• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제29권8호
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• pp.657-665
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• 2006

We recently reported that dimethylsphingosine (DMS), a metabolite of sphingolipids, increased intracellular pH and $Ca^{2+}$ concentration in U937 human monocytes. In the present study, we found that dimethylphytosphingosine (DMPH) induced the above responses more robustly than DMS. However, phytosphingosine, monomethylphytosphingosine or trimethylsphingosine showed little or no activity. Synthetic C3 deoxy analogues of sphingosine did show similar activities, with the C16 analogue more so than C18. The following structure-activity relationships were observed between DMS derivatives and the intracellular pH and $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations in U937 monocytes; 1) dimethyl modification is important for the DMS-induced increase of intracellular pH and $Ca^{2+}$, 2) the addition of an OH group on C4 enhances both activities, 3) the deletion of the OH group on C3 has a negligible effect on the activities, and 4) C16 appears to be more effective than C18. We also found that W-7, a calmodulin inhibitor, blocked the DMS-induced pH increase, whereas, KN-62, ML9, and MMPX, specific inhibitors for calmodulin-dependent kinase II, myosin light chain kinase, and $Ca^{2+}$-calmodulin-dependent phosphodiesterase, respectively, did not affect DMS-induced increases of pH in the U937 monocytes.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.173-181
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• 2012

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) has a many function involved proliferation, differentiation and survival of many cells. In this study, to investigate whether S1P improve the developmental competence of porcine embryos, 50 nM of S1P were supplemented during in vitro maturation (with EGF or without EGF) medium and/or in vitro culture (IVC) medium. Addition of S1P was significantly increased the rate of oocytes reaching metaphase II (MII) compared to the control (83.5 vs. 64.1%) in without EGF medium, but not with EGF medium (89.5 vs. 84.6%). When treated with $1{\mu}M$ of N1N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS), a sphingosine kinase inhibitor which is blocked endogenous generation of S1P, the meiotic progression rates to MII stage (without EGF: 45.2 and with EGF: 66.7%) were significantly decreased and degeneration rates (without EGF: 51.2 and with EGF: 30.1%) were increased in both medium compared to control group during IVM periods. Also, the rates of blastocyst formation was significantly increased in the S1P treated group compared to control group (29.0 vs. 19.2%) of EGF supplemented medium, whereas there were no effect in the EGF free medium (9.0 vs. 10.5%). After 12 h IVM, the phosphorylation of ERK1 and ERK2, which is major signaling pathway of MAP kinase, were increased in the S1P group than that of control or DMS group. When supplemented of S1P during IVC, the rates of blastocyst formation and total cell number (30.2% and 40.6) were significantly increased in S1P-treated group compared with control (20.1% and 32.5), DMS (12.3% and 25.1), and S1P plus DMS group (24.7% and 33.6). The percentage of apoptosis nuclei in the S1P group was significantly decreased than other groups. Also, the rates of blastocyst formation (26.7 vs. 14%) and total cell number (42.8 vs. 32.5) were significantly increased in the S1P group than those of control group when S1P added during the entire IVM and IVC periods. Taken together, our results indicate that S1P supplementation in IVM and/or IVC medium affects beneficial effect of meiotic maturation and subsequent developmental competence of porcine embryos.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제2권6호
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• pp.743-752
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• 1998

The atrial acetylcholine-activated $K^+\;(K_{ACh})$ channel is gated by the pertussis toxin-sensitive inhibitory G $(G_K)$ protein. Earlier studies revealed that ATP alone can activate the $K_{ACh}$ channel via transphosphorylation mediated by nucleoside-diphosphate kinase (NDPK) in atrial cells of rabbit and guinea pig. This channel can be activated by various agonists and also modulated its function by phosphorylation. ATP-induced $K_{ACh}$ channel activation (AIKA) was maintained in the presence of the NDPK inhibitor, suggesting the existence of a mechanism other than NDPK-mediated process. Here we hypothesized the phosphorylation process as another mechanism underlying AIKA and was undertaken to examine what kinase is involved in atrial cells isolated from the rat heart. Single application of 1 mM ATP gradually increased the activity of $K_{ACh}$ channels and reached its maximum $40{\sim}50$ sec later following adding ATP. AIKA was not completely reduced but maintained by half even in the presence of NDPK inhibitor. Neither ADP nor a non-hydrolyzable ATP analogue, AMP-PNP can cause AIKA, while a non-specific phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase blocked completely AIKA. PKC antagonists such as sphingosine or tamoxifen, completely blocked AIKA, whereas PKC catalytic domain increased AIKA. Taken together, it is suggested that the PKC-mediated phosphorylation is partly involved in AIKA.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.9-20
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• 1998

