• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.112-115
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• 2000

A synthetic procedure for the preparation of indole-2,3-dione derivatives 6 as a potential NMDA receptor glycine site antagonist with improved pharmacological profile compared with 2-carboxyindole derivative 5, starting from readily available 3,5-dichloroaniline (7), is described.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.355-362
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• 2009

I evaluated the protective effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)/glycine receptor antagonist, 7-chlorokinurenic acid (CKA) on cultured mouse astrocytes damaged by ischemia-like condition (ILC). The protective effect of CKA was assessed by cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity and lipid peroxidation. To examine the effect of CKA on the cell apoptosis, the expression and the activity of caspase 3 were assessed by Western blotting. CKA increased the cell viability decreased by ILC. CKA also decreased the LDH activity and antioxidative effects such as SOD-like activity and inhibitory activity of lipid peroxidation. In addition, CKA suppressed the expression of caspase 3 associated with apoptosis, and increased the cell viability by the decrease of caspase 3 activity as like the caspase 3 inhibitor, Av-DVED-MED. From these results, these results suggest that ILS induces cell cytotoxicity in cultured astrocytes and CKA, NMDA/glycine receptor antagonist, is effective on the prevention of the cytotoxicity due to ILS by the antioxidative effect and the inhibition of apoptosis.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.149-154
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• 2015

Mood disorder is a common psychiatric illness with a high lifetime prevalence in the general population. Many prescribed antidepressants modulate monoamine neurotransmitters including serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. There has been greater focus on the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the human brain, glutamate, in the pathophysiology and treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Recently, ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, has received attention and has been investigated for clinical trials and neurobiological studies. In this article, we will review the clinical evidence for glutamatergic dysfunction in MDD, the progress with ketamine as a rapidly acting antidepressant, and other N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist for treatment-resistant depression.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.1-20
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• 2003

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.120-128
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• 2003

Alternative medicines such as herbal products are increasingly being used for preventive and therapeutic purposes. Ginseng is the best known and most popular herbal medicine used worldwide. In spite of some beneficial effects of ginseng on the nervous system, little scientific evidence shows at the cellular level. In the present study, I have examined the direct modulation of ginseng total saponins and individual ginsenosides on the activation of $Ca^{2+}$ channels and NMDA-gated channels in cultured rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and hippocampal neurons, respectively. In DRG neurons, application of ginseng total saponins suppressed high-voltage-activated $Ca^{2+}$ channel currents and ginsenoside Rg$_3$, among the 11 ginsenosides tested, produced the strongest inhibition on $Ca^{2+}$ channel currents. Occlusion experiments using selective $Ca^{2+}$ channel blockers revealed that ginsenoside Rg$_3$ could modulate L-, N-, and P/Q-type currents. In addition, ginsenoside Rg$_3$ also proved to be an active component of ginseng actions on NMDA receptors in cultured hippocampal neurons. Application of ginsenoside Rg$_3$ suppressed NMDA-induced [Ca$^{2+}$]$_{i}$ increase and -gated channels using fura-2-based digital imaging and patch-clamp techniques, respectively. These results suggest that the modulation of $Ca^{2+}$ channels and NMDA receptors by ginsenoside Rg$_3$ could be part of the pharmacological basis of ginseng actions in the peripheral and central nervous systems.ous systems.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 1999

Excitatory amino acid (EAA) and substance P (SP) have been known to be primary candidates for nociceptive neurotransmitter in the spinal cord, and calcium ions are implicated in processing of the sensory informations mediated by EAA and SP in the spinal cord. In this study, we examined how $Ca^{2+}$ modified the responses of dorsal horn neurons to single or combined iontophoretical application of EAA and SP in the rat. All the LT cells tested responded to kainate, whereas about 55% of low threshold (LT) cells responded to iontophoretically applied NMDA. NMDA and kainate excited almost all wide dynamic range (WDR) cells. These NMDA- and kainate-induced WDR cell responses were augmented by iontophoretically applied EGTA, but suppressed by $Ca^{2+},\;Mn^{2+},$ verapamil and ${\omega}-conotoxin$ EVTA, effect of verapamil being more prominent and well sustained. $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$ antagonized the augmenting effect of EGTA. On the other hand, prolonged spinal application of EGTA suppressed the response of WDR cell to NMDA. SP had triple effects on the spontaneous activity as well as NMDA-induced responses of WDR cells: excitation, inhibition and no change. EGTA augmented, but $Ca^{2+},\;Mn^{2+}$ and verapamil suppressed the increase in the NMDA-induced responses and spontaneous activities of WDR cells following iontophoretical application of SP. These results suggest that in the spinal cord, sensory informations mediated by single or combined action of EAA and SP can be modified by the change in calcium ion concentration.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.19-29
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• 1996

