• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.247-254
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• 2016

Cytological changes of the epithelial cells according to the developmenatal phases of the seminal vesicle related to the spermatogenic stages in the testicular lobules during spermagenesis in male Neptunea (Barbitonia) cumingii (Gastropoda: Buccinidae) were investigated monthly by electron microscopical and histological observations. N. (B) cumingii is dioecious, and an internal fertilization species. The male genital organ is located near the tentacles. The spermatozoon is approximatley $50{\mu}m$ in length. The axoneme of the tail flagellum consists of nine pairs of microtubles at the periphery and one pair at the center. The process of germ cell development during spermatogenesis can be divided into five succesive stages: (1) spermatogonia, (2) primary spermatocytes, (3) secondary spermatocytes, (4) spermatids, and (5) spermatozoa. A considerable amount of spermatozoa make their appearance in the testicular lobules (or acini) and some of them are tranported from the testis towards the seminal vesicles until late July. In this study, the developmental phases of the epithelial cells of the seminal vesicles of N. (B.) cumingii could be classified into four phases: (1) S-I phase (resting), (2) S-IIphase (early accumulating), (3) S-III phase (accumulating), and (4) S-IV phase (spent). However, in case of N. (B.) arthritica cumingii, the developmental phases of the seminal vesicle were devided into three phases: (1) resting, (2) accumulating and (3) spent. Granular bodies in the inner layer of the seminal vesicles are involved in resorption of digestion of residual spermatozoa.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.209-213
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• 2005

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are the pacemaker cells that generate slow waves in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In the present study, we investigated the effect of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channel on pacemaking activity in cultured ICCs from murine small intestine by using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. Under current clamp mode, at 10μM glibenclamide, there was no change in pacemaking activity of ICCs. At $30{\mu}M$ glibenclamide, an inhibitor of the ATP sensitive $K^+$ channels, we could find two examples. If pacemaking activity of ICCs was irregulating, pacemaking activity of ICCs was changed into regulating and if in normal conditions, membrane potential amplitude was increased. At $50{\mu}M$ glibenclamide, the resting membrane potential was depolarized. At 3mM 5-HDA, an inhibitor of the mitoKATP channels, inhibited the pacemaking activity of ICCs. Both the amplitude and the frequency were decreased. At 5 mM 5-HDA, both the amplitude and the frequency were completely abolished. Diazoxide, an opener of the mitoKATP channels, was applied to examine its effect on pacemaking activity of ICCs. At $50{\mu}M$ concentration, the pacemaking activity of ICCs was inhibited. Both the amplitude and the frequency were decreased. At 1 mM concentration, both the amplitude and the frequency were completely abolished and the resting membrane potential was shaked.These results indicate that mitoKATP channel has an important role in pacemaking activity of ICCs.

• 한국양식학회지
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.43-48
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• 2002

We investigated the gonadosomatic index (GSI), germ cell development, reproductive cycle of the Afriean lungfish Protorierus annecteus (Owen) by histological observations and morphometric data. Samples were collected from the river Orie and its flood of Nigeria, from January to December 2000. The fish is dioecious and oviparous. Monthly changes in the gonadosomatic index (GSI) showed a similar pattern to change in the mean oocyte diameter and the reproductive cycle. The reproductive period occurred from March to July-August; the spawning period was once a year between truly and August, and the main spawning occurred in August when active and voracious feeding occurred during the rainy season. In the resting (dormant) stage after spawning, fish stopped feeding and aestivated during the dry season from December to February. The reproductive cycle of the species can be divided into five successive stages, quiescent stage (March to April), developing/maturing stage (April to lune), ripe/spawning stage (July to August), post-spawning stage (September to November), and resting (dormant) stage (December to February).

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제7권3호
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• pp.187-191
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• 2003

$Na^+/H^+$ exchanger (NHE) has a critical role in regulation of intracellular pH (pHi) in the renal proximal tubular cells. It has recently been shown that dopamine inhibits NHE in the renal proximal tubules. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of information on the effects of long-term (chronic) dopamine treatment on NHE activities. This study was performed to elucidate the pHi regulatory mechanisms during the chronic dopamine treatments in renal proximal tubular OK cells. The resting pHi was greatly decreased by chronic dopamine treatments. The initial rate and the amplitude of intracellular acidification by isosmotical $Na^+$ removal from the bath medium in chronically dopamine-treated cells were much smaller than those in control. Although it seemed to be attenuated in $Na^+$-dependent pH regulation system, $Na^+$-dependent pHi recovery by NHE after intracelluar acid loading in the dopamine-treated groups was not significantly different from the control. The result is interpreted to be due to the balance between the stimulation effects of lower pHi on the NHE activity and counterbalance by dopamine. Our data strongly suggested that chronic dopamine treatment increased intrinsic intracellular buffer capacity, since higher buffer capacity was induced by lower resting pHi and this effect could attenuate pHi changes under extracellular $Na^+$-free conditions in chronically dopamine-treated cells. Our study also demonstrated that intracellular acidification induced by chronic dopamine treatments was not mediated by changes in NHE activity.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.33-40
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• 1991

