• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.203-216
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• 1988

To delineate the mechanisms of vasoconstriction and vasodilation in cerebral arteries the effects of some vasoconstrictors and calcium antagonists on the basilar artery (BA) and arterial circle of Willis (WC) were examined and also the role of endothelium in the action of these drugs was investigated in pigs, cats and rabbits. In pig cerebral arteries, dose-dependent contractile responses were elicited by KCI, histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and angiotensin, but norepinephrine (NE), phenylephrine (PE) and epinephrine (EP) elicited dose-dependent contractions only under pretreatment with propranolol 10-6 M. The magnitudes of maximal contractile effects of these drugs were different from each other, and 5-H~ was the largest and angiotensin the smallest. Some calcium antagonists dose-dependently inhibited KCI (35 mM)-induced contraction and the order of potency in inhibiting the contraction was nifedipine > > diltiazem > flunarizine > oxybutynin > isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) > glyceryl trinitrate. 5-HT (10-6 M)-induced contraction was dosedependently inhibited by nifedipine but slightly inhibited by diltiazem and ISDN. In rings with intact endothelium, KCI (35 mM)-induced contraction was not affected by acetylcholine (ACh) but $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ (lO-SM)-induced contraction was dose-dependently relaxed by ACh and adenosine. This endothelium-dependent relaxation was not affected by nifedipine (l0-6M)-pretreatment but markedly inhibited by methylene blue (50,uM)-pretreatment. In the porcine arterial rings without endothelium, ACh had no effect or even contracted the $PGF_{2{\alpha}}-induced$ contraction. However, the dosedependent relaxing effect of ACh appeared when the deendothelized porcine ring and rabbit thoracic aorta with intact endotheli urn were simultaneously suspended into a bath and this relaxing effect was also inhibited by methylene blue-pretreatment. In cat cerebral arteries, 5-HT and NE elicited dose-dependent contractile responses and ACh also produced dose-dependent contraction regardless of the existence of endothelium. ACh-induced contraction was most prominent. 5-HT (IO-SM)induced contraction was not relaxed but contracted additionally by ACh even in the intact endothelial ring. In rabbit cerebral arteries, 5-HT and NE elicited dose-dependent contractile responses and 5-HT-induced contraction was more prominent. In the intact endothelial preparations, 5-HT (lO-s M)-induced contraction was markedly relaxed by the addition of ACh( IO-SM) and this endothelium-dependent relaxing effect was inhibited by atropine (l0-7M)-pretreatment but notaffected by diltiazem (l0-6M)-pretreatment. These results suggest that ACh elicits endotheliumdependent relaxing effect mediated by muscarinic receptors in cerebral arteries of pig and rabbit, and that ACh acts as vasoconstrictor in cat cerebral artery.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1518-1524
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• 2008

Ponciri Fructus (PF), the immature fruit of Poncirus trifoliata, has been used for treatment of constipation in Korean traditional medicine. It has been reported that PF has a prokinetic effect on gastrointestinal tract, but little is known about the effect on colonic contraction. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PF on spontaneous contractions of proximal and distal colon in rats. The aqueous extract of PF was centrifuged and filtered and its supernatant was used for in vitro motility study. The removed colon from rats was divided into proximal and distal segments. Each segment was mounted in a 10 ml organ bath and measured the change of the spontaneous contraction with increasing dose (1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, $1000{\mu}g/ml$) of PF extract administration. Also the effect of PF on the spontaneous contraction was measured under treatment of atropine, acetylcholine (Ach), and tetrodotoxin (TTX). PF increased the spontaneous phasic contraction of distal colon dose dependently, but there was no change in proximal colon. The contractile response induced by PF in distal colon was lower than that of Ach and was partially blocked by atropine ($10^{-6}M$). TTX increased the spontaneous contraction and it was reinforced with Ach addition. But the extract of PF had no or little contractile effect of TTX in colon. PF increased spontaneous contractions selectively in distal colon. The prokinetic effect of PF may be due to enhancement of cholinergic related excitatory neural system.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.634-648
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• 1997

To examine the effect of Artemisia princeps var orientalis on cardiovascular system, cadiovascular response from its water extracts were studied in the atria and aortae of normal rats. The extracts diminished spontaneous beat and contractile force in the left and right atria, and caused the relaxation of thoraic aortae. As for the blood pressure, the mugwort extract had a descending effect.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.77-87
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• 1972

