• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.159-164
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• 1995

The taxonomic note was given to the species of Ceramium from Ullungdo Island. Five species, Ceramium aduncum Nakamura, C. codii (Rhichards) G. Mazoyer, C. flaccidum (Harvey exK tzing) Ardissone, C. paniculatum Okamura, and C. tenerrimum (Martense) Okamura were collected during this study. C. aduncum was collected in the intertidal and upper subtidal zones from December to Feburary. They had a narrow internodal space showing 1/3-1/5 times as large as nodal band. C. codii had the spermatangial mother cells developed on abaxial cortical cells of cortical band C. paniculatum collected in summer and winter had a creeping thallus and alternative branching type in gross morphology. The axial cell of C. flaccidum showed 2.3-2.8 L/B ratio, smaller than those of plants from Chejudo Island.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.145-163
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• 2002

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of Woohwangcheongsim-won and to study the mechanism for neuronal death protection in hypoxia with Embryonic day 20 (E20) cortical cells of a rat (Sprague Dawley). Methods: E20 cortical cells were dissociated in neurobasal media and grown for 14 days in vitro (DIV). On 14 DIV, Woohwangcheongsim-won was added to the culture media for 24 hrs or 72 hrs. On 17 DIV, cells were given a hypoxic shock and further incubated in normoxia for another three days. On 20 DIV, Woohwangcheongsim-won's effects for neuronal death protection were evaluated by LDH assay, propidium iodide stain and phospho-H2AX immunostain and the mechanisms were studied by Bcl-2, Bak, Bax, caspase family, PKCα, ca1pain I. Results & Conclusions : 1. This study indicated that Woohwangcheongsim-won's effects for neuronal death protection in hypoxia were confirmed by LDH assay, propidium iodide stain and phospho-H2AX immunostain in culture method of Embryonic day 20(E20) cortical neuroblasts. 2. Woohwangcheongsim-won's mechanisms for neuronal death protection in hypoxia are to reduce the membrane damage fraction, to restrain DNA truncate, to restrain inflow of cytochrome c into cellularity caused by Bak diminution, to reduce the caspase cascade intiator caspase-8 and the effector caspase-3, to reduce the calpain I activity and to increase PKCand its activity in the membrane fraction. (J Korean Oriental Moo 2002;23(3):145～163)

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.79-91
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• 1993

The present study was carried out to determine the effects of cocaine (0.25, 1.0, 10.0 mg/kg, i.p.) on the interactions between spontaneously active neurons within ensembles of simultaneously recorded neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex (Sl, n= 20) and the ventroposterolateral (VPL, n= 16) thalamic nucleus of awake rats. Spike triggered cross correlation histograms were constructed between pairs of simultaneously recorded neurons. Among 101 neuronal pairs analyzed, 22.7% showed correlations indicative of various functional connections among the cortical cells, two corticothalamic interactions and one thalamocortical excitatory interaction. There were also 15 cofiring activities among SI cortical cells. These functional connectivities appeared to be modulated (weakened, abolished, or strengthened) during the 5 to 30 min following cocaine injection. The effects of saline were tested as a control, but it did not appear to alter the functional connectivities. In general, cocaine-induced changes of the functional interactions were mainly due to the concomitant alterations of the uncorrelated background discharges. These results suggest that the biphasic effects of cocaine on the spontaneously established neural networks among the SI cortical and the VPL thalamic cells of conscious rat were mainly indirect. However, various changes of the functional interactions by different doses of cocaine appeared to be a possible neural network mechanism for the cocaine induced modulation of afferent somatosensory transmission.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.125-139
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• 2002

