• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.447-452
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• 2010

A series of 5-alkoxy-tetrazolo[1,5-a]quinolines were synthesized to evaluate their anticonvulsant and antidepressant effects. Anticonvulsant effects and neurotoxicity of the compounds when injected intraperitoneally to mice were determined by a maximal electroshock (MES) test and a rotarod test, respectively. Only three of the synthesized compounds (4a, 4b, 4c) displayed anticonvulsant activity at a dose of 300 mg/kg. Most of the compounds significantly reduced immobility times during the forced swimming test (FST) at a dose of 100 mg/kg, indicative of antidepressant activity. Among the compounds, 5-(2-fluorobenzyloxy)tetrazolo[1,5-a]quinoline (4k) reduced immobility time by 66.85% at 30 mg/kg compared with the same dose of Fluoxetine, which reduced immobility time by 52.30%. According to the results of the 5-Hydroxytryptophan induced head-twitch test and yohimbine toxicity potentiation test, the noradrenergic system seems not to be involved in the antidepressant-like effect of compound 4k while the serotonergic system seems a little to be involved.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.139-145
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• 2005

This study was performed to investigate the effect of Bohyulanshin-tang on brain-derived neurotophic factor(BDNF) expression in SK-N-SH (immortalized human neuroblastoma) cell line. MTT-based cytotoxicity assay revealed that cells of 0.1 mg/ml group and 1 mg/ml group significantly increased compared with Control group. Westren blotting and RT-PCR analysis showed that Bohyulanshin-tang significantly increased BDNF mRNA expression of 0.1 mg/ml group and 1 mg/ml group compared with Control group. Another analysis revealed that Bohyulanshin-tang significantly increased BDNF expression of 0.1 mg/ml group and 1 mg/ml group compared with Control group. These results showed that cell-protective abilities and cell-proliferating effects of Bohyulanshin-tang approached that of Fluoxetine.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.55-59
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• 2014

Dehydroevodiamine HCl (DHED) has been reported to prevent memory impairment and neuronal cell loss in a rat model with cognitive disturbance. We investigated the effect of DHED on memory impairment and behavioral abnormality caused by stress. We demonstrated that DHED can improve stress-induced memory impairments and depression-like behaviors by using open-field test, Y-maze test and forced swimming test. DHED treatment significantly recovered the decreases in the levels of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) proteins caused by stress and the decreases in cell viability. Our results suggested that DHED is a potential drug candidate for neuronal death, memory impairment and depression induced by stress.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.439-444
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• 2000

Tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been commonly used for the treatment of premature ejaculation. In the present study, we analyzed the concentrations of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of the hypothalamus by awakening animal microdialysis following administration of clomipramine and various SSRIs. We then compared the serotonin metabolism and clinical effects of clomipramine and SSRIs on premature ejaculation. Basal extracellular serotonin level in the MPOA was higher than other brain regions and it was significantly increased by clomipramine and the SSRIs. The rank order of the concentration of serotonin at the MPOA was clomipramine, sertraline, paroxetine and fluoxetine and the concentrations of 5-HIAA was vice versa. The changes in serotonin concentration at the MPOA appeared closely associated with the clinical effects of these drugs on premature ejaculation. These results suggest that the serotonergic neuronal activity in the MPOA may have an selective inhibitory influence on ejaculation, and the effects of clomipramine and SSRIs on erectile function are mainly mediated by MPOA of the hypothalamus.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.506-512
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• 2012

