• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2010

This study was designed to investigate the effects of sphingosine-1-phosphate on the neuronal activity of rat medial vestibular nuclear neurons. Sprague-Dawley rats aged 14 to 16 days were decapitated under ether anesthesia. After treatment with pronase and thermolysin, the dissociated medial vestibular nuclear neurons were transferred into a chamber on an inverted microscope. Spontaneous action potentials and potassium currents were recorded by standard patch-clamp techniques under current and voltage-clamp modes respectively. 15 medial vestibular nuclear neurons revealed excitatory responses to 1 and $5\;{\mu}M$ of sphingosine-1-phosphate. The spike frequency and resting membrane potential of these cells were increased by sphingosine-1-phosphate. The amplitude of afterhyperpolarization was decreased by sphingosine-1-phosphate. Whole potassium currents of medial vestibular nuclear neurons were decreased by sphingosine-1-phosphate (n=12). Sphingosine-1-phosphate did not affect the charybdotoxin-treated potassium currents. These experimental results suggest that sphingosine-1-phosphate increases the neuronal activity of the medial vestibular nuclear neurons by altering the resting membrane potential and afterhyperpolarization.

• KSTLE International Journal
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.60-65
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• 2003

Tribological properties of novolac resin composites containing particulate barite (BaSO$_4$) or potassium titanate (K$_2$Oㆍ6(TiO$_2$))whiskers (two typical space fillers for commercial automotive brake linings) were investigated. The emphasis of the current investigation was given to the effect of the two fillers on the propensity of the stick-slip phenomena and formation of stable rubbing surface. A block-on-disk type tribometer was used for friction assessment. Results showed that the BaSO$_4$-filled composite produced large friction force oscillations at slow sliding speeds and created severe damage on the gray iron counter surface. On the other hand, the composite with $K_2$Oㆍ6(TiO$_2$) whiskers formed a stable rubbing surface and showed smooth sliding behavior without large friction force fluctuation. The microscopic observation of the rubbing surface revealed that the $K_2$Oㆍ6(TiO$_2$)whiskers played a key role in the formation of stable rubbing surface and smooth sliding behavior by effectively reinforcing the resin.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.211-216
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• 2015

Nitric Oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule in the nociceptive process. Our previous study suggested that high concentrations of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, induce a membrane hyperpolarization and outward current through large conductances calcium-activated potassium ($BK_{ca}$) channels in substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons. In this study, patch clamp recording in spinal slices was used to investigate the sources of $Ca^{2+}$ that induces $Ca^{2+}$-activated potassium currents. Application of SNP induced a membrane hyperpolarization, which was significantly inhibited by hemoglobin and 2-(4-carboxyphenyl) -4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide potassium salt (c-PTIO), NO scavengers. SNP-induced hyperpolarization was decreased in the presence of charybdotoxin, a selective $BK_{Ca}$ channel blocker. In addition, SNP-induced response was significantly blocked by pretreatment of thapsigargin which can remove $Ca^{2+}$ in endoplasmic reticulum, and decreased by pretreatment of dentrolene, a ryanodine receptors (RyR) blocker. These data suggested that NO induces a membrane hyperpolarization through $BK_{ca}$ channels, which are activated by intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ increase via activation of RyR of $Ca^{2+}$ stores.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.140-145
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• 1996

Silver deposits formed on copper substrates by replacement reactions show poor adhesion, and a silver film plated on such a deposit does not adhere. Silver ion makes a highly stable complex with cyanide ion, so that in a silver cyanide solution, the activity of silver ion is very small. This is one of the reasons for the universal use of cyanide baths in the industrial silver plating. However, the consideration of the difference between the values of the stability constants for bath the silver-iodide complex and the copper-iodide complex suggest that the rate of replacement deposition of silver on the copper substrate in si]ver-potassium iodide solution, could be comparatively low. To confirm this, the rate of replacement deposition of silver in both a silver-potassium iodide solution ($AgNO_3$0.10 mol/L, KI 2.00 mol/L ) and a strike silver plating bath (AgCN 0.028 mol/L, KCN 1.15 mol/L ) was estimated from the current density corresponding to the point of intersection of the anodic and the cathodic polarization curves. These estimated values were almost the same, and it is suggested that the silver-potassium iodide solution is not only a cyanide free silver plating bath capable of employing a copper substrate but a silver plating bath which requires no strike plating.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.86-96
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• 2024

