• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.229-235
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• 2002

Thimerosal, a widely used preservative, has been well known to induce intracellular calcium mobilization in various cell types. However, the mechanism of its calcium mobilization is not clearly understood yet. For studying the mechanism of thimerosal-mediated calcium release, we have used HL60 cells in calcium-free Lockes solution that has no extracellular calcium. Thimerosal significantly reduced the lag period of initial calcium release whereas it enhanced the rate and magnitude of the calcium release in a dose-dependent manner. At the same time, we found that thimerosal generated superoxide anion by activating NADPH oxidase in dose- and time-dependent manner. Interestingly, the kinetics and the dosedependency of superoxide anion generation were very similar to those of intracellular calcium mobilization. In inhibitors study, the thimerosal-induced superoxide anion generation was significantly suppressed by DMSO as well as superoxide dismutase but not by genistein or EGTA. Surprisingly, the pretreatment with N-Acetyl-$_{L}$-Cysteine blocked almost completely the thimerosal-induced calcium increase, indicating that ROS playa key role in the calcium mobilization. The present results suggest that thimerosal-induced calcium mobilization is possibly mediated by the activation of NADPH oxidase and subsequent ROS generation.n.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.419-425
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• 1998

To clarify the effect of extracellular ATP in cultured C6 glioma cells, ATP-induced cytosolic free calcium ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) mobilization and cell proliferation were investigated. ATP-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increased in a dose-dependent manner $(10^{-7}\;M{\sim}10^{-3}\;M)$. ATP-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increases were slightly slowed in extracellular calcium-free conditions especially in sustained phase. ATP-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increment was also inhibited by the pretreatment of U73122, a phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor, in a time-dependent manner. Suramin, a putative $P_{2Y}$ receptor antagonist, dose-dependently weakened ATP-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ mobilization. Significant increases in cell proliferation were observed at 2, 3, and 4 days after ATP was added. Stimulated cell proliferation was also observed with adenosine at days 2 and 3. This cell proliferation was significantly inhibited by the treatment with suramin. Ionomycin also stimulated cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. In conclusion, we suggest that extracellular ATP stimulates C6 glioma cell proliferation via intracellular free calcium mobilization mediated by purinoceptor.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.241-249
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• 1998

Platelet-activating factor(PAF) enhanced interleukin-1(IL-1) activity by the interaction with a specific receptor in rat alveolar macrophages. In this study, we investigated the role of endogenous arachidonate metabolites and intracellular calcium mobilization in the PAF-induced IL-1 activity. Alveolar macrophages were preincubated with 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase inhibitors 30 min before the addition of PAF and lipopolysaccharide(LPS). After 24h culture, IL-1 activity was measured in the supernate of sample using the thymocyte proliferation assay. Inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase by nordihydroguaiaretic acid and AA-861 completely blocked the PAF-induced enhancement of IL-1 activity with $IC_{50}\;of\;2\;{\mu}M\;and\;5\;{\mu}M$, respectively. In contrast, the inhibition of cyclooxygenase pathway by indomethacin and ibuprofen resulted in the potentiation in PAF-induced IL-1 activity with maximal effect at $1\;{\mu}M\;and\;5\;{\mu}M$, respectively. In addition, leukotriene $B_4$ and prostaglandin $E_2$ production were observed in PAF-stimulated alveolar macrophage culture. As could be expected, 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase inhibitors abolished PAF- stimulated leukotriene $B_4$ and prostaglandin $E_2$ production, respectively. The effects of PAF on intracellular calcium mobilization in alveolar macrophages were evaluated using the calcium-sensitive dye fura-2 at the single cell level. PAF at any dose between $10^{-16}\;and\;10^{-8}$ M did not increase intracellular calcium. Furthermore, there was no effective change of intracellular calcium level when PAF was added to alveolar macrophages in the presence of LPS or LPS+LTB4, and 4, 24 and 48h after treatment of these stimulants. Together, the results indicate that IL-1 activity induced by PAF is differently regulated through subsequent induction of endogenous 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase pathways, but not dependent on calcium signalling pathway.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 1998

In the present study, We have tested the potential effects of ginseng saponin fractions on macrophage chemotaxis and intracellular calcium and F-actin mobilization. Peritoneal macrophages treated with various ginseng saponin fractions showed 28.4% to 71% of increasement of chemotaxis as compared with untreated cells. The activity of intracelluar calcium mobilization was increased up to 65% by treatment with saponins, and F-actin content also increased 10% in the cells loaded with NBD-phallacidin. When the cells were activated with calcium of PMA and treated with saponin fractions, the intracelluar F-actin content increased significantly and prolonged for 2 minutes. These results suggest that ginseng saponin fractions might be a chemoattractants.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.231-236
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• 2015

Angiotensin II (AngII) is an essential hormone that affects vascular physiology. For example, stimulation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) rapidly induces vasoconstriction and results in the up-regulation of blood pressure. Chronic stimulation of VSMCs with AngII also results in hypertrophy. In this study, we confirmed an involvement of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent calcium mobilization in AngII-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Stimulation of rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs) with AngII significantly induced the generation of ROS in a dose- and time-dependent manner. AngII-induced generation of ROS was completely abolished by pharmacological inhibition of PI3K (with LY294002), but inhibition of the ERK signaling pathway had no effect. AngII-induced calcium mobilization was completely blocked by inhibition of PI3K, whereas inhibition of the ERK signaling pathway by PD98059 was ineffective. Depletion of extracellular calcium or inhibition of the L-type calcium channel by nifedipine completely blocked AngII-induced calcium mobilization. Depletion of extracellular calcium by EGTA and incubation of RASMCs with calcium-free medium both significantly blocked AngII-induced ROS generation. Inhibition of the L-type calcium channel also significantly blocked AngII-induced ROS generation. These results suggest that AngII-induced ROS generation is regulated by calcium mobilization, which, in turn, is modulated by a PI3K/L-type calcium channel signaling pathway.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.787-794
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• 2010

