• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.5
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• pp.461-469
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• 1999

Glutamate and ${\gamma}-aminobutyric$ acid (GABA) are major excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the vertebrate retina, respectively. Using the whole-cell patch clamp technique and a rapid solution changer, glutamate and GABA receptors have been extensively investigated in carp retina. Glutamate receptors on both horizontal and amacrine cells may be an AMPA preferring subtype, which predominantly consists of flop splice variants. $GABA_A$ and $GABA_C$ receptors coexist in bipolar cells and they both show significant desensitization. Kinetics analysis demonstrated that activation, deactivation and desensitization of the $GABA_C$ receptor-mediated response of these cells are overall slower than those of the $GABA_A$ response. Endogenous modulator $Zn^{2+}$ in the retina was found to differentially modulate the kinetic characteristics of the $GABA_C$ and $GABA_A$ responses.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.13-23
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• 2008

The aim of the present study was designed to establish comparatively the inhibitory effects of $D_1$-like and $D_2$-like dopaminergic receptor agonists, SKF81297 and R(-)-TNPA on the release of catecholamines (CA) evoked by cholinergic stimulation and membrane depolarization from the isolated perfused model of the rat adrenal medulla. SKF81297 $(30{\mu}M)$ and R-(-)-TNPA $(30{\mu}M)$ perfused into an adrenal vein for 60 min, produced great inhibition in the CA secretory responses evoked by ACh $(5.32{\times}10^{-3}\;M)$, DMPP $(10^{-4}\;M)$, McN-A-343 $(10^{-4}\;M)$, high $K^+$ $(5.6{\times}10^{-2}\;M)$, Bay-K-8644 $(10{\mu}M)$, and cyclopiazonic acid $(10{\mu}M)$, respectively. For the release of CA evoked by ACh, high $K^+$, DMPP, McN-A-343, Bay-K-8644 and cyclopiazonic acid, the following rank order of inhibitory potency was obtained: SKF81297>R-(-)-TNPA. However, R(+)-SCH23390, a selectve $D_1$-like dopaminergic receptor antagonist, and S(-)-raclopride, a selectve $D_2$-like dopaminergic receptor antagonist, enhanced the CA secretory responses evoked by ACh, high $K^+$, DMPP, McN-A-343, Bay-K-8644 and cyclopiazonic acid only for $0{\sim}4$ min. The rank order for the enhancement of CA release evoked by high $K^+$, McN-A-343 and cyclopiazonic acid was R(+)-SCH23390>S(-)-raclopride. Also, the rank order for ACh, DMPP and Bay-K-8644 was S(-)-raclopride > R(+)-SCH23390. Taken together, these results demonstrate that both SKF81297 and R-(-)-TNPA inhibit the CA release evoked by stimulation of cholinergic (both nicotinic and muscarinic) receptors and the membrane depolarization from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland without affecting the basal release, respectively, but both R(+)-SCH23390 and S(-)-raclopride facilitate the CA release evoked by them. It seems likely that the inhibitory effects of SKF81297 and R-(-)-TNPA are mediated by the activation of $D_1$-like and $D_2$-like dopaminergic receptors located on the rat adrenomedullary chromaffin cells, respectively, whereas the facilitatory effects of R(+)-SCH23390 and S(-)-raclopride are mediated by the blockade of $D_1$-like and $D_2$-like dopaminergic receptors, respectively: this action is possibly associated with extra- and intracellular calcium mobilization. Based on these results, it is thought that the presence of dopaminergic $D_1$ receptors may play an important role in regulation of the rat adrenomedullary CA secretion, in addition to well-known dopaminergic $D_2$ receptors.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.305-310
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• 2010

Syndecans, cell surface heparansulfate proteoglycans, have been proposed to act as cell surface receptors and/or coreceptors to play critical roles in multiple cellular functions. However, recent reports suggest that the function of syndecans can be further extended through shedding, a cleavage of extracellular domain. Shedding constitutes an additional level for controlling the function of syndecans, providing a means to attenuate and/or regulate amplitude and duration of syndecan signals by modulating the activity of syndecans as cell surface receptors. Whether these remaining cleavage products are still capable of functioning as cell surface receptors to efficiently transduce signals inside of cells is not clear. However, shedding transforms cell surface receptor syndecans into soluble forms, which, like growth factors, may act as novel ligands to induce cellular responses by association with other cell surface receptors. It is becoming interestingly evident that shed syndecans also contribute significantly to syndecan functions in cancer biology. This review presents current knowledge about syndecan shedding and its functional significance, particularly in the context of cancer.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.153-164
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• 1998