Korean rheum (Rheum undulatum Linne) as one of the botanical crude drugs which belong to polygonaceae family has been extensively applied in Chinese medicine during the last decades. It has been particularly used in cathartic and gastric tonic among the folk remedies. There are, however, a few reports with regard to the pharmacological effects on the motility of intestines of several animals. The authors hereby paid attention to this point of view and made experiment to examine the relationship between the alcohol extract of Korean rhei rhizoma and the motility of the isolated rabbit intestine, making the use of several drugs related to the motility of intestine such as acetylcholine, pilocarpine, atropine, papaverine, serotonin, and barium chloride. The movement of the isolated rabbit intestine in Tyrode's solution was recorded with the electric kymograph according to the Magnus method. The results of the experiment are as follows. 1. The motility of the isolated rabbit intestine represents the tendency of gradual dilatation in proportion to the concentration of R-A $10^{-4}$, $5{\times}10^{-4}$, and $10^{-3}$. 2. R-A $5{\times}10^{-4}$ does not seem to have the significant effect with acetylcholine, pilocarpine and atropine on motility of the isolated rabbit intestine strip. 3. R-A $5{\times}10^{-4}$ significantly blocks the contractile effect caused by serotonin $10^{-6}$ on motility of the isolated rabbit intestine strip. 4. R-A $5{\times}10^{-4}$ significantly blocks the contractile effect caused by barium chloride $10^{-4}$ on motility of the isolated rabbit intestine strip. 5. R-A $5{\times}10^{-4}$ significantly synergizes the dilatative effect caused by papaverine $10^{-6}$.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.228-243
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• 1998

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of Sunghyangchungisan (SHCS) on the regulation of vascular tone. Vascular rings isolated from rabbit carotid artery were myographed isometrically in isolated organ baths and the effect of SHCS on contractile activities were determined. SHCS relaxed the arterial rings which were pre-contracted by phenylephrine(PE). The responses to SHCS were partially dose-dependent at concentrations lower than 0.5 mg/ml. When SHCS was applied prior to the exposure to PE, it inhibited the PE-induced contraction by a similar magnitude which was comparable to the relaxation of pre-contracted arterial rings. Washout of SHCS after observing its relaxant effect resulted in a full recovery of PE-induced contractions, indicating that the action mechanism is reversible. The observation that SHCS did not change the $ED_{50}$ of PE on its dose-response curve ruled out the possible interaction of SHCS and ${\alpha}-receptor$. The relaxant effect of SHCS was not affected by removal of endothelium, and pretreatment of the arterial rings with methylene blue or nitro-L-arginine. This results suggest that the action of SHCS is not mediated by endothelium nor soluble guanylate cyclase. SHCS relaxed high $K^{+}-induced$ contractions as well, whereas it failed to relax phorbol ester-induced contractions. When contraction was induced by additive application of $Ca^{2+}$ in arterial rings which were pre-depolarized by high $K^+$ in a $Ca^{2+}-free$ solution, the relaxant effect of SHCS was attenuated by increasing the $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. SHCS, when applied to the arterial rings pre-contracted by PE and then relaxed by nifedipine, a $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker, did not show additive relaxation. From above results, it is suggested that SHCS relax PE-induced contraction of rabbit carotid artery in an endothelium-independent manner, and inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ influx may contribute to the underling mechanism.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.1 s.17
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• pp.7-13
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• 1975

In Chinese medicine, it is said that Aconiti tuber has cardiotonic, diuretic and analgesic effects. Kim et al reported that alkaloid free part of Aconiti tuber, $CHCI_3$ insoluble fraction, showed inotropic effect on isolated frog heart and inotropic effect is potenciated by n-butanol fractionation. To investigate the effect of Aconiti tuber butanol fraction on the mechanical and electrical properties of heart, change of active tension, excitability and refractory period of isolated rabbit atrium in the presence of butanol fraction were measured and the comparison with that of ouabain and quinidine was done. The observed results are as follows. 1. $5{\times}10^{-4}g/ml$ concentration of Aconiti tuber butanol fraction showed approximately same effect with therapeutic concentration of ouabain on the increment of contractile force, and the effect of $2{\times}10^{-3}g/ml$ was greater than that of $1{\times}10^{-5}g/ml$ of ouabain. 2. Acceleration of rate of contractile force increment in the presence of Aconiti tuber butanol fraction was greater than in ouabain, and the time to maximum tension was shorter in Aconiti tuber butanol fraction than in ouabain. 3. The excitability of isolated atrium was slightly increased at low concentration of Aconiti tuber butanol fraction, while decreased at higher concentration. 4. Aconiti tuber butanol fraction slightly prolonged refractory period of isolated right atrium at the concentration of $2{\times}10^{-3}g/ml$.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.651-657
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• 2003

