• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.241-248
• /
• 1987

Woohwangchungsim-Won has been widely used for the treatment of appoplexy, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, insomnia and cerebrovascular accident, etc in oriental hospital and pharmacy. In order to investigate the efficacy of Woohwangchungsim-Won, the water extract of it were bioassayed for isolated ileum, blood vessels, blood pressure, heart and diuresis. The results of this studies were as follows; Spontaneous motilities of isolated ileum of mice were strongly suppressed, and contraction of isolated ileum of mice and guinea-pigs induced by acetylcholine chloride, barium chloride and histamine were inhibited. Vaso-dilating action due to vascular smooth muscle relaxation in frogs and rabbits, and hypotensive action in anesthetized rabbits were noted. Negative inotropic action on the isolated frog heart and diuretic effect in rabbits were shown.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.258-267
• /
• 2002

In this study the general pharmacological profiles of AS6 on the central nervous system, cardiovascular and the other organs were investigated. The dosages given were 0, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg and drugs were orally administered. The animals used for this study were mice, rats and guinea pigs. Significant increases (p<0.01) in the charcoal transport capacity were observed at the high dose of 1000 mg/kg and significant increases in retardation of pain threshold were observed in the test using acetic acid in all dosed animals. However, AS6 showed no noticeable effects on general behavior, motor coordination, spontaneous locomotor activity, hexobarbital-induced sleep time, body temperature, analgesic activity in the test using hot plate method and anticonvulsant activity. Furthermore no noticeable effects were observed in cardiovascular functions in the isolated rat heart, contraction and relaxation of the smooth muscle in the isolated guinea ileum, gastric secretion and renal function.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.192-198
• /
• 1986

The present study was undertaken to see an interaction of dopamine and cholecystokinin on spontaneous contractility of the small intestine including the duodenal bulb. A possible neural mechanism of the interaction was alto examined. The spontaneous isometric contractility of a segment of the duodenal bulb, duodenum, jejunum and ileum obtained from the rabbit anesthetized with ether was recorded in a chamber filled with Krebs-Ringer's solution. The solution was constantly kept at $37^{\circ}C$ and aerated with $O_2$ containing 5% $CO_2$. After 20 min from beginning of the contraction, dopamine $(10^{-4}M)$, CCK-8($10^{-8}M$), domperidone($10^{-5}M$) and tetrodotoxin ($10^{-6}M$) were administered into the chamber The following results were obtained by analyzing changes in the contractility of the intestinal segments. 1) Dopamine inhibited the spontaneous contractility of the duodenal bulb, duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The inhibitory action of dopamine on all parts of the small intestine except the ileum was reduced by tetrodotoxin. 2) Domperidone knwon to be a specific peripheral dopamine receptor antagonist blocked the inhibitory action of dopamine on all parts of the small intestine. The antagonistic action of domperidone on all parts of the small intestine except the ileum was completely abolished by tetrodotoxin. 3) CCK-8 reduced the inhibitory action of dopamine on all parts of the small intestine. The effect of CCK-8 on the dopamine action was diminished by tetrodotoxin. These results suggest that dopamine inhibits the spontaneous contractility of the small intestine including the duodenal bulb and CCK-8 reduces the inhibitory action of dopamine through the enteric nervous system.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.485-495
• /
• 2001

It was investigated whether $Ca^{2+}$ and $K^+$ channels were involved in the inhibitory action of nitric oxide (NO) on the contractile and slow wave activity of guinea pig gastric antral circular muscle. The gastric antral circular muscle showed spontaneous phasic contraction and slow wave. NO donors, 3-morpholinosydnonimine hydrochloride (SIN-1, $0.01{\sim}100{\mu}M$) and S-nitroso-L-cysteine (CysNO, $0.001{\sim}10{\mu}M$), reduced not only the amplitude of phasic contraction but also that of slow wave in a concentration-dependent manner. Both the perfusion of $Ca^{2+}$-free solution and the administration of $Ni^{2+}$, a nonselective $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker, reduced the phasic contraction as well as the amplitude and frequency of the slow wave. The effects of these treatments were similar to those of NO donors. Nifedipine ($10{\mu}M$), a specific L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker, abolished the phasic contraction and remarkably reduced the plateau of slow wave but had no profound effect on the upstroke of slow wave. In the whole-cell patch clamp mode, CysNO shifted the steady-state activation curve for L-type $Ca^{2+}$ current to the right and the steady-state inactivation curve to the left. Pretreatment of various $K^+$ channel blockers such as tetraethylammonium (1 mM), 4-aminopyridine (0.5 mM), glibenclamide (10 mM), apamin ($0.1{\mu}M$), and iberiotoxin ($0.1{\mu}M$) did not affect the inhibitory action of SIN-1. These results suggest that NO donors suppress mechanical and electrical activity of guinea pig gastric antral circular muscle by inhibition of L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel rather than by activation of $K^+$ channels.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.115-122
• /
• 1993