Calcium plays a role as a signaling molecule in various cellular events. It has been reported that calcium suppresses adipocyte differentiation only in the early phase of adipogenesis. Herein, we demonstrate that treatment of A23187, a mobilizer of intracellular calcium, on day 4 post adipocyte differentiation could still reduce lipid accumulation in differentiating 3T3-L1 cells for 48 h. In addition, luciferase reporter gene and RT-Q-PCR assays demonstrate that A23187 can selectively inhibit transcriptional activities and expression of PPAR$\gamma$ and LXR$\alpha$, suggesting that A23187 may reduce lipid accumulation in the late phase of adipogenesis via downregulation of PPAR$\gamma$ and LXR$\alpha$ expression and transactivation. Moreover, inhibition of HDAC activity by trichostatin A (TSA) partially blocked A23187-mediated downregulation of transcriptional activities of PPAR$\gamma$ and LXR$\alpha$. Together, our data demonstrate that calcium mobilization inhibits expression and transcriptional activities of PPAR$\gamma$ and LXR$\alpha$, resulting in reduced lipid accumulation in differentiating adipocytes, and thus, mobilization of intracellular calcium in adipocytes may serve as a new preventive and therapeutic approach for obesity.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.159-167
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• 1996

To study the effects of ginseng saponin components on the signal transduction in the ac tivation of murine macrophages, phagocytosis and Intracellular calcium concentration of peritoneal exuded mouse macrophages were examined. The phagocytosis was increased significantly after treatment with total saponin, diol-saponin, $Rg_1$ and $Rg_2$, but triol-saponin was unable to increase phagocytosis. The phagocytosis were increased when H7, a PKC inhibitor, was pretreated and increased significantly by saponin fractions except total saponin. Pertussis toxin, which inactivates G-protein, decreased the phagocytosis. But the phagocytosis was restored to the control level by saponin fractions and the phagocytosis was increased significantly by $Rg_2$ and $Rg_2$. The triol saponin increased phagocytosis approximately by 2-fold as compared with the TMB-8 treated group. Peritoneal exuded macrophages displayed a prominent rise in cytosolic calcium following treatment with triol-saponin, $Rg_1$, $Rg_2$ and $Rg_2$. Incubation of macrophages with PT resulted in an inhibition of cytosolic calcium mobilization, but increased cytosolic calcium mobilization with saponin fraction.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2000

To investigate the effects of protein kinases on endothelin-1-induced phospholipase C activation and $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization in Rat-2 fibroblast, we measured the formation of inositol phosphates and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration with [$^3$H]inositol and Fura-2/AM, respectively. Endothelin-1 dose-dependently activated phospholipase C and increased intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. Protein kinase C activator PMA, significantly inhibited both phospholipase C activity and $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization induced by endothelin-1. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, inhibited both. On the other hand, cyclic nucleotide (cAMP and cGMP) did not have any influence on the signaling pathway of phospholipase C-Ca$^{2+}$ mobilization induced by endothelin-1. These results suggest that protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase counteract on the signaling pathway of phospholipase C-Ca$^{2+}$ mobilization induced by endothelin-1 in Rat-2 fibroblast. fibroblast.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.152-158
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• 2010

Melanin concentrating hormone is a neuropeptide highly expressed in the brain that regulates several physiological functions mediated by receptors in the G-protein coupled receptor family, especially plays an important role in the complex regulation of energy balance and body weight mediated by the melanin concentrating hormone receptor subtype 1 (MCH1). Compelling pharmacological evidence implicating MCH1 signaling in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure has generated a great deal of interest by pharmaceutical companies as MCH1 antagonists may have potential therapeutic benefit in the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Although fluorescence-based calcium mobilization assay platform has been one of the most widely accepted tools for receptor research and drug discovery, fluorescence interference and shallow assay window limit their application in high throughput screening and have led to a growing interest in alternative, luminescence-based technologies. Herein, a luminescence-based functional assay system for the MCH1 receptor was developed and validated with the mitochondrial targeted aequorin. Aequorin based functional assay system for MCH1 presented excellent Z' factor (0.8983) and high signal-to-noise ratio (141.9). The nonpeptide MCH1 receptor antagonist, SNAP 7941 and GSK 803430, exhibited $IC_{50}$ values of 0.62 ${\pm}$ 0.11 and 12.29 ${\pm}$ 2.31 nM with excellent correlation coefficient. These results suggest that the aequorin based assay system for MCH1 is a strong alternative to the traditional GPCR related tools such as radioligand binding experiments and fluorescence functional determinations for the compound screening and receptor research.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.253-262
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• 2018

Platelets are activated at sites of vascular injury via several molecules, such as adenosine diphosphate, collagen and thrombin. Full platelet aggregation is absolutely essential for normal hemostasis. Moreover, this physiological event can trigger circulatory disorders, such as thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, platelet function inhibition is a promising approach in preventing platelet-mediated circulatory disease. Many studies reported the involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathways in platelet functions. However, these studies were limited. Thus, we examined MAPK signaling pathways in human platelets using specific MAPK inhibitors, such as PD98059, SB203580, and SP600125. We observed that these inhibitors were involved in calcium mobilization and influx in human platelets. They also suppressed thrombin-induced ${\alpha}$- and ${\delta}$-granule release. These results suggest that PD98059, SB203580, and SP600125 exhibit $Ca^{2+}$ antagonistic effects.