• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.1 no.6
• /
• pp.639-645
• /
• 1997

The purpose of the present study is to determine the role of muscarinic cholinergic receptors of posterior hypothalamus in the central blood pressure regulation when respiration is controlled. In anesthetized and artificially ventilated rats, vasodepressor response was evoked by injection of L-glutamate(10 nmol) neuroexcitatory amino acid into the posterior hypothalamic area. The injection of $carbachol(0.5{\sim}8\;nmol)$ into the same area induced dose-dependent vasodepressor and bradycardic responses. Pretreatment with atropine(4 nmol) completely blocked the vasodepressor response to carbachol(2 nmol). In contrast, in spontaneously breathing rats, the injection of carbachol(8 nmol) into the posterior hypothalamic area induced the vasopressor and tachycardic responses. These results suggest that the muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the posterior hypothalamic area primarily play an inhibitory role in the central regulation of blood pressure and heart rate.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.123-132
• /
• 2010

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether self-fermented pine extract for 2 years (SFPE2) and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction from self-fermented pine needle extract may affect the contractility of the isolated aortic strips and blood pressure of normotensive rats. SFPE2 ($360-1440\;{\mu}g/mL$) significantly depressed both phenylephrine ($10\;{\mu}M$)- and high potassium (56 mM)-induced contractile responses of the isolated rat aortic strips in dose-dependent fashion. The EtOAc-fraction ($400\;{\mu}g/mL$) also inhibited both phenylephrine ($10\;{\mu}M$)- and high potassium (56 mM)-induced contractile responses. Also, in anesthetized normotensive rats, intravenous injection of the EtOAc fraction (1.0~10.0 mg/kg) dose-dependently elicited hypotensive responses. The EtOAc fractions (1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg/30 min) inhibited norepinehrine-induced pressor responses. Intravenous infusion of SFPE2 fraction (3.0 and 10.0 mg/kg/30 min) also inhibited norepinehrine-induced pressor responses in both anesthetized spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and normotensive rats. In conclusion, these results suggest that both SFPE2 and the EtOAc fraction cause vascular relaxation in the aortic strips isolated from normotensive rats and SHRs as well as vasodepressor responses. Based on these experimental data, it seems that SFPE2 or the EtOAc fraction possesses active antihypertensive components, which are available to prevent or treat hypertension in future.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.201-209
• /
• 1991

The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) has been established recently as a sympathoexcitatory area. The present study was conducted to investigate whether the somatosympathetic pressor and/or depressor responses are mediated through RVLM in cats anesthetized with ${\alpha}-chloralose$. An occipital craniectomy was performed and ventrolateral medulla were stimulated either electrically or chemically to evoke changes in arterial blood pressure. And then the effect of lesions in the ventrolateral medulla on the changes in blood pressure elicited by the peripheral nerve stimulation was observed. Followings are the results obtained: 1) Pressor areas were found in the ventrolateral medulla, lateral reticular nucleus and rostral dorsal area. 2) Depressor areas were found mainly in the ventrolateral medulla rostral to the pressor areas. 3) Some areas showed biphasic responses: a depressor response to lower frequency and a pressor response to higher frequency stimulation. 4) After electrical lesion in pressor area in RVLM, the somatosympathetic pressor response was abolished or depressed markedly. The somatosympathetic depressor response, however, remained after the lesion. 5) Electrical lesion in the depressor area abolished somatosympathetic depressor response. From the above results it is concluded that somatosympathetic pressor response is mediated through RVLM, while somatosympathetic depressor response is not mediated through RVLM.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.173-178
• /
• 1990

This study was attempted to examine the effect of Sopung-Tang(SPT) on the arterial blood pressure in rats and to elucidate its mechanism of action. SPT given into a femoral vein produced a dose-related vasopressor responses followed by vasodepressor responses. SPT-induced hypotension was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with atropine or propranolol while was not affected by chlorisondamine, Prazosin and cyproheptadine. SPT-evoked hypertensive activity was markedly blocked by pretreatment with prazosin but was not influenced by atropine, chlorisondamine, propranolol and cyproheptadine. Infusion of SPT(15.0 mg/kg/30min) did not affect norepinephrine-induced pressor responses. These experimental results suggest that SPT causes biphasically initial hypertensive activity followed by hypotensive activity, and that this hypertension may be due to the stimulation of peripheral adrenergic alpha-receptors and hypotension may be elicited through stimulation of peripheral cholinergic muscarinic receptors and adrenergic beta-receptors.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.180-191
• /
• 1990