The neurological manifestations of AIDS include dementia, encountered even in the absence of opportunistic superinfection or malignancy. The AIDS Dementia Complex appears to be associated with several neuropathological abnormalities, including astrogliosis and neuronal injury or loss. How can HIV-1 result in neuronal damage if neurons themselves are only rarely, if ever, infected by the vitus\ulcorner In vitro experiments from several different laboratiories have lent support to the existence of HIV- and immune-related toxins. In one recently defined pathway to neuronal injury, HIV-infected macrophages/microglia as well as macrophages activated by HIV-1 envelope protein gp120 appear to secrete excitants/neurotoxins. These substances may include arachidonic acid, platelet-activating factor, free radicals (NO - and O$_2$), glutamate, quinolinate, cysteine, cytokines (TNF-${\alpha}$, IL1-B, IL-6), and as yet unidentified factors emanating from stimulated macrophages and possibly reactive astrocytes. A final common pathway for newonal suscepubility appears to be operative, similar to that observed in stroke, trauma, epilepsy, and several neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This mechanism involves excessive activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-operated channels, with resultant excessive influx of Ca$\^$2+/ leading to neuronal damage, and thus offers hope for future pharmacological intervention. This chapter reviews two clinically-tolerated NMDA antagonists, memantine and nitroglycerin; (ⅰ) Memantine is an open-channel blocker of the NMDA-associated ion channel and a close congener of the anti-viral and anti-parkinsonian drug amantadine. Memantine blocks the effects of escalating levels of excitotoxins to a greater degree than lower (piysiological) levels of these excitatory amino acids, thus sparing to some extent normal neuronal function. (ⅱ) Niuoglycerin acts at a redox modulatory site of the NMDA receptor/complex to downregulate its activity. The neuroprotective action of nitroglycerin at this site is mediated by n chemical species related to nitric oxide, but in a higher oxidation state, resulting in transfer of an NO group to a critical cysteine on the NMDA receptor. Because of the clinical safety of these drugs, they have the potential for trials in humans. As the structural basis for redox modulation is further elucidated, it may become possible to design even better redox reactive reagents of chinical value. To this end, redox modulatory sites of NMDA receptors have begun to be characterized at a molecular level using site-directed mutagenesis of recombinant subunits (NMDAR1, NMDAR2A-D). Two types of redox modulation can be distinguished. The first type gives rise to a persistent change in the functional activity of the receptor, and we have identified two cysteine residues on the NMDARI subunit (#744 and #798) that are responsible for this action. A second site, presumably also a cysteine(s) because <1 mM N-ethylmaleimide can block its effect in native neurons, underlies the other, more transient redox action. It appears to be at this, as yet unidentified, site on the NMDA receptor that the NO group acts, at least in recombinant receptors.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.72-74
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• 2003

Excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptor, particularly NMDA receptor, are now known to be one of major transmitter receptors involved in synaptic excitation. Excessive release of EAA neurotransmitter, glutamate, is an important causative factor in the neurodegenerative processes and can cause neuronal damage and cell death. This excitotoxicity has been shown to be $Ca^{++}$ dependent. (omitted)

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.23 no.1 s.53
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• pp.38-43
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• 1999

Ginseng total saponins (ginsenosides) are biologically active main ingredients of Panax ginseng. In present study, we have investigated whether pretreatment of ginsenosides inhibited capsaicin-induced pain at the spinal level, in the view that capsaicin causes substance P (SP) release from primary afferents. Ginsenosides relieved capsaicin-induced pain in a dose-dependent manner. The $ED_{50}$ of the effect was 43 (20-93, $95\%$ C.I.) ${\mu}g/mouse$. We investigated excitatory amino acids-induced nociceptive responses in mice, because these agents are also involved in nociceptive transmission in the spinal cord. Coadministration of ginsenosides with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) or kainate via i.t. inhibited NMDA- but not kainate-induced pain behaviors. The $ED_{50}$ for the inhibition of NMDA-induced pain by ginsenosides was 37 (21-66, $95\%$ C.I.) ${\mu}g/mouse$. These results suggest that the ginsenosides-induced antinociception results from blocking of pain transmitter-induced nociceptive information at the spinal level.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1008-1018
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• 2000

Objective : Glutamate induced excitotoxicity is one of the leading causes of cell death under pathologic condition. However, there is controversy whether excitotoxicity may also participate in the neuronal death under low intensity insult such as simple hypoxia or hypoglycemia. To investigate the role of NMDA receptor in low intensity insult, we chose anoxia as the method of injury and used organotypically cultured hippocampal slice as the material of experiment. Materials & Methods : The hippocampal slices cultured for 2-3 weeks were exposed to 60 minutes of complete oxygen deprivation(anoxia). Neuronal death was assessed with Sytox stain. Corrected optical density of fluorescence in gray scale, used as cellular death indicator, was obtained from pictures taken at 24 and 48 hours following the insult. The well-known in vivo phenomenon of regional difference in susceptibility of hippocampal sub-fields to ischemic insult was reproduced in HOSC(hippocampal organotypic slice culture) by complete oxygen deprivation injury. Results : $CA_1$ was the most vulnerable to complete oxygen deprivation in hippocampus while $CA_3$ was resistant. Oxygen deprivation for 10 and 20 minutes with glucose(6.5g/l) present was insufficient to induce neuronal death in the cultured hippocampal slice. However, after 30 minutes exposure under anoxic condition, neuronal death was able to be detected in the center of $CA_1$ area. The intensity and area of fluorescence indicating cell death correlated with the duration of oxygen deprivation. NMDA receptor and non-NMDA receptor blocking with MK-801(30 & $60{\mu}M$) and CNQX($100{\mu}M$) did not provide cellular protection to HOSC against damage induced by oxygen deprivation, but increased intracellular calcium buffering capacity with BAPTA-AM($10{\mu}M$) was effective in preventing neuronal death (p=0.01, Student's t-test). Cycloheximide($1{\mu}g/ml$, $10{\mu}g/ml$) provided no protection to HOSC against insult of complete oxygen deprivation for 60 minutes and combined therapy of MK-801(30 & $60{\mu}M$) and cycloheximide(1 & $10{\mu}g/ml$) was also ineffective in preventing neuronal death. Conclusion : The results of this study show that the another mechanism not associated with glutamate receptor(NMDA & non NMDA) may play major role in cell death mechanisms induced by complete oxygen deprivation and increased intracellular calcium during anoxia may participate in the neuronal death mechanism of oxygen deprivation. Further investigation of the calcium entry channel activated during oxygen deprivation is necessary to understand the neuronal death of anoxia.