Cytokines regulate proliferation, differentiation and functions of haemotopoietic cells. Each cytokine possesses a variety of activities on various target cells (pleiotropy) and various cytokines have similar and overlapping activities on the same target cells (redundancy). The nature of these cytokine activities predicts unique feature of cytokine receptors, namely, cytokine has multiple receptors, different cytokines share a common receptor, and different cytokine receptors are linked to common signaling pathways. cDNA cloning of genes for cytokine receptors revealed distinct sets of receptor family with different structural features. The cytokine receptor superfamily consists of a largest family, and contains more than twenty cytokine receptor subunits. This receptor has common structural features in both extracellular and intracellular regions without tyrosine kinase domain. Another striking feature of the receptor is to share common subunit of multiple cytokines, which partly explains the redundancy of activities of some cytokines. Recent studies revealed detailed signaling events of the cytokine receptor, the primary activation of JAK and subsequent phosphorylation of tyrosine residues of receptor, and various cellular proteins. Many SH2 containing adapter proteins play an important role in cytokine signals, and this system has similarities with tyrosine kinase receptor signal transduction. STAT may mainly account for cytokine specific functions as suggested by knockout mice studies. It is of importance to note that cytokine activates multiple signaling pathways and the balance and combination of related signaling events may determine the specificity of functions of cytokines.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.27-39
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• 1984

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effects of experimental cryptorchidism on the levels of testicular FSH, LH receptor. One hundred and thirty two male rats weighing 100${\pm}$10g, 45 days old, were divided into three groups of control, bilateral cryptorchidism and unilateral cryptorchidism which was subdivided into two groups of scrotal testis and abdominal testis. Thirty to forty two heads of rats were allotted to each group. Five to eight rats from each group were randomely sacrificed at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks after surgical induction of cryptorchidism. Testis was removed for assay of FSH, LH receptors. The results obtained were as follows. 1. The levels of FSH receptors per 10mg testicular tissue in abdominal testis of unilateral cryptorchid group and bilateral cryptorchid group tended to decrease gradually toward 5th week and these levels at 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th week were significantly lower than those levels of control group and scrotal testis of unilateral cryptorchid group. On the other hand; the ranges of affinities of FSH receptors of abdominal testis in unilateral and bilateral cryptorchid group were 2.2 - 6.67 ${\times}10^{11}M^{-1}$ and 3.6 - 4.8 ${\times}10^{11}M^{-1}$ respectively, and these values were slightly higher than those of control group (1.43 - 3.98 ${\times}10^{11}M^{-1}$) or those of scrotal testis in unilateral cryptorchid group (1.41 - 3.25 ${\times}10^{11}M^{-1}$). Especially at I and 4 weeks after treatment the affinities of abdominal testis in unilateral and bilateral cryptorchid group were significantly higher than those of other group (P <0.01). 2. The levels of LH receptors in 10mg testicular tissue tended to increase with elapse of time in control and in scrotal testis of unilateral cryptorchid group. But the levels of LH receptors of abdominal testis in unilateral and bilateral cryptorchid group tended to decrease after treatment and were significantly lower than control group at 1 (P <0.01),2,4 and 5 weeks after treatment (P < 0.05). The affinities of LH receptors were not significantly different among treatments except those of bilateral cryptorchid group and abdominal testis of unilateral cryptorchid group being significantly higher than that of the control at 4 weeks after treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.311-318
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• 2000

We cultured the rabbit inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells as monolayers on collagen-coated membrane filters, and investigated distribution of the P2Y receptors by analyzing nucleotide-induced short circuit current $(I_{sc})$ responses. Exposure to different nucleotides of either the apical or basolateral surface of cell monolayers stimulated $I_{sc}.$ Dose-response relationship and cross-desensitization studies suggested that at least 3 distinct P2Y receptors are expressed asymmetrically on the apical and basolateral membranes. A $P2Y_2-like$ receptor, which responds to UTP and ATP, is expressed on both the apical and basolateral membranes. In addition, a uracil nucleotide receptor, which responds to UDP and UTP, but not ATP, is expressed predominantly on the apical membrane. In contrast, a $P2Y_1-like$ receptor, which responds to ADP and 2-methylthio-ATP, is expressed predominantly on the basolateral membrane. These nucleotides stimulated intracellular cAMP production with an asymmetrical profile, which was comparable to that in the stimulation of $I_{sc}.$ Our results suggest that the adenine and uracil nucleotides can interact with different P2Y nucleotide receptors that are expressed asymmetrically on the apical and basolateral membranes of the rabbit IMCD cells, and that both cAMP- and $Ca^{2+}-dependent$ signaling mechanisms underlie the stimulation of $I_{sc}$.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.276-282
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• 1998

