• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.428-438
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• 1992

The serotonin-immunoreactive (5-HTil neurons have been investigated in the brains of lanra, pupa and adult from Pieris ropae. There are ca. 54 5-HTi neurons in 5-instar larva, ca. 20 in 2-dav-old pupa and ca. 118 in 1-day-old adult, respectively. Most of these 5-HTi neurons are interneurons, but efferent and afferent 5-HTi neurons were also observed. Most of the 5-HTi neurons project into the central neuropils of postembrvonic brains. The larval brain contains abundant 5-HTi processes in the central neuropils, including those in three cerebral commissures. But in the pupal brain the 5-HTi processes are restricted in small numbers to the given regions of central neuropil. The adult brain contains a large number of 5-HTi processes in mushroom body, central body complex, lateral protocerebrum, protocerebral bridge, antennal lobe, and tritocerebral and suboesophageal neuropils. However, the 5-HTi processes are not found in the optic lobe of the brains. One prominent feature of the 5-HTi fibers in the postembrvonic brains is the fact that they are greatly arborized.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.166-174
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• 2012

To determine the effects of Mahaengeuigam-tang(MHEGT) on obesity, the obesity-related factors (gastrin, CGRP, ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide-1, insulin, orexin, leptin, serotonin, NPY) were investigated in the stomach, pancreas, brain of mice by immunohistochemical methods for 4 weeks after Mahaengeuigam-tang(MHEGT) administration. The change of boy weight decreased in MHEGT administered group than that of control group. The immunohistochemical density of the gastrin and CGRP positive cells on pylorus of stomach increased in MHEGT administered group than that of control group. The number of ghrelin immunoreactive cells on stomach decreased in MHEGT administered groups than that of control group. The immunohistochemical density of GLP-1 in the pancreas decreased in MHEGT administered group than that of control group. The immunohistochemical density of insulin positive cells in the pancreas decreased in MHEGT administered group than that of control group. The immunohistochemical density of orexin and NPY positive neurons in the diencephalon was slightly stronger in MHEGT administered group than that of control group. The immunohistochemical density of serotonin and leptin positive neurons was stronger in MHEGT administered group than that of control group. These results demonstrate that Mahaengeuigam-tang(MHEGT) increased the immunohistochemical density of factors related to appetite inhibitors, and decreased the immunohistochemical density of factors related to stimulator of food intake in stomach, pancreas and brain.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 2008

The forced swim test (FST) is the most widely used model for assessing potential antidepressant activity. Although it has been shown that lateral septum is involved with the FST-related behavior, it is not clear whether antidepressant treatments could alter the FST-induced gene expression profile in the lateral septum. In the present study, the gene expression profiles in response to FST and reboxetine pretreatment were observed in the lateral septum of rats. Reboxetine is known as a most selective serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. In addition, we compared the changes in gene expression profile between reboxetine response and nonresponse groups, which were determined by counting FST-related behavior. After FST, lateral septum from controls and reboxetine pretreated group were dissected and gene expression profiles were assessed using an Affymetrix microarray system containing 15,923 genes. Various genes with different functions were changed in reboxetine response group compared with reboxetine nonresponse group, In particular, pleiotrophin, orexin receptor 2, serotonin 2A receptor, neuropeptide Y5 receptor and thyroid hormone receptor $\beta$ were decreased in reboxetine response group, but Lim motif-containing protein kinase 1 (Limk1) and histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) were increased. Although further studies are required for direct roles of these genes in reboxetine response, the microarray may provide tools to find out potential target genes and signaling pathways in antidepressant response.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 1997

Objects : Sanjoin, the seeds of Zizyphus vulgaris var. spinosus has been used as the most important hypnotic agent in chinese medicine to treat insomnia. This research was performed in order to examine the effect of betulinic acid and sanjoinine-A which are components of Sanjoin. Method : Sleeping time, sleep recordings of EEG, EMG, serum serotonin level, and locomotor activity were measured in rats which received betulinic acid and sanjoinine-A as sleep induction material extracted from Sanjoin. Results : 1) Groups received betulinic acid, sanjoinine-A, and lorazepam showed increased sleep time than control group with saline. 2) Groups with betulinic acid, sanjoinine-A, lorazepam and saline recorded ${\beta}$-wave in sleep recordings of EEG. In EMG, there was no significant difference among all groups. 3) No significant difference in serum serotonin level among all groups was found. 4) In autonomic activity testing, groups of betulinic acid, sanjoinine-A, and lorazepam showed significantly more decreased in activity than saline group. In comparison of groups of betulinic acid and sanjoinine-A with a group of lorazepam, there was no significant difference. Conclusion : These results suggest that betulinic acid and sanjoinine-A have the sedative effect like lorazepam rather than sleep effect.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition Conference
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• 2001.12a
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• pp.22-37
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• 2001

