• Title/Summary/Keyword: nervous system

Search Result 2,743, Processing Time 0.028 seconds

Current Status of Korean Ginseng Research (한국인삼론(韓國人蔘論))

  • Han, Byung-Hoon
    • Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
    • /
    • v.3 no.3
    • /
    • pp.151-160
    • /
    • 1972
  • Recent achievements of scientific research on the pharmacologic activities and the chemical problems of dammalene glycosides, which are considered to be effective principles of Korean ginseng, are reviewed and analyzed in view of structure-activity relationship. 1) S. Shibata and his co-workers detected 12 glycoside spots of dammalene series on the two dimensional T.L.C. of total glycoside fraction from Japanese ginseng, and designated them Ginsenoside Rx(x=a, b, c, g, h, etc.) in the order of increasing Rf-value. The aglycones of those glycosides were characterized to be protopanaxadiol for the Ginsenoside $Rx(x=a,\;b_{1},\;b_{2},\;c,\;d,\;e,\;f)$ and protopanaxatriol for the Ginsenoside $Rx(x=g_{1},\;g_{2},\;g_{3},\;h_{1}\;'h_{2})$. Using Korean ginseng as the material for our study, the author and his coworkers isolated a new dammalene glycoside(Panax Saponin C), which comes under the category of protopanaxadiol glycosides based on the classification of S. Shibata et al., and characterized this saponin to be the glycoside of protopanaxatriol series. Furthermore, Panax Saponin C dissociated into $two\;components(C_{1}\;and\;C_{2}-acetate)$ by acetylation, both of which returned to original Panax Saponin C by deacetylation. Based on this result, more than 13 glycoside components of dammalene series will be expected in the Korean ginseng. 2) The structures of protopanaxadiol and protopanaxatriol, the genuine aglycones of dammalene glycosides, are fully established to be structural analogues by S. Shibata and his co-workers, therefore antagonistic and/or analogical activities will be expected for the pharmacologic activities of these glycoside series of structural analogues. K. Takaki and his co-workers found central nervous system (CNS) stimmulant activity from the glycosides of protopanaxatriol series and CNS-depressant activity from the glycosides of protopanaxadiol series. On the other hand, the author and his co-workers found stimmulating activity on the protein synthesis from both the series of dammalene glycosides with delayed and long-lasting characteristics. This delayed and long-lasting characteristics were also observed in the anti-inflammatory activity of glycosides of protopanaxatriol series on their time course tendency. For the convenience's sake of argument, pluralistic pharmacologic activities of dammalene glycosides, which were observed by many workers at various pharmacologic site, may be classified into two main categories; one is pan-cellular activity and the other is organ specific activity to the certain tissue which is a mass of cells differentiated to a certain direction for their special functions in the body. Based on the data of K. Takaki and those of the authors, following assumption will be probable; Pharmacologic activities of both series of glycosides of protopanaxadiol and protopanaxatriol aglycones may be antagonistic on their tissue-specific activities and analogic on their pan-cellular activities. Therefore, the mixture of these two series of glycosides in an appropriate ratio, as the case of total extract of Korean ginseng, will be probably beneficial to the host by increasing the synthesis of some functional proteins, due to the additive action of pan-cellular activity, and with the disappearance of any significant behavioral symptoms due to the antagonism of tissue specific activity. This fact will probably be the main reason why classical trials of pharmacologists failed in re-discovering the efficacy of Korean ginseng with their behavioral test. 3) The author and his co-workers achieved the synthesis of $C^{14}-labelled\;Panax\;Saponin\;A\;on\;C_{25}-C_{27}\;position\;of\;aglycone$ in the interest of tracer studies in vivo. The method will be applicable to other dammalene glycosides regardless of their chemical structure. 4) The author and his co-workers converted chemically betulafolienetriol, a triterpene component of Betula platyphylla, to the protopanaxadiol, one of genuine aglycone of dammalene glycosides.