This research investigation employs a terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy system to study the terahertz spectral characteristics of five different citrates in both solution and solid state. The citrates under examination are lithium citrate, monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, and potassium citrate. The results show that the THz absorption coefficients of the first four citrate solutions exhibit a decreasing trend with increasing concentration. However, the potassium citrate solution shows an opposite phenomenon. At the same time, the absorption coefficients of lithium citrate, trisodium citrate, and potassium citrate solutions are compared at the same concentration. The results indicate that the absorption coefficient of citrate solution increases in proportion to the increase of metal cation radius, which is explained from the perspective of the influence of metal cations on hydrogen bonds. In addition, we also study the absorption peaks of solid citrates, and characterize the formation mechanism of the absorption peaks by molecular dynamics simulations. This methodology can be further extended to the study of multitudinous salts, presenting theoretical foundations for the detection in food and medicine industries.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.310-315
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the level of awareness, comfort, and likelihood of liberalizing the hemodialysis diet in practicing renal registered dietitian nutritionists (RDN). SUBJECTS/METHODS: An original, cross-sectional survey was sent to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Renal Practice Group in May 2017, consisting primarily of renal dietitians. RESULTS: A total of 187 renal dietitians responded to the survey designed to assess their current practices regarding the renal diet for hemodialysis patients and how comfortable they would be liberalizing the current restrictions. On average, 16.3% of dietitians are extremely likely to liberalize the restrictions on various food groups including fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, and whole grains. CONCLUSIONS: RDN feel confident in their ability to interpret and apply evidence-based literature into practice, and they are moderately comfortable liberalizing the renal diet. The participants were generally more comfortable liberalizing the phosphorus restriction than the potassium restriction, and the sodium restriction remains important to control interdialytic weight gain and hypertension. Future research is needed to establish efficacy of a liberalized diet as well as interventions to help RDN feel more comfortable implementing a liberalization of the renal diet.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.241-249
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• 2017

Plasma membrane hyperpolarization associated with activation of $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels plays an important role in sperm capacitation during fertilization. Although Slo3 (slowpoke homologue 3), together with the auxiliary ${\gamma}^2$-subunit, LRRC52 (leucine-rich-repeat-containing 52), is known to mediate the pH-sensitive, sperm-specific $K^+$ current KSper in mice, the molecular identity of this channel in human sperm remains controversial. In this study, we tested the classical $BK_{Ca}$ activators, NS1619 and LDD175, on human Slo3, heterologously expressed in HEK293 cells together with its functional interacting ${\gamma}^2$ subunit, hLRRC52. As previously reported, Slo3 $K^+$ current was unaffected by iberiotoxin or 4-aminopyridine, but was inhibited by ~50% by 20 mM TEA. Extracellular alkalinization potentiated hSlo3 $K^+$ current, and internal alkalinization and $Ca^{2+}$ elevation induced a leftward shift its activation voltage. NS1619, which acts intracellularly to modulate hSlo1 gating, attenuated hSlo3 $K^+$ currents, whereas LDD175 increased this current and induced membrane potential hyperpolarization. LDD175-induced potentiation was not associated with a change in the half-activation voltage at different intracellular pHs (pH 7.3 and pH 8.0) in the absence of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$. In contrast, elevation of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ dramatically enhanced the LDD175-induced leftward shift in the half-activation potential of hSlo3. Therefore, the mechanism of action does not involve pH-dependent modulation of hSlo3 gating; instead, LDD175 may modulate $Ca^{2+}$-dependent activation of hSlo3. Thus, LDD175 potentially activates native KSper and may induce membrane hyperpolarization-associated hyperactivation in human sperm.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.6
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• pp.613-624
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• 1997

Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is composed of neuronal cell bodies of primary afferents with diverse functions. Various types of ion channels present on DRG neurons may reflect those functions. In the present study, voltage-gated potassium currents in DRG neurons of neonatal rats were characterized by whole-cell voltage clamp method. Two types of delayed rectifier and three types of transient potassium currents were identified according to their electrophysiological properties. The delayed rectifier currents were named $I_{Ke}$ (early inactivating) and $I_{K1}$ (late inactivating). Steady state inactivation of $I_{Ke}$ began from -100 mV lasting until -20 mV. $I_{K1}$ could be distinguished from $I_{Ke}$ by its inactivation voltage range, from -70 mV to +10 mV. Three transient currents were named $I_{Af}$ (fast inactivation), $I_{Ai}$ (intermediate inactivation kinetics), and $I_{As}$ (slow inactivation). $I_{Af}$ showed fast inactivation with time constant of $10.6{\pm}2.0$ msec, $I_{Ai}$ of $36.9{\pm}13.9$ msec, and $I_{As}$ of $60.6{\pm}2.9$ msec at +30 mV, respectively. They also had distinct steady state inactivation range of each. Each cell expressed diverse combination of potassium currents. The cells most frequently observed were those which expressed both $I_{K1}$ and $I_{Af}$, and they had large diameters. The cells expressing $I_{Ke}$ and expressing $I_{Ke}$, $I_{Ai}$, and $I_{As}$ usually had small diameters. Judging from cell diameter, capsaicin sensitivity or action potential duration, candidates for nociceptor were the cells expressing $I_{Ke}$, expressing $I_{Ke}$ and $I_{Ai}$, and expressing $I_{Ke}$ and $I_{As}$. The types and distribution of potassium currents in neonatal rat DRG were similar to those of adult rat DRG (Gold et al, 1996b).

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2018

In patients with epilepsy, depression is a common comorbidity but difficult to be treated because many antidepressants cause pro-convulsive effects. Thus, it is important to identify the risk of seizures associated with antidepressants. To determine whether paroxetine, a very potent selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), interacts with ion channels that modulate neuronal excitability, we examined the effects of paroxetine on Kv3.1 potassium channels, which contribute to high-frequency firing of interneurons, using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Kv3.1 channels were cloned from rat neurons and expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Paroxetine reversibly reduced the amplitude of Kv3.1 current, with an $IC_{50}$ value of $9.43{\mu}M$ and a Hill coefficient of 1.43, and also accelerated the decay of Kv3.1 current. The paroxetine-induced inhibition of Kv3.1 channels was voltage-dependent even when the channels were fully open. The binding ($k_{+1}$) and unbinding ($k_{-1}$) rate constants for the paroxetine effect were $4.5{\mu}M^{-1}s^{-1}$ and $35.8s^{-1}$, respectively, yielding a calculated $K_D$ value of $7.9{\mu}M$. The analyses of Kv3.1 tail current indicated that paroxetine did not affect ion selectivity and slowed its deactivation time course, resulting in a tail crossover phenomenon. Paroxetine inhibited Kv3.1 channels in a use-dependent manner. Taken together, these results suggest that paroxetine blocks the open state of Kv3.1 channels. Given the role of Kv3.1 in fast spiking of interneurons, our data imply that the blockade of Kv3.1 by paroxetine might elevate epileptic activity of neural networks by interfering with repetitive firing of inhibitory neurons.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.95-100
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• 1998

The conductance change evoked by step depolarization was studied in primarily cultured rat adrenal chromaffin cells using patch-clamp and capacitance measurement techniques. When we applied a depolarizing pulse to a chromaffin cell, the inward calcium current was followed by an outward current and depolarization-induced exocytosis was accompanied by an increase in conductance trace. The slow inward tail current which has the same time course as the conductance change was observed in current recording. The activation of slow tail current was calcium-dependent. Reversal potentials agreed with Nernst equation assuming relative permeability of $Cs^+\;to\;K^+$ is 0.095. The outward current and tail current were blocked by apamin (200 nM) and d-tubocurarine (2 mM). The conductance change was blocked by apamin and did not affect membrane capacitance recording. We confirmed that conductance change after depolarization comes from the activation of the SK channel and can be blocked by application of the SK channel blockers. Consequently, it is necessary to consider blocking of the SK channel during membrane capacitance recording.