasms, including immature teratoma.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

Opioid receptors have been pharmacologically classified as ${\mu}$, ${\delta}$, ${\kappa}$ and ${\varepsilon}$. We have recently reported that the antinociceptive effect of morphine (a ${\mu}$-opioid receptor agonist), but not that of ${\beta}$-endorphin (a novel ${\mu}/{\varepsilon}$-opioid receptor agonist), is attenuated by whole body irradiation (WBI). It is unclear at present whether WBI has differential effects on the antinociceptive effects of ${\mu}-$, ${\delta}-$, ${\kappa}-$ and ${\varepsilon}$-opioid receptor agonists. In our current experiments, male ICR mice were exposed to WBI (5Gy) from a $^{60}Co$ gamma-source and the antinociceptive effects of opioid receptor agonists were assessed two hours later using the hot water ($52^{\circ}C$) tail-immersion test. Morphine and $D-Ala^2$, $N-Me-Phe^4$, Gly-olenkephalin (DAMGO), [$D-Pen^2-D-Pen^5$] enkephalin (DPDPE), trans-3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-[2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl]-benzeneacetamide (U50,488H), and ${\beta}$-endorphin were tested as agonists for ${\mu}$, ${\delta}$, ${\kappa}$, and ${\varepsilon}$-opioid receptors, respectively. WBI significantly attenuated the antinociceptive effects of morphine and DAMGO, but increased those of ${\beta}$-endorphin. The antinociceptive effects of DPDPE and U50,488H were not affected by WBI. In addition, to more preciously understand the differential effects of WBI on ${\mu}-$ and ${\varepsilon}$-opioid receptor agonists, we assessed pretreatment effects of ${\beta}$-funaltrexamine (${\beta}$-FNA, a ${\mu}$-opioid receptor antagonist) or ${\beta}$-$endorphin_{1-27}$ (${\beta}$-$EP_{1-27}$, an ${\varepsilon}$-opioid receptor antagonist), and found that pretreatment with ${\beta}$-FNA significantly attenuated the antinociceptive effects of morphine and ${\beta}$-endorphin by WBI. ${\beta}$-$EP_{1-27}$ significantly reversed the attenuation of morphine by WBI and significantly attenuated the increased effects of ${\beta}$-endorphin by WBI. The results demonstrate differential sensitivities of opioid receptors to WBI, especially for ${\mu}-$ and ${\varepsilon}$-opioid receptors.