  • PDF

Effect of Cardiotonic Pills$^{(R)}$ on Chest Pain and Discomfort: A Multi-center Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial. (심적환$^{(R)}$이 흉통 흉민에 대하여 미치는 영향에 대한 다기관 무작위배정 이중맹검 임상연구)

  • Jang Insoo;Ko Changnam;Lee In;Park Jung-mi;Kim Sehyun;Kim Sangwoo
    • The Journal of Korean Medicine
    • /
    • v.26 no.2 s.62
    • /
    • pp.95-104
    • /
    • 2005
  • Objectives: This was a double blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study for evaluation of safety and effective dose finding of Cardiotonic Pills$^{(R)}$ in patients with chest pain and discomfort. Cardiotonic Pills$^{(R)}$ are composed of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix (丹蔘), Notoginseng Radix (三七根) and Borneolum (龍腦). Major effects of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix and Notoginseng Radix are vasodilatation, sedation and analgesic action. Borneolum has an antibacterial effect, and can stimulate the central nervous system. All of these substances are oriental herbs that have been used for a long time in east Asia. Cardiotonic Pills fi received Investigational New Drug (IND) approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA and 40 million people in the world take this pill. We performed a phase IV clinical study to confirm its efficacy and safety in patients who have probable cardiogenic or psychogenic chest pain or chest stifling. Methods: This study was planned for a multi-center clinical trial including four university hospitals of oriental medicine in Korea. This was the first time to evaluate the 'planning treatment according to diagnosis (辨證施治)' of chest pain or chest discomfort according to oriental medical guidelines. The patients who were included in this trial were adult volunteers from 20 to 70 years old who had chest pain or chest discomfort more than twice during a recent month, and we received written consent to participate in this study from all of them. After administration of Cardiotonic Pills$^{(R)}$ for 8 weeks, number of occurrences, duration, appearance and degree of chest pain or chest discomfort was observed and degree of symptoms (severity of illness, global improvement) were measured using a patient's global assessment composite scale. Results: In the patient's global assessment scale, the severity of illness of the Cardiotonic Pills$^{(R)}$ group (n=25) was 14/25=0.56 but of the placebo group (n=25) was 7/25=0.28 (p-value=0.0449). This result indicates Cardiotonic Pills$^{(R)}$have a positive effect on the symptoms of chest pain and discomfort. However, the global improvement of the Cardiotonic Pills$^{(R)}$group was 23/25=0.92, and of the placebo group was 22/25=0.88 (p-value=0.6374). The total symptom score of the Cardiotonic Pills$^{(R)}$ group was $1.68\pm20.06$, and of the placebo group was $16.76\pm72.l4$(p-value=0.2285). The number of symptom events of the Cardiotonic Pills$^{(R)}$ group was $72\pm29.78$, and of the placebo group (n=25) was $10.80\pm38.42$ (p­value=0.3660). We could not find any effects on the other factors examined besides the severity of illness, beyond the difference of standard deviations. Conclusions: Cardiotonic Pills$^{(R)}$ significantly reduced chest pain and chest discomfort in patients. Therefore, we expect that Cardiotonic Pills$^{(R)}$ will be helpful for patients with chest pain and chest discomfort not only caused by heart disease but also by other diseases.

  • PDF

Effects of electromagnetic stimulation on neurogenesis and neuronal proliferation in rat hippocampal slice culture (실험 쥐 해마조직배양에서 전자기 자극이 신경조직발생 및 증식에 미치는 영향)

  • Kim, Deok-Soo;Choi, Eung Sang;Chae, Soo Ahn
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
    • /
    • v.49 no.5
    • /
    • pp.558-564
    • /
    • 2006
  • Purpose : Transcranial electromagnetic stimulation(TMS) is a noninvasive method which stimulates the central nervous system through pulsed magnetic fields without direct effect on the neurons. Although the neurobiologic mechanisms of magnetic stimulation are unknown, the effects on the brain are variable according to the diverse stimulation protocols. This study aims to observe the effect of the magnetic stimulation with two different stimulation methods on the cultured hippocampal slices. Methods : We obtained brains from 8-days-old Spague-Dawley rats and dissected the hippocampal tissue under the microscope. Then we chopped the tissue into 450 µm thickness slices and cultured the hippocampal tissue by Stoppini's method. We divided the inserts, which contained five healthy cultured hippocampal slices respectively, into magnetic stimulation groups and a control group. To compare the different effects according to the frequency of magnetic stimulation, stimulation was done every three days from five days in vitro at 0.67 Hz in the low stimulation group and at 50 Hz in the high stimulation group. After N-methyl-D-aspartate exposure to the hippocampal slices at 14 days in vitro, magnetic stimulation was done every three days in one and was not done in another group. To evaluate the neuronal activity after magnetic stimulation, the $NeuN/{\beta}$-actin ratio was calculated after western blotting in each group. Results : The expression of NeuN in the magnetic stimulation group was stronger than that of the control group, especially in the high frequency stimulation group. After N-methyl-D-aspartate exposure to hippocampal slices, the expression of NeuN in the magnetic stimulation group was similar to that of the control group, whereas the expression in the magnetic non-stimulation group was lower than that of the control group. Conclusion : We suggest that magnetic stimulation increases the neuronal activity in cultured hippocamal slices, in proportion to the stimulating frequency, and has a neuroprotective effect on neuronal damage.

Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid(CSF) Nitric Oxide, Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-1 α and Lactoferrin Levels in Aseptic Meningitis (무균성 뇌수막염 환자의 뇌척수액과 혈청에서 Nitric Oxide, Macrophage Inflammatory Protein(MIP)-1α, Lactoferrin 값의 비교)

  • Seo, Young;Sim, Jung Yeon;Shim, Jae Won;Kim, Deok Su;Jung, Hye Lim;Park, Moon Soo
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
    • /
    • v.48 no.1
    • /
    • pp.48-54
    • /
    • 2005
  • Purpose : The pathologic mechanisms of central nervous system(CNS) injuries in human meningitis are not yet completely understood. Recent studies indicate that the host inflammatory responses are as important in brain damage as the infecting organisms and toxins. There have been some reports on the relationship of nitric oxide(NO), macrophage inflammatory protein-$1{\alpha}$(MIP-$1{\alpha}$), and lactoferrin in bacterial meningitis, but few reports in aseptic meningitis. Thus, we investigated the concentrations of NO, MIP-$1{\alpha}$ and lactoferrin in cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) and serum of patients with aseptic meningitis and control subjects and evaluated their relationship with other parameters of meningitis. Methods : CSF and blood were obtained from 25 subjects with aseptic meningitis and 15 control subjects. After centrifugation, supernatants were stored at $-70^{\circ}C$ and we assayed the concentrations of NO, MIP-$1{\alpha}$ and lactoferrin with the ELISA method. There were no patients with neurologic sequelae after being recovered from aseptic meningitis. Results : Concentrations of CSF and serum NO, MIP-$1{\alpha}$ were not increased in aseptic meningitis subjects compared to control subjects. Concentration of CSF lactoferrin was significantly elevated in patients with aseptic meningitis and concentration of serum lactoferrin was significantly decreased in patients with aseptic meningitis compared with those in control subjects(P<0.05). CSF lactoferrin level was positively correlated with CSF WBC counts($r_s=0.449$, P=0.007), especially with neutrophil counts($r_s=0.574$, P<0.001) and CSF protein level($r_s=0.508$, P=0.002). Conclusion : Lactoferrin plays an important role in aseptic meningitis and may be released from neutrophils recruited from blood to the CSF through breakdown of blood-brain barrier. NO and MIP-$1{\alpha}$ may not be important factors in the pathogenesis of aseptic meningitis without neurologic sequelae.

Multicenter clinical study on birth weight and associated anomalies of single umbilical artery (단일 배꼽 동맥 환아의 출생체중과 동반기형에 관한 다기관 연구)

  • Bae, Su-Nam;Lim, Jae-Woo;Ko, Kyong-Og;Jin, Hyun-Seung;Kim, Min-Hee;Lee, Bo-Young;Kim, Chun-Soo;Kim, Eun-Ryoung;Park, Sang-Kee;Lee, Jung-Joo
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
    • /
    • v.52 no.6
    • /
    • pp.655-660
    • /
    • 2009
  • Purpose : To compare birth weight between infants with a single umbilical artery (SUA) and normal infants, investigate the associated anomalies of infants with SUA and isolated SUA (no abnormality of external appearance on birth, except SUA), and determine the prognosis of infants with isolated SUA. Methods : Live-born infants with SUA (n=59) detected by physical examination from among 15,193 live births in seven university hospitals in Korea between January 1, 2004, to August 1, 2007, were reviewed retrospectively, with 236 normal infants serving as the control group. Results : A statistical difference was observed between the groups in birth weight and in vitro fertilization. The incidence of infants with SUA was 0.37%. Congenital malformations were observed in 21 infants with cardiovascular (n=15, 25.4%), gastrointestinal (n=2, 3.4%), genitourinary (n=9, 15.3%), neuromusculoskeletal (n=6, 10.2%), central nervous system (n=1, 1.7%), chromosomal (n=1, 1.7%), and other (n=3, 5.1%) abnormalities. There were 49 (83.1%) infants with isolated SUA in this study population; among them, the associated congenital malformations were cardiovascular (n=6, 12.2%) and genitourinary (n=6, 12.2%) abnormalities. Two infants with cyanotic heart disease were operated and four infants with acyanotic heart disease showed improvements without any treatment. Six infants with genitourinary abnormalities on renal ultrasound had mild hydronephrosis without further consequences. Conclusion : The incidence of structural abnormalities in the cardiovascular and genitourinary systems is high and the genitourinary anomalies associated with isolated SUA have relatively good prognosis.