Although pruritus is the critical symptom of atopic dermatitis that profoundly affect the patients' quality of life, controlling and management of prurirtus still remains as unmet needs mainly due to the distinctive multifactorial pathogenesis of pruritus in atopic dermatitis. Based on the distinct feature of atopic dermatitis that psychological state of patients substantially influence on the intensity of pruritus, various psychotropic drugs have been used in clinic to relieve pruritus of atopic dermatitis patients. Only several psychotropic drugs were reported to show real antipruritic effects in atopic dermatitis patients including naltrexone, doxepin, trimipramine, bupropion, tandospirone, paroxetine and fluvoxamine. However, the precise mechanisms of antipruritic effect of these psychotropic drugs are still unclear. In human skin, serotonin receptors and serotonin transporter protein are expressed on skin cells such as keratinocytes, melanocytes, dermal fibroblasts, mast cells, T cells, natural killer cells, langerhans cells, and sensory nerve endings. It is noteworthy that serotonergic drugs, as well as serotonin itself, showed immune-modulating effect. Fenfluramine, fluoxetine and 2, 5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine significantly decreased lymphocyte proliferation. It is still questionable whether these serotonergic drugs exert the immunosuppressive effects via serotonin receptor or serotonin transporter. All these clinical and experimental reports suggest the possibility that antipruritic effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in atopic dermatitis patients might be at least partly due to their suppressive effect on T cells. Further studies should be conducted to elucidate the precise mechanism of neuroimmunological interaction in pruritus of atopic dermatitis.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.243-248
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• 2017

Antioxidants have been added to cryoprotectant or in vitro culture medium for sperm to reduce the detrimental damage, such as reactive oxygen species. However, curcumin, an antioxidant, shows dual effect on the viability and progressive motility of bovine sperm exposed to hydrogen peroxide. Low concentration of curcumin increases sperm viability and progressive motility, whereas high concentration of curcumin reduces them. This study was performed to identify whether TREK-1 channel is related to low sperm viability and motility induced by high concentration of curcumin. Curcumin reduced TREK-1 channel activity in a dose-dependent manner. TREK-1 channel was expressed in sperm obtained from Korean native bull. Treatment with TREK-1 channel blockers, such as curcumin, fluoxetine, $GdCl_3$, and spadin, significantly reduced sperm viability and motility (p < 0.05). However, TREK-1 channel activators showed different effect; linoleic acid showed an increase in sperm viability and motility, and wogonin did not affect them. These results show that TREK-1 channel is involved in the regulation of sperm viability and motility. In particular, high concentration of curcumin might reduce sperm viability and progressive motility of Korean native bull through blockage of TREK-1 channel.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.371-376
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• 2014

Amino-acid neurotransmitter system dysfunction plays a major role in the pathophysiology of depression. Several studies have demonstrated the potential of amino acids as a source of neuro-specific biomarkers could be used in future diagnosis of depression. Only partial amino acids such as glycine and asparagine were determined from certain parts of rats' brain included hippocampi and cerebral cortex in previous studies. However, according to systematic biology, amino acids in different area of brain are interacted and interrelated. Hence, the determination of 34 amino acids through entire rats' brain was conducted in this study in order to demonstrate more possibilities for biomarkers of depression by discovering other potential amino acids in more areas of rats' brain. As a result, 4 amino acids (L-aspartic acid, L-glutamine, taurine and ${\gamma}$-amino-n-butyric acid) among 34 were typically identified as potentially primary biomarkers of depression by data statistics. Meanwhile, an antidepressant called Fluoxetine was employed to verify other potential amino acids which were not identified by data statistics. Eventually, we found L-${\alpha}$-amino-adipic acid could also become a new potentially secondary biomarker of depression after drug validation. In conclusion, we suggested that L-aspartic acid, L-glutamine, taurine, ${\gamma}$-amino-n-butyric acid and L-${\alpha}$-amino-adipic acid might become potential biomarkers for future diagnosis of depression and development of antidepressant.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.251-257
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• 1996

