• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.175-183
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• 1993

There are many report suggesting that influx and intracellular calcium concentration $([Ca^{2+}]_i)$ are related to cell signalling in various cells. However, it has not been reported that calcium channel activation is affected by the substances involved in signal transduction pathways in the mouse eggs. In this study, the effects of isoprenaline (ISP) and cyclic AMP on calcium influx through calcium channels were investigated to show their relationship with the signal transduction process in unfertilized mouse eggs. Using whole cell voltage clamp techniques, calcium currents, elicited by the depolarizing pulses of 300 ms duration (from -50 mV to 50 mV in 10 mV increments) from a holding potential of -80 mV, were recorded. The current-voltage (I-V) relation of calcium currents was shown to be bell-shaped; the current began to activate at -50 mV and reached its maximum $(-1.33{\pm}0.16\;nA:\;mean{\pm}S.E.,\;n=7)$ at -10 mV, then decayed at around 50 mV. Calcium currents were fully activated within $7\;ms{\sim}20\;ms$ and completely inactivated 200 ms after onset of the step pulse. ISP within the concentration ranges of $10^{-8}\;M{\sim}10^{-4}\;M$ dose-dependently increased the amplitude calcium current. The permeable cyclic AMP analogue,8-bromocyclic AMP, also increased its maximal amplitude by 46ft at $10^{-5}\;M$, while protein kinase inhibitor (PKI), which is known to inhibit 0.02 phosphorylating units of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) per microgram decreased calcium currents. Currents recorded in the presence of PKI were resistant to increase by the application of $10^{-5}\;M$. Also, PKI inhibited the calcium current increase elicited by ISP treatment. These results suggest that $\beta-adrenergic$ regulation of the calcium channel is mediated by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. This signal transduction pathway might play a role in regulating $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, level due to the increase of calcium influx in mouse eggs.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.5
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• pp.565-572
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• 1997

In the freshly isolated rat nephron, the effect of endothelin-1, -2 and -3 (ET-1, -2 and -3) on cytosolic free calcium concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) was determined using the fluorescent indicator Fura-2/AM. $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase was investigated in 9 parts of the single nephron including glomerulus (Glm), $S_1,\;S_2,\;S_3$, cortical and medullary thick ascending limb and cortical (CCT) and outer medullary collecting tubule (OMCT). Endothelins increased $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ in Glm (ET-1; $127{\pm}17%$, ET-2; $93{\pm}5%$, ET-3; $169{\pm}17%$), CCT (ET-1; $30{\pm}6%$, ET-2; $38{\pm}19%$, ET-3; $158{\pm}18%$) and OMCT (ET-1; $197{\pm}11%$, ET-2; $195{\pm}11%$, ET-3; $215{\pm}37%$) at 10-7 M. In OMCT, ET-1 and ET-2 increased $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ in a dose-dependent manner ($10^{-10}{\sim}10^{-6}$ M). To the contrary, ET-3-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ rise was begun from $10^{-12}$ M. BQ-123Na, an antagonist of ETA receptor, at $10^{-4}$ M inhibited about 30% of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ rise induced by ET-1 and -3. Binding experiments using $[^{125}I]ET-3$ showed the existence of $ET_B$ receptor in OMCT. This binding was replaced by ET-1, ET-2 or ET-3 by the almost same degree but not by angiotensin II or vasopressin.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.253-269
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• 1996

Infection of fish cells with IHNV resulted in gradual increase in cytosolic free Ca$\^$2+/ concentration ([Ca$\^$2+/)] in CHSE, gradual decrease in [Ca$\^$2+/] in FHM, and no significant change in RTG cells. The degree of [Ca$\^$2+/] increase or decrease was dependent on the amount of infectious virus, and these [Ca$\^$2+/] variations were maximal at 16 hours after virus infection (p. i.) in both cell lines. When the fish cells were infected with inactivated IHNV, evident variation in [Ca$\^$2+/] was not observed. Thus, infectivity of IHNV appears to correlate with changes in [Ca$\^$2+/] in virus-infected cells. These IHNV-induced [Ca$\^$2+/] changes were partially blocked by cycloheximide, but not affected by cordycepin. It seems to be that virus-induced Ca$\^$2+/ variations were more related with protein synthesis than RNA synthesis. Various Ca$\^$2+/ related drugs were used in search for the mechanisms of the [Ca$\^$2+/], changes following IHNV infection of CHSE cells. Decreasing extracellular Ca$\^$2+/ concentration or blocking Ca$\^$2+/ influx from extracellular media inhibited the IHNV-induced increase in [Ca$\^$2+/], in CHSE cells. Similar results were obtained with intracellular Ca$\^$2+/ sources are important in IHNV-induced [Ca$\^$2+/] increase in CHSE cells.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.133-138
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• 1996