Phospholipase C (PLC)는 다양한 세포주에서 세포내 신호전달에 중요한 역할을 한다고 알려져 있으나, 생쥐 난자성숙 과정과 착성전 배아발생 과정에서 PLC의 역할과 발현은 아직 연구된 바 없다. 본 연구에서는 난자성숙과 착상전 배아발생 과정에서 생쥐의 PLC \beta 1과 \gamma 1의 유전자 발현을 조사하기 위하여 한 개의 난자 혹은 배아에서 추출된 total RNA를 사용하여 경쟁적 RT-PCR 방법으로 mRNA를 정량하였다. PLC \gamma 1의 유전자 발현을 조사하기 위하여 한 개의 난자 혹은 배아에서 추출된 total RNA를 사용하여 경쟁적 RT-PCR 방법으로 mRNA를 정량하였다. PLC \gamma 1의 유전자는 전혀 발현하지 않았다. 수정후 PLC \betta 1과 \gamma 1의 유전자 발현은 상실기 배아에서 증가하기 시작하여 포배기 배아에서는 현저히 증가하였다. 난자성숙과 착상전 배아발생 과정에서 protein kinase C(PKC) 신호전달체게에 의한 PLC의 역할을 조사하기 위하여 PKC의 억제제인 sphingosin, PKC의 촉진제인 $diC_{8}$, 그리고 PLC의 억제제인 U73122의 효과를 조사하였다. Spihingosine은 처리후 1시간 이내에 대조군에 비해 20% 정도의 난자성숙을 촉지하였으나 U73122는 유효한 효과를 보이지 않았다. U73122는 상실기 배아의 compaction을 억제하였으나 $diC_{8}$에 의하여 부분적으로 극복되었다. 이상의 결과는 PLC \beta 1과 \gamma 1 유전자가 생쥐의 착상전 발생단계에서 특이젖으로 발현하고 있으며, 난자성숙과 착상전 초기배아에서 PKC-PLC 신호전달체계가 관여하고 있으리라 사료된다.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제20권5호
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• pp.470-476
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• 2012

Resveratrol, a chemopreventive agent, is rapidly metabolized in the intestine and liver via glucuronidation. Thus, the pharmacokinetics of resveratrol limits its efficacy. To improve efficacy, the activity of resveratrol was investigated in the context of sphingolipid metabolism in human gastric cancer cells. Diverse sphingolipid metabolites, including dihydroceramides (DHCer), were tested for their ability to induce resveratrol cytotoxicity. Exposure to resveratrol ($100{\mu}M$) for 24 hr induced cell death and cell cycle arrest in gastric cancer cells. Exposure to the combination of resveratrol and dimethylsphingosine (DMS) increased cytotoxicity, demonstrating that sphingolipid metabolites intensify resveratrol activity. Specifically, DHCer accumulated in a resveratrol concentration-dependent manner in SNU-1 and HT-29 cells, but not in SNU-668 cells. LC-MS/MS analysis showed that specific DHCer species containing C24:0, C16:0, C24:1, and C22:0 fatty acids chain were increased by up to 30-fold by resveratrol, indicating that resveratrol may partially inhibit DHCer desaturase. Indeed, resveratrol mildly inhibited DHCer desaturase activity compared to the specific inhibitor GT-11 or to retinamide (4-HPR); however, in SNU-1 cells resveratrol alone exhibited a typical cell cycle arrest pattern, which GT-11 did not alter, indicating that inhibition of DHCer desaturase is not essential to the cytotoxicity induced by the combination of resveratrol and sphingolipid metabolites. Resveratrol-induced p53 expression strongly correlated with the enhancement of cytotoxicity observed upon combination of resveratrol with DMS or 4-HPR. Taken together, these results show that DHCer accumulation is a novel lipid biomarker of resveratrol-induced cytotoxicity in human gastric cancer cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.42-51
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• 2006

We investigated the mechanism of contraction induced by S1P in esophageal smooth muscle cells. Western blot analysis demonstrated that $S1P_1$, $S1P_2$, $S1P_3$, and $S1P_5$ receptors existed in the cat esophagus. Only penetration of EDG-5 ($S1P_2$) antibody into permeabilized cells inhibited S1P-induced contraction. Pertussis toxin (PTX) also inhibited contraction, suggesting that it was mediated by $S1P_2$ receptors coupled to a PTXsensitive $G_i$ protein. Specific antibodies to $G_{i2}$, $G_q$ and $G_{\beta}$ inhibited contraction, implying that the S1P-induced contraction depends on PTX-insensitive $G_q$ and $G_{\beta}$ dimers as well as the PTX-sensitive $G_{i2}$. Contraction was not affected by the phospholipase $A_2$ inhibitor DEDA, or the PLD inhibitor ${\rho}$-chloromercuribenzoate, but it was abolished by the PLC inhibitor U73122. Incubation of permeabilized cells with $PLC{\beta}3$ antibody also inhibited contraction. Contraction involved the activation of a PKC pathway since it was affected by GF109203X and chelerythrine. Since $PKC{\varepsilon}$ antibody inhibited contraction, $PKC{\varepsilon}$ may be required. Preincubation of the muscle cells with the MEK inhibitor PD98059 blocked S1P-induced contraction, but the p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB202190 did not. In addition, co-treatment of cells with GF 109203X and PD98059 did not have a synergistic effect, suggesting that these two kinases are involved in the same signaling pathway. Our data suggest that S1P-induced contraction in esophageal smooth muscle cells is mediated by $S1P_2$ receptors coupled to PTX-sensitive $G_{i2}$ proteins, and PTX-insensitive $G_q$ and $G_{\beta}$ proteins, and that the resulting activation of the $PLC{\beta}3$ and $PKC{\varepsilon}$ pathway leads to activation of a p44/p42 MAPK pathway.