Long Term Outcome of Endoscopically Clipping the Upper Part of R4 Sympathetic Block and R4 Sympathetic Block for the Treatment of Palmar Hyperhidrosis (수장부 다한증에서 Clipping에 의한 흉부4번 교감신경절 상부 차단술과 흉부4번 교감신경절 완전 차단술에 대한 장기성적 비교)

  • Choi, Bong-Chun;Kim, Yong-Han;Sa, Young-Jo;Park, Jae-Kil;Lee, Sun-Hee;Sim, Sung-Bo
    • Journal of Chest Surgery
    • /
    • v.40 no.11
    • /
    • pp.752-758
    • /
    • 2007
  • Background: Thoracic sympathetic block surgery is a safe and effective procedure for palmar hyperhydrosis, and this maintains sufficient moisture and prevents compensatory hyperhidrosis. To avoid compensatory hyperhidrosis, the authors performed sympathetic block surgery just above the R4 level to maintain sympathetic tone affecting the caudal area. Material and Method: A total of 71 subjects (45 males and 26 females) were categorized into two groups. Group 1 (31 patients, mean age: 25.5 years) had clips placed both on the upper and lower part of R4 sympathetic ganglion, and group 2 (40 patients, mean age: 25.9 years) underwent clipping of the upper part of R4. Telephone surveys were done to collect data on 8 categories, and the average follow up interval was 24.9 months (group 1) and 18.9 months (group 2). Result: For group 1, 41.9% experienced no sweating and 48.4% re-plied they experienced some sweating depending on the surrounding conditions. Group 2 showed that 60% experienced no sweating and 35% replied they experienced some sweating depending on the surrounding conditions, 58.1% in group 1 experienced sweating right after the surgery, and 40.0% in group 2 experienced the same. Group 1 (38.1%) and group 2 (37.5%) replied they experienced no hand dryness and more patients in group 2 than in group 1 had hand dryness, but without uncomfortable symptoms. 71.0% (group 1) and 62.5% (group 2) replied they had no compensatory hyperhidrosis or related symptoms. One patient in group 1 and two in group 2 reported they regretted undergoing the procedure. The regions of compensatory hyperhidrosis were the back, thigh and chest in group 1 and the group 2 reported the back, chest, and abdomen in the order of frequency. Fewer incidences of the gustatory hyperhidrosis were noted in group 2. Most of the patients were satisfied with their treatment. Conclusion: Clipping the upper part of the R4 ganglion or R4 sympathetic block are both effective for treating palmar hyperhidrosis and these treatments decrease the occurrence or symptoms of compensatory hyperhidrosis. The upper R4 sympathetic block procedure is easier and safer with fewer incidences of gustatory hyperhidrosis and a higher percentage of patient satisfaction.

Cold Pressor Response to Seasonal Variation in Winter and Summer (국소한냉자극이 전신 및 국소혈액순환에 미치는 영향 -제 2 보 : 동계 및 하계의 계절변화에 따른 한냉반응-)