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs), as haloperidol, ore metabolized in the cytochrome P450IID6. They can cause inhibition of metabolism of antipsychotics to elevate the serum level of antipsychotics and exacerbate the extrapyramidal symptoms when co-administered with antipsychotics. Among these SSRIs, there ore a few studies about paroxetine compared to fluoxetine or sertraline. In this study, we have intended to know the drug interaction of paroxetine and haloperidol when co-administered two drugs for the chronic schizophrenics by assessing the changes of positive, negative symptoms and extrapyramidal symptoms. for this purpose, we selected 29 subjects, the chronic schizophrenics with no physical problems. They were under maintenance therapy of haloperidol. They ore randomly assigned to placebo group(n=12) and drug group(n=17) by using double blind method. And then, placebo or paroxetine 20mg were administered to the subjects of each groups during 8 week period. We have assessed their psychopathology and extrapyramidal symptoms using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS), Hamilton Rating Scale lor Depression(HRSD), Simpson-Angus Scale at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks and serum haloperidol, reduced haloperidol levels at 0, 4, 8 weeks during the period. The results ore analysed by using repeated measure MANOVA. 27 subjects have completed the study during 8 weeks. among the subjects, 1) PANSS, HRSD ; no significant difference between groups. 2) Simpson-Angus Scale ; no significant change according to the time and no significant difference between the groups(no group and time effect). 3) Haloperidol and reduced haloperidol level ; no significant change. When co-administered paroxetine and haloperidol, there ore no significant changes of the psychopothology and no significant changes of the extrapyramidal symptoms. In this result, paroxetine seems to be not to affect the metabolism of haloperidol.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.383-393
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• 2006

Little is known concerning the mechanisms responsible for the transplacental transfer of thiamine. So, the aim of this work was to characterize the placental uptake of thiamine from the maternal circulation, by determining the characteristics of $^3H$-thiamine uptake by a human trophoblast cell line (BeWo). Uptake of $^3H$-thiamine (50-100 nM) by BeWo cells was: 1) temperature-dependent and energy-independent; 2) pH-dependent (uptake increased as the extracellular medium pH decreased); 3) $Na^+$-dependent and $Cl^-$-independent; 4) not inhibited by the thiamine structural analogs amprolium, oxythiamine and thiamine pyrophosphate; 5) inhibited by the unrelated organic cations guanidine, N-methylnicotinamide, tetraethylammonium, clonidine and cimetidine; 6) inhibited by the organic cation serotonin, and by two selective inhibitors of the serotonin plasmalemmal transporter (hSERT), fluoxetine and desipramine. We conclude that $^3H$-thiamine uptake by BeWo cells seems to occur through a process distinct from thiamine transporter-1 (hThTr-1) and thiamine transporter-2 (hThTr-2). Rather, it seems to involve hSERT. Moreover, chronic (48 h) exposure of cells to caffeine ($1\;{\mu}M$) stimulated and chronic exposure to xanthohumol and iso-xanthohumol (1 and $0.1\;{\mu}M$, respectively) inhibited $^3H$-thiamine uptake, these effects being not mediated through modulation of the expression levels of either hThTr-1 or hSERT mRNA.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2012

Synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) have been studied as mechanisms of ocular dominance plasticity in the rat visual cortex. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) inhibits the induction of LTP and LTD during the critical period of the rat visual cortex (postnatal 3~5 weeks). However, in adult rats, the increase in 5-HT level in the brain by the administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine reinstates ocular dominance plasticity and LTP in the visual cortex. Here, we investigated the effect of 5-HT on the induction of LTP in the visual cortex obtained from 3- to 10-week-old rats. Field potentials in layer 2/3, evoked by the stimulation of underlying layer 4, was potentiated by theta-burst stimulation (TBS) in 3- and 5-weekold rats, then declined to the baseline level with aging to 10 weeks. Whereas 5-HT inhibited the induction of LTP in 5-week-old rats, it reinstated the induction of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA)-dependent LTP in 8- and 10-week-old rats. Moreover, the selective SSRI citalopram reinstated LTP. The potentiating effect of 5-HT at 8 weeks of age was mediated by the activation of 5-$HT_2$ receptors, but not by the activation of either 5-$HT_{1A}$ or 5-$HT_3$ receptors. These results suggested that the effect of 5-HT on the induction of LTP switches from inhibitory in young rats to facilitatory in adult rats.