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the effects of Woohwangcheongsim-won and to study the mechanism for neuronal death protection in OGD (oxygen-glucose deprivation) model with embryonic day 20 (E20) cortical cells of a rat (Sprague Dawley). Methods: E20 cortical cells were dissociated in neurobasal media and grown for 14 days in vitro (DIV). On 14 DIV, Woohwangcheongsim-won was added to the culture media for 72 hrs. On 17 DIV, cells were given an oxygen-glucose deprivation shock (2hrs and 4hrs) and further incubated in normoxia for another three days. On 20 DIV, Woohwangcheongsim-won's effects for neuronal death protection were evaluated by LDH assay and the mechanisms were studied by Bcl-2, Bak, Bax, caspase family. Results & Conclusions: 1. This study indicates that Woohwangcheongsim-won's effects for neuronal death protection in OGD model is confirmed by LDH assay in culture method of embryonic day 20(E20) cortical neuroblasts. 2. Woohwangcheongsim-won's mechanisms for neuronal death protection in OGD model are to restrain inflow of cytochrome c into cellularity caused by Bcl-2 increase (2hrs and 4hrs), to reduce the caspase cascade initiator caspase-8 (4hrs).

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.13 no.3_4
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• pp.87-94
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• 1998

The use of cisplatin is limited by severe side effects such as renal toxicity. Our platinum-base drug discovery is aimed at developing drugs capable of diminishing toxicity and improving antitumor activity. We synthesized new Pt (II) complex analogue [Pt (cis-DACH)(DPPP)]. 2NO$_3$ (PC) containing cis-1,2-diaminocyclohexane as a carrier ligand and 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino) propane as a leaving group. Furthermore, nitrate was added to improved the solubility. In this study, its structure was determined and its antitumor activity against SKOV-3 and NIH-OVCAR-3 human ovarian adenocarcinoma, and in vitro cytotoxicity was determined against primary cultured rabbit kidney proximal tubular and renal cortical cells of human kidney using colorimetric MTT assay. PC demonstrated acceptable antitumor activity against SKOV-3 and NIH-OVCAR-3 human ovarian adenocarcinoma and significant activity as compared with that of cisplatin. The toxicity of PC was found quite less than that of cisplatin using MTT and $^3$H-thymidine uptake tests in rabbit proximal tubular cells and human kidney cortical cells. PC was used for human cortical tissue in 7 weeks hitoculture by the glucose-consumption tests. We determined that the new platinum drug has lower nephrotoxicity than cisplatin. Based on these results, this novel platinum (II) complex compound (PC) represent a valuable lead in the development of a new anticancer chemotherapeutic agent capable of improving antitumor activity and low nephrotoxicity.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.47-56
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• 1998

In the present study, we assayed a number of compounds isolated from Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (Araliaceae) for an ability to protect rat cortical cell cultures from the deleterious effects of the neurotoxicant, glutamate. We found that ginsenosides Rbl and Rg3 significantly attenuated glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. Brief exposure of cultures to excess glutamate caused extensive neuronal death. Glutamate-induced neuronal cell damage was significantly reduced by pretreatment with Rbl and Rgl. Ginsenosides Rbl and Rg3 inhibited the overproduction of nitric oxide which routinely follows glutamate neurotoxicity and preserved the level of superoxide dismutase in glutamate-treated cells. Furthermore, in cultures treated with glutamate, these ginsenosides inhibited the formation of malondialdehyde, a compound produced during lipid peroxidation, and diminished the influx of calcium. These results show that ginsenosides Rbl and Rg1 exerted significant neuroprotective effects on cultured cortical cells. As such, these compounds may be efficacious in protecting neurons from oxidative damage produced by exposure to excess glutamate.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.699-706
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• 2006