  • Park, Won-Gyun;Chae, E-Up
    • The Korean Journal of Physiology
    • /
    • v.17 no.2
    • /
    • pp.93-101
    • /
    • 1983
  • A possibility whether the appearance of adaptation to cold climate during winter could occur or not in Taegu area was evaluated by comparing the data obtained in winter with that obtained by the same method in summer. Circulatory response was induced by the immersion of one hand in the cold water. The systemic and local responses in the blood circulation from the immersed hand and the unimmersed opposite hand were observed simultaneously. In addition Galvanic skin resistance(GSR) that is influenced by the activity of autonomic nervous system and the vascular tonicity was recorded. The experiment was performed by examining sixty healthy college students in winter and fifty in summer, whose mean age was 21.0, mean weight $60.6{\pm}0.90\;kg(male)$ and $48.3{\pm}0.98\;kg(female)$. The cold stimulus was applied by immersing the left hand into the cold water of $5^{\circ}C$ for 3 minutes, and the response was observed on immersed left hand and unimmersed right hand simultaneously. The observation was made through determining mean blood pressure, heart rate, amplitude of photoelectric capillary pulse (APCP) and GSR. The results obtained are as follows: The mean blood pressure was elevated during the cold stimulation. The increase of blood pressure in summer was more remarkable than in winter. At the recovery period the blood pressure was decreased to the control level in winter but the decrease below the control level was observed in summer. The increase of heart rate in summer was more remarkable than in winter during the cold stimulation. At the recovery period heart rate in both winter and summer was decreased below the control level. During the cold stimulation the APCP was decreased on both hands in winter. However it was more prominent on left hand indicating additional direct cold effect on immersed hand. In summer, the decrease of APCP during immersion was less remarkable than that in winter, but the regain of APCP was faster than that in winter at the recovery period. And the prompt increase of APCP over the control level has been obtained at the 3 minutes of the recovery period. The GSR was remarkably increased on immersed hand but slightly decreased on unimmersed opposite hand during the cold stimulation. Thus the finding on immersed hand indicates that the local direct effect of cold water is more prominent than the systemic effect, where as the finding on unimmersed hand indicates that the circulatory response to painful stress elicited by the cold stimulation is more prominent than cold temperature itself. In summary, it seems that the systemic circulatory response to the local cold stimulation of the one hand is arised more from the secondary elicited pain sensation and less from the low water temperature. On the contrary to the report of Kim et $al^{39)}$, the adaptation phenomena in blood pressure to the relatively mild cold climate in winter was not observed in this study. The difference of circulatory response observed in this study between winter and summer may be due to the difference of the magnitude of subjective sensation of the cold water stimulation by the seasonal changes in air temperature.

  • PDF

Renal Effects of Intracerebroventricular Bromocriptine in the Rabbit (가토에 있어서 측뇌실내 Bromocriptine의 신장작용)

  • Kook, Young-Johng;Kim, Kyung-Keun;Kim, Jae-Pil;Kim, Kyung-Ho
    • The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
    • /
    • v.21 no.1
    • /
    • pp.49-61
    • /
    • 1985
  • In view of the facts that dopamine (DA) when given directly into a lateral ventricle (i.c.v.) of the rabbit brain induces antidiuresis and that haloperidol, a non-specific antagonist of DA receptors, produces anti-diuresis in smaller doses and diuresis and natriuresis in larger doses, the present study was undertaken to delineate the roles of various DA receptors involved in the center-mediated regulation of renal function. Bromocriptine (BRC), a relatively specific agonist of D-2 receptors and at the same time a D-,1 antagonist, elicited natriuresis and diuresis when given i.c.v. in doses ranging from 20 to 600 {\mu}g/kg$, roughly in dose-related fashion, while the renal perfusion and glomerular filtration progressively decreased with doses, indicating that the diuretic, natriuretic action resides in the tubules, not related to the hemodynamic effects. These diuresis and natriuresis were most marked with 200 ${\mu}g/kg$, with the fractional sodium excretion reaching about 10%. With 600 ${\mu}g/kg$, however, the diuretic, natriuretic action was preceded by a transient oliguria resulting from severe reduction of renal perfusion, concomitant with marked but transient hypertension. When given intravenously, however, BRC produced antidiuresis and antinatriuresis along with decreases in renal hemodynamics associated with systemic hypotension, thus indicating that the renal effects produced by i.c.v. BRC is not caused by a direct renal effects of the agent which might have reached the systemic circulation. In experiments in which DA was given i.c.v. prior to BRC, 150 ${\mu}g/kg$ DA did not affect the effects of BRC (200 ${\mu}g/kg$), while 500 ${\mu}g/kg$ DA abolished the BRC effect. In rabbits treated with reserpine, 1 mg/kg i.v.,24 h prior to the experiment, i.c.v. BRC could unfold its renal effects not only undiminished but rather exaggerated and more promptly. In preparations in which one kidney is deprived of nervous connection, the denervated kidney responded with marked diuresis and natriuresis, whereas the innervated, control kidney exhibited antidiuresis. These observations suggest that i.c.v. BRC influences the renal function through release of some humoral natriuretic factor as well as by increasing sympathetic tone, and that various DA receptors might be involved with differential roles in the center-mediated regulation of the renal function.