Rabbit corpus cavernosal smooth muscle strips submaximally precontracted with phenylephrine (5$\times$$10^6$ M) and treated with increasing concentrations of Korean ginseng (1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 mg/ml) showed tension decrease concentration-dependently (1 mg/ml: 1.7%, 5 mg/ml: 10.2%, 10 mg/ml: 22.7%, 20 mg/ml: 44.0%, 30 mg/ml: 65.2%, 40 mg/ml: 95.6%). Relaxations to Korean ginseng were inhibited significantly by endothelial disruption, by pretreatment with methylene blue, pyrogallol, L-NNA and atropine. Pretreatment of the muscle strips with ginseng caused concentration-related inhibition of a phenylephrine induced contraction, and in calcium-free high potassium depolarizing solution, decreased basal tension as well as inhibited contraction induced by Caclr. Korean ginseng also produced the reduction of responses to depolarizing medium(50, 40, 60 mM KCI). With these results we can confirm the relaxation effect of ginseng at a dose dependent on the cavernosal smooth muscle and suggest that its action is mediated by multiple action mechanisms that include increasing the release of nitric oxide from the corporal sinusoids. Increasing intracellular calcium sequestration, and a hyperpolarizating action.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.439-445
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• 1999

This study is to investigate the mechanism of inhibitory effect of imipramine on the calcium utilization in single cells isolated from canine detrusor. 2 mm thick smooth muscle chops were incubated in 0.12% collagenase solution at $36^{circ}C,$ and aerated with 95% $O_2/5%\;CO_2,$ and then cell suspension was examined. Acetylcholine (ACh) evoked a concentration-dependent contraction of the isolated detrusor cells in normal physiologic salt solution (PSS), and the ACh-induced contraction was significantly inhibited by imipramine. In $Ca^{2+}-free$ PSS, ACh-induced contraction was less than those in normal PSS and it was not affected by the pretreatment with imipramine. $Ca^{2+}-induced$ contraction in $Ca^{2+}-free$ PSS was supressed by imipramine, but addition of A 23187, a calcium ionophore, overcomed the inhibitory effect of imipramine. High potassium-depolarization (40 mM KCl) evoked cell contraction, which was inhibited by imipramine. Caffeine, a releasing agent of the stored $Ca^{2+}$ from sarcoplasmic reticulum, evoked a contraction of the cells that was not blocked by the pretreatment with imipramine. These results suggest that imipramine inhibits the influx of calcium in the detrusor cells through both the receptor-operated- and voltage-gated-calcium channels, but does not affect the release of calcium from intracellular storage site.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.95-99
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• 2008

Calcium ($Ca^{2+}$) is an intracellular second messenger associated with neuronal plasticity of the central nervous system. The calcium-binding proteins regulate the $Ca^{2+}$-mediated signals in the cytoplasm and buffer the calcium concentration. This study examined temporal changes of three calcium-binding proteins (calretinin, calbindin and parvalbumin) in the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) during vestibular compensation after unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL) in rats. Rats underwent UL, and the changes in the expression of these proteins at 2, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h were examined by immuno-fluorescence staining. The expression levels of all three proteins increased immediately after UL and returned to the control level by 48 h. However, the level of calretinin showed changes different from the other two proteins, being expressed at significantly higher level in the contralateral MVN than in the ipsilateral MVN 2 h after UL, whereas the other two proteins showed similar expression levels in both the ipsilateral and contralateral MVN. These results suggest that the calcium binding proteins have some protective activity against the increased $Ca^{2+}$ levels in the MVN. In particular, calretinin might be more responsive to neuronal activity than calbindin or parvalbumin.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.136-142
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• 2019

Ischemia/reperfusion-induced myocardial injury is the main cause of acute myocardial infarction. Dendropanax morbifera $L{\acute{e}}veille$ has been used in traditional medicines for the treatment of various diseases such as headache, infectious diseases, and general debility. However, the effect of extract from D. morbifera (EDM) on myocardial ischemic injury is still unknown. In this study, the effects of EDM on neonatal rat cardiomyocytes with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury were investigated. The viability of cardiomyocytes with H (30 min)/R (1 h) decreased; however, treatment with EDM significantly inhibited H/R injury-induced cardiomyocyte death. Further, we observed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and intracellular calcium concentration ($Ca^{2+}{_i}$) were significantly reduced in EDM-treated cardiomyocytes compared with that in H/R-injured positive control. In addition, western blotting results showed that EDM attenuated abnormal changes of RyR2 and SERCA2a genes in hypoxic cardiomyocytes. These results suggest that EDM ameliorates ROS generation and $Ca^{2+}{_i}$ homeostasis to prevent dysregulation of calcium regulatory proteins in the heart, thereby exerting cardioprotective effects and reducing hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte damage, which verifies the potential use of EDM as a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of myocardial ischemic injury.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 1996