A comparison was made of the effects of selective ${\alpha_1}-adrenoceptor$ agonist phenylephrine and selective ${\alpha_2}-adrenoceptor$ agonist clonidine on endothelium-containing and endothelium-denuded rings of the rat aorta. In the case of phenylephrine, removal of endothelium increased sensitivity 2.5 fold at $EC_{50}$ level and maximum contractive response 1.4 fold. In the case of clonidine, which gave only 15% of maximum contractive response given to phenylephrine on endothelium-containing rings, removal of the endothelium increased sensitivity 5.6 fold at $EC_{50}$ level and maximum contractive response 5 fold, which was about 55% of that given by phenylephrine. In endothelium-denuded ring, phenylephrine-induced contraction tended to be more increased in tonic contraction than in phasic contraction as compared to that in endothelium-containing ring, while clonidine-induced contraction was monophasic and was increased only in tonic contraction. In the calcium-free solution or in the presence, of verapamil, contraction stimulated by clonidine was almost abolished while that stimulated by phenylephrine produced only phasic contraction. The depression of sensitivity to these agonists in rings with endothelium appeared to be due to the vasodepressor action of endothelium derived relaxing factor (EDRF), because hemoglobin, a specific blocking agent of EDRF, abolished this depression. It is unlikely that the endothelium-dependent relaxation was due to stimulation of release of EDRF, because clonidine did not produce endothelium-dependent relaxation in 5-hydroxytryptamine-precontracted ring even when its contractile action was blocked by the ${\alpha_1}-adrenoceptor$ antagonist, prazosin. When the efficacy of phenylephrine was reduced to about the initial efficacy of clonidine by pretreatment with dibenamine, the contraction-response curves for phenylephrine became very similar to the corresponding curves obtained for clonidine before receptor inactivation. In the dibenamine-treated rings, contraction of phenylephrine was abolished in calcium-free solution or in the presence of verapamil like that obtained for clonidine before receptor inactivation. These results suggest that EDRF spontaneously released from endothelium depress contraction more profoundly in a case of an agonist with low efficacy and the phenylephrine-induced contraction was totally dependent on extracellular calcium as was that obtained for clonidine when the efficacy of phenylephrine was reduced to that of clonidine by irreversible inactivation of ${\alpha_1}-adrenoceptor$ with dibenamine.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.52 no.7
• /
• pp.798-803
• /
• 2009

Purpose : We aimed to examine the effectiveness of the head-up tilt test (HUT) for the diagnosis of syncope or presyncope in children and adolescents. Methods : HUT results and clinical features of 160 children and adolescents with syncope or presyncope were studied from May 2003 through March 2008 at the Chonbuk National University Hospital. The children and adolescents were subjected to $70^{\circ}$ HUT for 45 minutes. The testees were divided into 2 groups: group I (children) comprising 39 children in the age range 7-12 years (mean, $10.59{\pm}1.60$ years) and group II (adolescents) comprising 121 adolescents in the age range 13-20 years (mean, $15.93{\pm}2.28$ years). Positive result rates of the HUT and types of hemodynamic response to the test in the 2 groups were compared. Results : Of the 160 testees, 92 (57.5%) showed positive HUT results; they showed 3 patterns of response to tilting. Twelve patients showed a predominantly vasodepressor response; 10 patients showed a cardioinhibitory response; and 70 patients showed a mixed response. The positive result rates were 43.6% (17/39) and 62.0% (75/121) in groups I and II, respectively. Mixed response was the predominant positive hemodynamic response in both the groups. Conclusion : The HUT is a useful diagnostic tool for evaluating the condition of pediatric patients, including adolescents, with syncope. Further, it may be considered as the first step for evaluating the condition of such patients.