The present study evaluated antioxidant and neuroprotective activities of hesperidin, a flavanone mainly isolated from citrus fruits, and its aglycone hesperetin using cell-free bioassay system and primary cultured rat cortical cells. Both hesperidin and hesperetin exhibited similar patterns of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activities. While hesperidin was inactive, hesperetin was found to be a potent antioxidant, inhibiting lipid peroxidation initiated in rat brain homogenates by $Fe^{2+}$ and L-ascorbic acid. In consistence with these findings, hesperetin protected primary cultured cortical cells against the oxidative neuronal damage induced by $H_2O_2$ or xanthine and xanthine oxidase. In addition, it was shown to attenuate the excitotoxic neuronal damage induced by excess glutamate in the cortical cultures. When the excitotoxicity was induced by the glutamate receptor subtype-selective ligands, only the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid-induced toxicity was selectively and markedly inhibited by hesperetin. Furthermore, hesperetin protected cultured cells against the $A_{{\beta}(25-35)}-induced$ neuronal damage. Hesperidin, however, exerted minimal or no protective effects on the neuronal damage tested in this study. Taken together, these results demonstrate potent antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of hesperetin, implying its potential role in protecting neurons against various types of insults associated with many neurodegenerative diseases.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.494-499
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• 1998

As part of a drug discovery program to discover more effective platinum-based anticancer drugs, a series of platinum complexes of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane(1,2-diaminopro pane)platinum(II)dinitrate (KHPC-070) has been evaluated in vitro against various tumor cell lines and normal kidney cells. The structure of this new compound was determined by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy (IR) and $^{13}carbon$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). With the use of nine tumor cell lines, KHPC-070 exhibited a comparable cytotoxic to cisplatin. The cytotoxicity of KHPC-070 in normal cells was quite less than that of cisplatin using 3-(4.5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and [$^3H$]-thymidine uptake tests in rabbit renal proximal tubular cells and human renal cortical cells. Based on these results, KHPC-070 is considered to have more selective cytotoxicity toward cancer cells than normal human/rabbit kidney cells.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.218-224
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• 1996

This laboratory has recently reported the synthesis and in vitro antitumor activity of PT(II) complexes containing ethylenediamine and diphosphine. In view of the reports of others, cisplatin is toxic to the kidney since the kidney's vulnerability to PT(II) complexes may originate in its ability to accumulate and retain platinum to a greater degree than other organs. The in vitro cytotoxicity of these synthetic PT(II) complexes on the primary cultured proximal tubular cells of rabbit kidney and renal cortical cells of human kidney was investigated. Three endpoints for cytotoxicity tests were evaluated:3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), $^3H$-thymidine uptake and the glucose consumption tests. The rank order of sensitivity exhibited $^3H$-thymidine uptake>MTT>glucose consumption test. The agents with diphosphine leaving group were significantly less cytotoxic than cisplatin. Moreover, 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (DPPE) exhibited less cytotoxicity than 1.3-bis (diphenylphosphino)propane (DPPP) against on rabbit and human cultured kidney cells. Based on these results, the decreased nephrotoxicity of these new complexes over cisplatin appeared to be partially attributable to a leaving group of DPPP and DPPE. This novel class of platinum compound represents a valuable lead in the development of a "third-generation" agent.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2010

Taurine, 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is an abundant free amino acid present in brain cells and exerts many important biological functions such as anti-convulsant, modulation of neuronal excitability, regulation of learning and memory, anti-aggressiveness and anti-alcoholic effects. In the present study, we investigated to explore whether taurine has any protective actions against oxidative stress-induced damages in neuronal cells. ERK I/II regulates signaling pathways involved in nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and plays a role in the regulation of cell growth, and apoptosis. We have found that taurine significantly inhibited AMPA induced cortical depolarization in the Grease Gap assays using rat cortical slices. Taurine also inhibited AMPA-induced neuronal cell damage in MTT assays in the differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. When the neuronal cells were treated with $H_2O_2$, levels of NO were increased; however, taurine pretreatment decreased the NO production induced by $H_2O_2$ to approximately normal levels. Interestingly, taurine treatment stimulated ERK I/II activity in the presence of AMPA or $H_2O_2$, suggesting the potential role of ERK I/II in the neuroprotection of taurine. Taken together, taurine has significant neuroprotective actions against AMPA or $H_2O_2$ induced damages in neuronal cells, possibly via activation of ERK I/II.