There is evidence that noradrenaline enhances spontaneous contractions dose-dependently in guinea-pig antral circular muscle. To investigate the mechanism of this excitatory action, slow waves and membrane currents were recorded using conventional microelectrode techniques in muscle strips and the whole cell patch clamp technique in isolated gastric myocytes. On recording slow waves, noradrenaline $(10^{-5}\;M)$ induced the hyperpolarization of the membrane potential, although the shape of the slow waves became tall and steep. Also, spike potentiaIs occurred at the peaks of slow waves. These changes were completely reversed by administration of phentolamine $(10^{-5}\;M),\;an\;{\alpha}-adrenoceptor$ blocker. Noradrenaline-induced hyperpolarization was blocked by apamin $(10^{-7}\;M)$, a blocker of a class of $Ca^{2+}\;-dependent\;K^+$ channels. To investigate the mechanisms for these effects, we performed whole cell patch clamp experiments. Norndrenaline increased voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ currents in the whole range of test potentials. Noradrenaline also increased $Ca^{2+}\;-dependent\;K^+$\;currents, and this effects was abolished by apamin. These results suggest that the increase in amplitude and the generation of spike potentials on slow waves was caused by the activation of voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channel via adrenoceptors, and hyperpolarization of the membrane potential was mediated by activation of apamin-sensitive $Ca^{2+}\;-dependent\;K^+\;channels$.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.603-607
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Carthami Flos on interstitial cells of Cajal in the gastrointestinal tract. Many regions of the tunica muscularis of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract display spontaneous contraction. These spontaneous contractions are mediated by periodic generation of electrical slow waves. Recent studies have shown that the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) act as pacemakers and conductors of electrical slow waves in gastrointestinal smooth muscles. We investigated the cytotoxicity activity, antioxidant activity, and pacemaking activity. The cytotoxicity activity was measured by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. Antioxidant activities were determined by DPPH (1.1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging capacity assay and DCFH-DA (2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate) method. The effects of Carthami Flos on the pacemaker potentials in cultured ICCs from murine small intestine were investigated by using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques at $30^{\circ}C$. The addition of Carthami Flos (5, 10, $30{\mu}g$/ml) depolarized the resting membrane potentials in a concentration dependent manner. These results suggest that the GI tract can be targets for Carthami Flos, and their interaction can affect intestinal motility.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.369-375
• /
• 1997

General pharmacological effects of SB-31$^{R}$, the extracts of Pulsatilla koreana, were investigated in mice, rats and guinea-pigs. Intravenous injection of SB-31 (3 and 6 ml/kg) produced almost no effect on central nervous system no effects on the general symptom and behaviors of mice, spontaneous locomotor activity, pentobarbital- induced sleeping time , rotared performance , electroshock and pentylenetertrazole -induced seizures, acetic acid-induced writhing and normal body temperature in mice. SB-31 showed little effects on the spontaneous movement of the isolated ileum and contraction induced by agonists in isolated ileum, suggesting no influence on autonomic nervous system. Administration of SB-31 also did not show any effect on blood pressure in conscious rats. However, a slight decrease in heart rate was observed at high doses (6 and 10 ml/kg) of SB-31 in conscious rats. Similarly, a slight increase in respiratory rate was observed at 6 m1/kg of SB-31 in anesthetized rats. SB-31 did not produce any effect at the dose of 3 ml/kg, but showed a tendency to increase the urinary volume at 6 ml/kg, and produced a decrease in urinary excretions of N $a_{+}$and $K_{+}$at 6 ml/kg. However, transport capacity within the gastrointestinal tract and the secretion of the gastric juice were not influenced by 6 ml/kg of SB-31. In conclusion, these results suggest that SB-31 did not pro-duce any acute effects on the central nervous system, autonomic nervous system, respiratory and circulatory systems, digestive system and kidney function at the dose of below 3 ml/kg.ml/kg.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.287-293
• /
• 2009