Melatonin is secreted during the hours of darkness and is thought to influence the circadian and seasonal timing of a variety of physiological processes. Serotonin N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT) which is found to be expressed in pineal gland, retina, and various tissues, catalyses the conversion of serotonin to N-acetylserotonin and is known as the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of melatonin. The compounds that modulate the activity of AA-NAT can be used to treat serotonin-and melatonin-related diseases such as insomnia, depression and seasonal affective disorders (SAD). Several assay methods have been developed by which to measure AA-NAT activity. We have also developed a simple, rapid and sensitive AA-NAT assay method that takes advantage of differences in the organic solubilities between acetyl CoA and N-acetyltryptamine. We screened modulators of AA-NAT activity from the water extracts of the medicinal plants. We found MNP1005 which strongly inhibited the activity of AA-NAT ($IC_{50}$=2.2$\mu$M). Enzyme inhibitory kinetic studies revealed that MNP1005 exhibited a noncompetitive inhibition toward tryptamine. The antidepressant effect of MNP1005 was investigated on behavioral despair test so called forced swimming test (FST). MNP1005 significantly increased swimming behavior by reducing immobility with treatment of 10 mg/kg when compared to the vehicle-treated control group (P < 0.05). This suggests that MNP1005 possesses antidepressant activity. The influence of chronic MNP1005 treatment on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was examined by in situ hybridization and Northern blot. Chronic treatment of MNP1005 blocked the downregulation of BDNF mRNA in the frontal cortex and other cortex regions in response to restraint stress.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1992

Catecholamines, serotonin and their metabolites were measured in the posterior hypothalamus of urethane-anesthetized normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) using brain microdialysis which is a recently developed experimental method to measure the release of neurotransmitters and their metabolites at the localized brain area in vivo. Microdialysis probe was implanted stereotaxically to the rat posterior hypothalamus and perfused by Ringer's solution. Monoamines and their metabolites were quantified by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. In vitro recovery test of microdialysis showed that there exist inverse relationship between the perfusion flow rate and the relative recovery of neurochemical compounds. The estimated extracellular concentration of dopamine was about 32 nM, of norepinephrine 50 nM, of epinephrine 50 nM, of serotonin 73 nM, of 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) 281 nM, of homovanillic acid (HVA) 181 nM, and of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) 3767 nM in the hypothalamic perfusate of the normotensive rat. There was no difference in the basal level of monoamines between the SHR and the WKY. In contrast, the level of DOPAC, HVA and 5HIAA in SHR was higher than that in the WKY, This study demonstrated that the microdialysis technique should be an applicable tool for in vivo measurement of central neurochemical substances.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.11
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• pp.262-270
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• 2009

$^{18}F$-mefway has been developed as radioligand for serotonin receptor 5-$HT_{1A}$. The object of this study was to obtain the mefway precursor with the higher yield than previous method and to identify whether $^{18}F$-mefway can bind to 5-$HT_{1A}$ or not. from microPET imaging of small animal brain. Precursor was prepared by a modification of the reported procedure then [$^{18}F$] labeling was performed by adding $^{18}F$ ion at $130^{\circ}C$ in the hot cell for 30min. After purification of reaction mixture using alumina Sep-pak and HPLC, microPET images of small animal brain were determined. The chemical yield of precursor was increased from 9% to 34% using oxalyl chloride and LAH/diethylether. We synthesized a precursor which was successfully labeled with no-carrier-added $^{18}F$-by new synthetic route. This research suggest that $^{18}F$-mefway will be used a radiopharmaceutical for evaluation of central nerve system disorder as imaging a gent for 5-$HT_{1A}$ receptor.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.108-115
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• 2016

Aggression and aggressive behaviors, often explained as harmful social interaction with the intention of hurting or inflicting damage upon another, have been considered as an adaptive mechanism from the evolutionary psychological point of view. However, various studies on aggression and aggressive behaviors have been done with psychopathological approach as the extreme aggressive behaviors may harm themselves and others at the same time. Recently, researchers have attempted to explain aggression in terms of neurobiological substrates rather than based on traditional psychopathological and/or behavioral concept. In this regard, there have been findings of differences in neurotransmitters and their receptors, and genetic polymorphisms. In this review article, we provide a brief overview of the literature about seven most frequently reported neurotransmitters including neurohormones (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, nitric oxide, oxytocin and vasopressin) and an associated enzyme (monoamine oxidase A), which are known to be related with aggression and aggressive behaviors.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.161.1-161.1
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• 2001

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.2371-2374
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• 2010