• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.489-494
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• 2001

To determine the preventive effect of Samulanshintang (SA) on stress, we investigated the physiological change of rats which were applied immobilization stress. For immobilization stress, rats were placed in restrainer for 12 hours a day for 3 days. During application of stress, body weight of rats was measured. After sacrifice, 4 organs were taken for measurement of organ weight. Brain was homogenated and its catecholamine and serotonin contents were measured with HPLC. In our study, stress mainly induced increase of concentration of neurotransmitters in brain without other significant physical change of rats. SA inhibited stress induced changes of neurotransmitter content in brain.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.220-225
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• 2001

As numbers of serotonin's function are so many, studies of serotonin are numerous nowadays. In the beginning, concentration of metabolites such as 5-HIAA was a key issue, but recent studies have been challenged for serotonin receptor genes and their relation to mood disoder. Serotonin transporter(5-HTT) gene is a strong candidate gene of mood disoder for following reason. Serotonin transporter is a key protein in the serotonin pathway as it regulate the concentration of serotonin in the synaptic clept and essential pathophysiology of depression is dysregulation of 5-HTT so that all antidepressants have effect of 5-HTT antagonist. The decrease of 5-HTT in the platelet and in brain of the depressive patients is much consistent results in the studies of the pathophysiology of mood disorder till now. By this, we will be able to develop simple and easy marker for diagnosis, type, and treatment monitoring of depression. Many psychiatrists have sought the independent genes in relation to depression or schizophrenia. Obviously, the hereditary vulnerability contributes to etiology of mood disorders, but it is difficult to discriminate the independent genes because of many environmental factors. Moreover, in the hereditarily complex diseases such as mood disorder, the only vulnerability of gene can not sufficiently explain the etiology. In the future, to exclude the role of the gene-environmental interaction, the methods such as gene transfer can be considered. In the opposite direction, by using the gene destruction method, the role of target genes can be examined. As yet the concept of the gene expression, neural plasticity, neurogenesis and etc, is the elementary stage. The development of this field will help to establish the treatment strategy of chronic and refractory mood disorders.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.176-180
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• 2011

Depressive disorders have strong genetic components. However, conventional linkage and association studies have not yielded definitive results. These might be due to the absence of objective diagnostic tests, the complex nature of human behavior or the incomplete penetrance of psychiatric traits. Imaging genetics explores the influences of genetic variation on the brain function or structure. This technique could provide a more sensitive assessment than traditional behavioral measures in psychiatric studies. Imaging genetics is a relatively new field of psychiatric researches, and may improve our understanding on neurobiology of psychiatric disorders. In this review, current understanding in neurobiology of depressive disorders, especially imaging genetic studies on serotonin transporter will be discussed.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.3-8
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• 2006

Anxiety has been suggested to be related to many neurotransmitters in brain, such as norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, cholecystokinin, and gamma-amino butyric acid. There are many studies to examine the relationship between anxiety and norepinephrine, and norepinephrine seems to be clearly related to the development of anxiety. We suggest that future studies to explore the pathophysiology of anxiety should be necessary, which include studies on antianxiety drugs, genetic studies, animal model studies, and brain imaging studies.

• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.43-45
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• 2016

Whole body energy balance is achieved through the coordinated regulation of energy intake and energy expenditure in various tissues including liver, muscle and adipose tissues. A positive energy imbalance by excessive energy intake or insufficient energy expenditure results in obesity and related metabolic diseases. Although there have been many obesity treatment trials aimed at the reduction of energy intake, these strategies have achieved only limited success because of their associated adverse effects. Serotonin is among those traditional pharmacological targets for anti-obesity treatment because central 5-HT functions as an anorexigenic neurotransmitter in the brain. Thus, there have been many trials aimed at increasing the activity of 5-HT in the central nervous system, and some of the developed methods are already used in the clinical setting as anti-obesity drugs. However, recent studies suggest the new functions of peripheral serotonin in energy homeostasis ranging from the endocrine regulation by gut-derived serotonin to the autocrine/paracrine regulation by adipocyte-derived serotonin. Pharmacological inhibition of 5-HT synthesis leads to inhibition of lipogenesis in epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT), induction of browning in inguinal WAT and activation of adaptive thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Fat specific Tph1 knock-out (Tph1 FKO) mice exhibit similar phenotypes as mice with pharmacological inhibition of 5-HT synthesis, suggesting the localized effects of 5-HT in adipose tissues. In addition, Htr3a KO mice exhibit increased energy expenditure in BAT and Htr2a KO mice exhibit the decreased lipid accumulation in WAT. These data suggest the clinical significance of the peripheral serotonergic system as a new therapeutic target for anti-obesity treatment.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.819-829
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• 2022