Intracellular calcium concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) may play a crucial role in a variety of neuronal functions. Here we report that in primary culture of mouse cerebellar granule cells nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are expressed in a specific developmental stage and involved in the regulation of intracellular calcium homeostasis. Nicotine-mediated calcium responses were measured using $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ or fluorometrically using the calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye fura-2. Maximal uptake of $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ evoked by nicotine in mouse cerebellar granule cells were revealed $8{\sim}12$ days in culture. In contrast, nicotine did not alter the basal $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ uptake in cultured glial cells. In cerebellar granule cells nicotine-evoked $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ uptake was largely blocked by the NMDA receptor antagonists. Glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT). which removes endogenous glutamate, also prevented nicotine effects, implying the indirect involvement of glutamate in nicotine-mediated calcium responses. Fluorometric studies using fura-2 showed two phases of nicotine-evoked $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ rises: the initial rising phase and the later plateau phase. Interestingly, the NMDA receptor antagonists and GPT appeared to inhibit only the later plateau phase of nicotine-evoked $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ rises. The present results imply that nicotine mediated $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ uptake and $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ rises are attributed to the calcium fluxes through both nAchRs and NMDA receptors in a time-dependent manner. Consequently, nAChRs may play an important role in neuronal development by being expressed in a specific developmental stage and regulating the intracellular calcium homeostasis.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.81-89
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• 1992

Enuresis is a common voiding disorder among children. There are several therapeutic regimens for the disorder available today; behavioral therapies, psychotherapy, bladder training, sleep interruption, hypnosis and drug therapy. Recently, the efficacy of drug therapy has been acknowledged, particularly of antidepressants. Among the tricyclic antidepressants, imipramine is most frequently employed for the treatment of enuresis. Present study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism of imipramine on the contractility of urinary bladder in relation to the calcium modulation using isolated strips of rat detrusor urinae. 1. The electric fileld stimulation-induced contraction was abolished by imipramine, but partially inhibited by atropine. 2. Imipramine reduced the basal tone and diminished the phasic activity of detrusor muscle concentration-dependently, which was similar to that of diltiazem, a calcium channel blocker. 3. Imipramine suppressed the maximal responses and shifted the concentration-response curves of bethanechol and ATP to right. 4. Imipramine inhibited the calcium-induced recovery of tension in calcium-free physiologic salt solution (PSS) with a mode of action similar to that of diltizaem. 5. A23187, a calcium ionophore recovered the basal tone which had been reduced by imipramine in normal PSS. 6. In calcium-free PSS, A23187 could recover the abolished basal tone with the pretreatment of imipramine, but it exerted a partial recovery with the pretreatment of TMB-8, an inhibitor of intracellular calcium release. Based on these results, it is suggested that the inhibitory action of imipramine on the detrusor muscle exerted in part by blockade of the muscarinic and purinergic receptors, and interference with the influx of extracellular calcium, but not with the release of intracellular stored calcium, is involved in its mechanism of action.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 2010

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors ($InsP_3Rs$) modulate $Ca^{2+}$ release from intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ store and are extensively expressed in the membrane of endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum and Golgi. Although caffeine and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) have been widely used to block $InsP_3Rs$, the use of these is limited due to their multiple actions. In the present study, we examined and compared the ability of caffeine and 2-APB as a blocker of $Ca^{2+}$ release from intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ stores and $Ca^{2+}$ entry through store-operated $Ca^{2+}$ (SOC) channel in the mouse pancreatic acinar cell. Caffeine did not block the $Ca^{2+}$ entry, but significantly inhibited carbamylcholine (CCh)-induced $Ca^{2+}$ release. In contrast, 2-APB did not block CCh-induced $Ca^{2+}$ release, but remarkably blocked SOC-mediated $Ca^{2+}$ entry at lower concentrations. In permeabilized acinar cell, caffeine had an inhibitory effect on InsP3-induced $Ca^{2+}$ release, but 2-APB at lower concentration, which effectively blocked $Ca^{2+}$ entry, had no inhibitory action. At higher concentrations, 2-APB has multiple paradoxical effects including inhibition of Ins$P_3$-induced $Ca^{2+}$ release and direct stimulation of $Ca^{2+}$ release. Based on the results, we concluded that caffeine is useful as an inhibitor of $InsP_3R$, and 2-APB at lower concentration is considered a blocker of $Ca^{2+}$ entry through SOC channels in the pancreatic acinar cell.