Retinoids regulate a wide variety of biological processes such as cellular proliferation and differentiation in many cell types. They have also shown to stimulate replication of several viruses including human cytomegalovirus (CMV). Retinoid signalling pathway involves two distinct subfamilies of nuclear receptors, retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs) that bind to specific retinoic acid response elements (RAREs) in the promoter regions of retinoid-target genes. Here, we characterized RAREs in the regulatory regions of the CMV and of the hepatitis B vi.us (HBV). The viral RAREs, i.e., CMV-RARE and HBV-RARE, are composed of two consensus RARE half-sites (A/GGGTCA) arranged as a direct repeat separated by 5-bp and 1-bp, respectively. The RAREs were activated by both RAR/RXR heterodimers and RXR homodimers in transient transfection experiments. We also found that COUP-TF$\alpha$ (chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor u) and COUP-TF$\beta$ repressed the retinoid response of the viral elements. Further we demonstrated that previously known retinoid antagonist, SRI 1330, repressed retinoid-induced transactivation of the CMV-RARE. These results implicate Vitamin A, it's nuclear receptors and COUP-TFs as important regulators of the CMV and HBV pathogenesis and the SRl1330 as potential negative modulator of such retinoid-dependent processes.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 1967

Supplemental studies were made on the adrenotropic receptors of the rat uterus, using adrenergic activators such as phenylephrine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and isoproterenol and adrenergic blocking agents such as phenoxybenzamine and inderal. The studies have revealed the following results : 1. Phenylephrine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and isoproterenol inhibited the spontaneous motility of the isolated rat uterus in the following order : Isoproterenol>epinephrine>norepinephrine>phenylephrine. 2. The inhibitory responses of the isolated rat uterus to phenylephrine and epinephrine were abolished by the pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine. 3. The inhibitory responses of the isolated rat uterus to isoproterenol and epinephrine were not affected by phenoxybenzamine. 4. The motility of the isolated rat uterus pretreated with inderal was stimulated by phenylephrine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. 5. The inhibitory responses of the isolated rat uterus to isoproterenol were abolished by the pretreatment with inderal. 6. The motility of the isolated rat uterus pretreated with inderal and phenoxybenzamine was not affected by phenylephrine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. 7. It is, therefore, concluded that the rat uterus has both alpha excitatory and beta inhibitory receptors, with beta inhibitory receptors predominating.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.184-191
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• 2014

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of respiratory infection in infants and young children. Severe clinical manifestation of RSV infection is a bronchiolitis, which is common in infants under six months of age. Recently, RSV has been recognized as an important cause of respiratory infection in older populations with cardiovascular morbidity or immunocompromised patients. However, neither a vaccine nor an effective antiviral therapy is currently available. Moreover, the interaction between the host immune system and the RSV pathogen during an infection is not well understood. The innate immune system recognizes RSV through multiple mechanisms. The first innate immune RSV detectors are the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), including toll-like receptors (TLRs), retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs), and nucleotide-biding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors (NLRs). The following is a review of studies associated with various PRRs that are responsible for RSV virion recognition and subsequent induction of the antiviral immune response during RSV infection.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.115-119
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• 1969

The authors studied the adrenotropic receptors of isolated urinary bladder from Sebastes inermis, using adrenergic activators such as epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, isoproterenol and phenylephrine and adrenergic blocking agents such as phenoxybenzamine, pronethalol and propranolol. The studies have revealed the following results. 1) The spontaneous motility of isolated bladder from Sebastes inermis was inhibited by epinephrine nor-epinephrine, isoproterenol and phenylephrine. 2) The inhibitory effect of phenylephrine on the Sebastes inermis bladder was blocked by phenoxybensamine. 3) The inhibitory effect of isoproterenol was blocked by pronethalol and propranolol. 4) The effect of epinephrine and nor-epinephrine on the Sebastes inermis bladder was usually not blocked by either kind of blocking agent alone, but was blocked by a combination of ${\alpha}\;and\;{\beta}$ blockades. 5) It is, therefore, concluded that the Sebastes inermis bladder has alpha and that both receptors, and that both receptors subserve retaxation or inhibition.