Background: Anxiolytic properties of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) have been previously reported. However, the exact mechanism(s) of action remains to be elucidated. The present study investigated the effect of KRG on immobilization-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice and explored the involvement of the serotonin and GABA systems and BDNF in the anxiolytic action. Methods: Mice were orally administered with KRG (200 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks and immobilized once daily for 2 h. p-Chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA) was intraperitoneally injected on day 22-28, and flumazenil or bicuculline was injected on day 25-28. After behavioral evaluations, brains were dissected for biochemical analyses. Results: KRG improved immobilization-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice, as assessed by the elevated plus maze (EPM) and marble burying tests (MBT). The anxiolytic effect of KRG was comparable to that of fluoxetine, a reference drug clinically used for anxiety disorders. A serotonin synthesis inhibitor, p-CPA, blocked the effect of KRG in the EPM and MBT, indicating the requirement of serotonin synthesis for anxiolytic action. In addition, the anxiolytic effect of KRG was inhibited by bicuculline (a GABA_A antagonist) in MBT, implying the involvement of GABA transmission. Western blotting analyses revealed that KRG upregulated the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase and GABA_A receptor in the brain, which was blocked by p-CPA. Enhanced BDNF expression by KRG in the hippocampus was also indicated to mediate the anxiolytic action of KRG in immobilized mice. Conclusion: KRG exhibited the anxiolytic effect in immobilized mice by multiple mechanisms of action, involving enhanced serotonin and GABA transmissions and BDNF expression.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.630-635
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• 2000

The concentration of neurotransmitters in rat brain was determined by HPLC-ECD (electrochemical detection) method and the effects of methanol extracts of some crude drugs, such as Polygala Radix, Myristicae Semen, Zizyphi Semen, Acori graminei Rhizoma, Visci Herba, Liriopsis Tuber, Myrrha on the concentration of neurotransmitters in the ethanol-treated rat brain were investigated. By the administration of ethanol, dopamine (DA), 3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid (DOPAC) and serotonin (5-HT) levels in frontal cortex and 5-HT level in hippocampus were significantly increased compared with the neurotransmitter levels in the brain of saline-treated rats. The ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) level in frontal cortex was decreased by the same treatment. There was a tendency that the DA level in frontal cortex and striatum of ethanol-treated rats were increased by the administration of crude drug extracts. Especially, Myrrha and Visci Herba significantly increased the DA level of frontal cortex in ethanol-treated rats, while they significantly decreased the 5-HT level in the same region of the brain. GABA level in striatum of ethanol-treated rats was significantly decreased by Myristicae Semen, Visci Herba and Myrrha. These results suggest that the tested crude drug extracts have selective interaction with neurotransmitters in specified region of central nervous system.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.97-109
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• 2001

Objectives : This study aimed to evaluate the anti-stress effects of Ansymondam-tang and Gamiondam-tang on the contents of monoamines in the regional brain of mice forced cold swimming stress in $4^{\circ}C$ water. Methods : The experimental animals were forced cold swimming stress for 3 minutes, and administered of Ansymondam-tang(2.2mg/10g) and Gamiondam-tang(0.83mg/10g) extract for 7 days before stress. The monoamines contents were measured by HPLC method in various part(frontal cortex, hypothalamus, corpus striatum and hippocampus) of mice brain. Results: 1. In frontal cortex, the contents of norepinephrine were increased with statistical significantly in all of the administered group compared to control group. The contents of dopamine and serotonin were increased in Gamiondam-tang administered group has a statistical significance. 2. In hypothalamus, the contents of dopamine were increased with statistical significance in all of the administered group compared to control group. 3. In corpus striatum the contents of norepinephrine were decreased and the contents of dopamine were increased with statistical significance in all of the administered group compared to control group. The contents of serotonin were increased in Gamiondam-tang administered group has a statistical significance. 4. In hippocampus the contents of norepinephrine were decreased with statistical significance in Gamiondam-tang administered group compared to control group. The contents of dopamine were increased in Ansymondam-tang administered group has a statistical significance. Conclusion : This study reaches a conclusion that Ansymondam-tang and Gamiondam-tang has significant effects .on reducing and preventing stress in mice. Especially Gamiondam-tang is more effective in the statistical significance than Ansymondam-tang on the monoamines change in the mice brain.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2001

To elucidate the preventive effect of oriental medicine Gami-Ondamtang(GO) on stress, we investigated the physiological change of rats which were applied immobilization stress. For immobilization stress, rats were placed in restrainer for 12 hours a day for 3 days. During application of stress, body weight of rats was measured. After sacrifice, 8 organs were taken for measurement of organ weight. Brain was sectioned into 4 parts that are Frontal Cortex, Corpus Striatum, Hypothalamus and Hippocampus. Each part was homogenated and its catecholamine and serotonin contents were measured with HPLC. In our study, stress mainly induced increase of concentration of neurotransmitters in brain without other significant physical change of rats. GO inhibited stress induced changes of neurotransmitter content in brain.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.13 no.3_4
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• pp.143-149
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• 1998

To elucidate the preventive effect of Danchisoyosan (DS) on stress, we investigated the physiological change of rats which were applied immobilization stress. For immobilization stress, rats were placed in restrainer for 12 hours a day for 3 days. During application of stress, body weight of rats was measured. After sacrifice, 8 organs were taken for measurement of organ weight. Brain was sectioned into 4 parts that are Frontal Cortex, Corpus Striatum, Hypothalamus and Hippocampus. Each part was homogenated and its catecholamine and serotonin contents were measured with HPLC. In our study, stress mainly induced increase of concentration of neurotransmitters in brain without other significant physical change of rats. DS inhibited stress induced changes of neurotransmitter content in brain.