The dried roots of Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) and Sanchi (Panax notoginseng) have been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for promoting blood circulation as well as various other bodily functions. Here we investigated the effects of a mixture of aqueous extracts of Danshen and Sanchi, named PASEL, on blood pressure and vascular contractility in rats. Orally administered PASEL (62.5 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg, for 5 weeks) lowered the blood pressure of spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) but this was not observed in normal Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKR). We then investigated the effects of PASEL on the arterial contraction of the small branches of cerebral arteries (CAs) and large conduit femoral arteries (FAs) in rats. PASEL did not affect high-K (KCI 60 mM)- or phenyleprine (PhE)-induced contracture of FAs. The myogenic response, a reactive arterial constriction in response to increased luminal pressure, of small CA was dose-dependently suppressed by PASEL in SHR as well as control rats. Interestingly, the KCI-induced contraction of small CAs was slowly reversed by PASEL, and this effect was more prominent in SHR than control WKR. PASEL did not inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity. These results demonstrated that the antihypertensive effect of PASEL might be primarily mediated by altering the arterial MR, not by direct inhibition of L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channels or by ACE inhibition.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.189-194
• /
• 2009

This study was designed to clarify the mechanism of the inhibitory effect of forskolin on contraction, cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ level $([Ca^{2+}]_i)$, and $Ca^{2+}$ sensitivity in guinea pig ileum. Forskolin (0.1 nM ${\sim}$ 10 ${\mu}M$) inhibited high $K^+$ (25 mM and 40 mM)- or histamine (3 ${\mu}M$)-evoked contractions in a concentration-dependent manner. Histamine-evoked contractions were more sensitive to forskolin than high $K^+$-evoked contractions. Spontaneous changes in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ and contractions were inhibited by forskolin (1 ${\mu}M$) without changing the resting $[Ca^{2+}]_i$. Forskoln (10 ${\mu}M$ ) inhibited muscle tension more strongly than $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ stimulated by high $K^+$, and thus shifted the $[Ca^{2+}]_i$-tension relationship to the lower-right. In histamine-stimulated contractions, forskolin (1 ${\mu}M$) inhibited both $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ and muscle tension without changing the $[Ca^{2+}]_i$-tension relationship. In ${\alpha}$-toxin-permeabilized tissues, forskolin (10 ${\mu}M$) inhibited the 0.3 ${\mu}M$ $Ca^{2+}$-evoked contractions in the presence of 0.1 mM GTP, but showed no effect on the $Ca^{2+}$-tension relationship. We conclude that forskolin inhibits smooth muscle contractions by the following two mechanisms: a decrease in $Ca^{2+}$ sensitivity of contractile elements in high $K^+$-stimulated muscle and a decrease in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ in histamine-stimulated muscle.

• Women's Health Nursing
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.205-212
• /
• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the components of preterm birth (PTB) through women's personal narratives and to visualize clinical symptom expressions (CSEs). Methods: The participants were 11 women who gave birth before 37 weeks of gestational age. Personal narratives were collected by interactive unstructured storytelling via individual interviews, from August 8 to December 4, 2019 after receiving approval of the Institutional Review Board. The textual data were converted to PDF and analyzed using the MAXQDA program (VERBI Software). Results: The participants' mean age was 34.6 (±2.98) years, and five participants had a spontaneous vaginal birth. The following nine components of PTB were identified: obstetric condition, emotional condition, physical condition, medical condition, hospital environment, life-related stress, pregnancy-related stress, spousal support, and informational support. The top three codes were preterm labor, personal characteristics, and premature rupture of membrane, and the codes found for more than half of the participants were short cervix, fear of PTB, concern about fetal well-being, sleep difficulty, insufficient spousal and informational support, and physical difficulties. The top six CSEs were stress, hydramnios, false labor, concern about fetal wellbeing, true labor pain, and uterine contraction. "Stress" was ranked first in terms of frequency and "uterine contraction" had individual attributes. Conclusion: The text network analysis of narratives from women who gave birth preterm yielded nine PTB components and six CSEs. These nine components should be included for developing a reliable and valid scale for PTB risk and stress. The CSEs can be applied for assessing preterm labor, as well as considered as strategies for students in women's health nursing practicum.