  • PDF

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis based on the lesions on MRI (자기공명영상의 병변에 따른 급성 파종성 뇌척수염의 임상 양상과 예후)

  • Chung, Sunghoon;Park, Sungsin;Chung, Sajun
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
    • /
    • v.50 no.9
    • /
    • pp.891-895
    • /
    • 2007
  • Purpose : Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and mostly develops after viral illness or vaccinations. We investigated the clinical differences and neurologic outcomes according to the distribution of the lesions on brain MRI. Methods : The study group was composed of 21 patients from January 1995 to August 2003 in Kyunghee University hospital. We grouped the patients according to the MRI findings as follows. Group I (14 cases): Multi- or unifocal lesions only in the cerebral white matter. Group II (7 cases): lesions in the gray matter with or without white matter involvement. Results : 1. Preceding events were as follows: no defined prodrome (38.1%), upper respiratory tract infection (28.6%), nonspecific febrile illness (19.0%), gastointestinal disturbance and vaccination. 2. Presenting symptoms were as follows: seizures (76.2%), headache/vomiting (47.6%), altered consciousness (38.1%), hemiparesis, cerebellar ataxia, visual disturbance and facial nerve palsy. 3. Laboratory findings were as follows: CSF pleocytosis (76.2%), leucocytosis (38.1%) and elevated CSF protein (28.6%). 4. Fifteen patients were recovered completely without neurological sequelae. Three patients in group I and 1 patient in group II had intractable seizures. Two patients in group I and 2 patients in group II had motor disturbance. Conclusion : There were no statistically significant differences in preceding events, presenting symptoms, and neurological outcomes according to the distribution of the lesions on brain MRI. However, the ADEM have quite diverse clinical manifestations and neuroimage findings. MRI plays an important role in making diagnosis of the patients who are suspected of ADEM.

Contractile Response of Methylene Blue on Vascular Smooth Muscles - Rabbit Thoracic Aorta and Porcine Mesenteric Artery - (혈관평활근에 대한 Methylene Blue의 수축작용 - 가토흉부대동맥근과 돼지장간막동맥근 -)

  • Baik, Yung-Hong;Choi, Soo-Yong;Kim, Jae-Ha;Cho, Nam-Kee
    • The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
    • /
    • v.26 no.1
    • /
    • pp.13-23
    • /
    • 1990
  • Methylene Blue (MeB) and gentian violet $(10^{-6}{\sim}10^{-4}\;M)$ produced contractions in isolated thoracic aortic preparations of rabbits in a dose-dependent fashion, while other dyes, evans blue and eosine yellowish, did not affect the basal tension in the same range of doses. Porcine mesenteric arterial rings also responded to MeB with dose-dependent contractions. Single dose of $10^{-4}$ M MeB produced a biphasic response: contraction followed by relaxation. The contraction developed slowly within $2{\sim}4$ min and peaked in about 20 minutes and then slowly relaxed to the basal level. Tyramine $(10^{-4}\;M)$ also induced contraction but it developed faster and was more persistent than that of MeB. While the tyramine-induced tension was reproducible, the MeB-induced one wat not reiterable until 3 to 5 hours after washing out the MeB. Adding $10^{-4}$ M MeB further potentiated the contraction induced by $10^{-4}$ M tyramine. However, the MeB contraction was not affected by further addition or tyramine. Both tyramine- and MeB-induced tensions were abolished or significantly inhibited by pretreatment with various drugs acting on the sympathetic nervous system. The tyramine-induced tension was more sensitive to guanethidine and 6-hydroxydopamine than the MeB-induced tension, while the latter was more sensitive to $Ca^{2+}-free$ PSS and reserpine. But they have similar sensitivity to prazosin. The MeB-induced tension was significantly inhibited but not abolished by 6-hydroxydopamine pretreatment. However, either tyramine or 6-hydroxydopamine could not affect the basal tension of the ring that MeB once had been tested. These results suggest that MeB-induced contractions of rabbit thoracic aorta and porcine mesenteric artery result from a release of endogenous norepinephrine from adrenergic nerve endings and are dependent in part on extracellular calcium, and that the potency of MeB to release or to deplete norepinephrine is greater than that of either tyramine or 6-hydroxydopamine.

  • PDF