In order to examine if arsenic, one of environmental stresses, contributes to hypertension as one of cardiovas cular pathological factors, this study was perfarmed in vivo and in vitro, using intacted or pithed rats and aorta ring preparation, respectively. And also the relationship between expression of heat shock protein (HSP) 90 and vasoactives-induced contractile response was elucidated. To measure blood pressure, the carotid arterial pressure was recorded on physiograph(Grass Co. 79E) connected to strain gauge. On the other hand, contractile response of vascular ring preparation isolated from rat was determined in organ bath and was recorded on physiograph connected to isometric transducer. And HSP was detacted by Western blotting whole cell Iysis. Preganglionic nerve stimulation was increased by 26.0% in arterial pressure of rat treated with arsenic. Vascular contractile response was monitored and HSP were measured by Western blotting of whole Iysis prepared from samples exposed with 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mM of arsenic for 8 hours. The dose-vascular responses of potassium chloride were augmented by increasing dose of arsenic in the strips exposed to arsenic for 8 hours, and were not augmented for 1, 3, 5 hours. And the response of relaxation of rat aorta induced by histamine was not influenced by arsenic stress. The increase of HSP 90 expression in rat aorta was pronounced at 8 hours after 4 mM of arsenic treatment, but HSP 60 expression was not. Arsenic stress not only increased the expression of HSP 90 in the rat aorta, but also augmented contractions to potassium chloride. These results indicated that arsenic stress was sufficient to induce heat shock protein 90, resulting in increased vascular contractility in rat aorta.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.228-236
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• 2004

The aim of the present study was to examine whether green tea extract (CUMC6335) affects the blood pressure and the isolated aortic contractility of the rabbit in comparison with one of the most powerful active catechins, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The phenylephrine $(1-10\;{\mu}M)-induced$ contractile responses were greatly inhibited in the presence of CUMC6335 (0.3-1.2 mg/ml). Also, high potassium (56 mM)-induced contractile responses were depressed in high concentration (0.6-1.2 mg/ml), but not affected in low concentration CUMC6335 (0.3 mg/ml). However, epigallocatechin gallate $(EGCG,\;4-12\;{\mu}g/ml)$ did not affect the contractile responses evoked by phenylephrine and high $K^+$. The infusion of CUMC6335 with a rate of 20 mg/kg/30 min made a significant reduction in pressor responses induced by intravenous norepinephrine. However, EGCG (1 mg/kg/30 min) did not affect them. Collectively, these results obtained from the present study suggest that intravenous CUMC6335 causes depressor action in the anesthetized rat at least partly through the blockade of adrenergic ${\alpha}_1-receptors$. CUMC6335 also causes the relaxation in the isolated aortic strips of the rabbit partly via the blockade of adrenergic ${\alpha}_1-receptors$, in addition to the unknown direct mechanism. It seems that there is no species difference in the vascular effect between the rat and the rabbit.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 1994

The experiments were performed to determine whether lidocaine interferes with the utilization of lipid as source of energy fuel for the contractile process by the isolated rat atria. Rats were starved for two days in order to inerease the lipid content of the heart. Atria from starved rats were better able to maintain their contractility in the absence of exgenous substrate, and also were more resistant to depression by lidocaine than atria from fed rats. Starvation results in a marked loss of body weight in rats. In contrast to the starved rats, the body weight of fed rats inereased with time. The smaller reduction in contractile activity of atria from the starved rats may suggest that endogenous lipid accumulates during starvation period and is used as an energy source for the contractile process in the face of a lidocaine-induced blockade in glycolysis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.227-234
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• 2000

Many reports suggest that neurotensin (NT) in the gastrointestinal tract may play a possible role as a neurotransmitter, a circulating hormone, or a modulator of motor activity. NT exerts various actions in the intestine; it produces contractile and relaxant responses in intestinal smooth muscle. This study was designed to investigate the effect of NT on motility of antral circular muscle strips in guinea-pig stomach. To assess the role of $Ca^{2+}$ influx in underlying mechanism, slow waves were simultaneously recorded with spontaneous contractions using conventional intracellular microelectrode technique. At the concentration of $10^{-7}$ M, where NT showed maximum response, NT enhanced the magnitude $(863{\pm}198%,\;mean\;SEM,\;n=13)$ and the frequency $(154{\pm}10.3%,\;n=11)$ of spontaneous contractions. NT evoked a slight hyperpolarization of membrane potential, tall and steep slow waves with abortive spikes $(278{\pm}50%,\;n=4).$ These effects were not affected by atropine $(2\;{\mu}M),$ guanethidine $(2\;{\mu}M)$ and tetrodotoxin (0.2μM). NT-induced contractile responses were abolished in $Ca^{2+}-free$ solution and reduced greatly to near abolition by $10\;{\mu}M$ of verapamil or 0.2 mM of $CdCl_2.$ Verapamil attenuated the effects of NT on frequency and amplitude of the slow waves. Taken together, these results indicate that NT enhances contractility in guinea-pig gastric antral circular muscle and $Ca^{2+}$ influx through the voltage-operated $Ca^{2+}$ channel appears to play an important role in the NT-induced contractile mechanism.