For the observations of both the membrane properties and the excitability on the unfertilized eggs of female mice, changes of the membrane resistance and the membrane potential by hyerpolarizing current stimulation were recorded. As current-voltage relation was linear over the entire range (-180mV~+60mV), membrane resistance($R_m$) was calculated from the amplitude of electrotonic potential to a given stimulus current. Also the presence of anode-break excitation was confirmed. The results were as follows; 1. There was a linear relation between the membrane resistance and resting membrane potential, the expected input resistance was 61. 4M$\Omega$(resting membrane potential was $-18.9{\pm}8.7mV$, mean${\pm}$SD, n=30). 2. Transient depolarization with overshoot was generated just after hyperpolarizing current stimulus and showed the dependency of stimulus duration. 3. Transient depolarization lasted over 30ms, amplitude of these depolarization was increased by high $Ca^{{+}{+}}$(20mM) and inhibited by $Ca^{{+}{+}}$-antagonist, $Mn^{{+}{+}}$. 4. From the above results, it was suggested that the unfertilized mouse egg showed the characteristics of the excitable cell.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.127-135
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• 2016

Two-pore 도메인 포타슘 채널(two-pore domain $K^+$ channel, K2P channel)은 세포내 pH, 생리 활성 지질, 신경 전달 물질과 같은 생리학적 자극의 표적이며 안정막전압(resting membrane potential)을 설정하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 일부 유형의 K2P 채널들은 세포 사멸 및 종양 형성 등에서 중요한 역할을 한다. K2P 채널 중 TREK2 채널의 길항제는 보고되지 않았다. 본 연구의 목적은 TREK2 채널을 과발현시킨 HEK293 세포(HEKT2)에서 플라보노이드에 의해 TREK2 채널이 억제되는지 그리고 HEKT2 세포의 증식이 플라보노이드에 의해 영향을 받는지 알아보고자 하였다. 전기생리학적 전류는 단일 채널 patch clamp 방법을 사용하여 기록하였고 세포 증식은 XTT 에세이방법을 이용하여 측정하였다. HEKT2 세포에서 전기생리학적 TREK2 채널 활성도는 에피갈로카테킨-3-갈레이트(EGCG) 및 케르세틴과 같은 플라보노이드에 의해 각각 $91.5{\pm}13.1%$(n=5), $82.2{\pm}13.7%$(n=5)까지 억제되었다. 반면, EGCG 유사체인 에피카테킨(EC)는 TREK2 단일 채널 활성도에 현저한 억제 효과는 없었다. 또한 HEKT2 세포에서 세포 증식이 EGCG에 의해 $69.4{\pm}14.0%$(n=4)까지 감소되었음을 확인하였다. 결과로부터 EGCG와 케르세틴이 TREK2 채널 억제제임을 처음으로 확인하였고, EGCG만 HEKT2 세포의 증식을 감소시킨다는 결론을 얻었다. 본 연구의 결과는 EGCG 및 케르세틴이 TREK2 채널을 억제함으로써 막전압의 변화 유도와 세포 증식에 필요한 세포내 신호 변화의 시작을 트리거하는데 일차적으로 작동할 수 있음을 시사한다.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.61-68
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• 2008

Purpose: Protein kinase C (PKC) is a member of a family of serine/threonine kinases that are activated by diacylglycerol (DG) and PKC stimulants. PKC play a key role in signal transduction, including muscle contraction, cell migration, apoptosis, cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the mechanism relating mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and PKC, especially in the volume-dependent hypertensive state, remains unclear. Methods: In the present study, I investigated the relationship between PKC and MAPKs for isometric contraction, PKC translocation, and enzymatic activity from normotensive sham-operated rats (NSR) and aldosterone-analogue deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) hypertensive rats (ADHR). Results: Systolic blood pressure was significantly increased in ADHR than in NSR. Physiological salt solution (PSS)-induced resting tension and the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration ([$Ca^{2+}{_i}$]) were different in the ADHR and NSR. The expression of PKC$\alpha$, PKC$\beta$II, PKC$\delta$, PKC$\varepsilon$ and PKC$\xi$ were different between the cytoplasmic and membranous fractions. However, expression of the PKC isoforms did not differ for the ADHR and NSR. The use of 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate (DPB, a PKC stimulant) induced isometric contraction in $Ca^{2+}$-free medium, which was diminished in muscle strips from ADHR as compared to NSR. Increased vasoconstriction and phosphorylation induced by the use of 1 ${\mu}$M DPB were inhibited by treatment with 10 ${\mu}$M PD098059 and 10 ${\mu}$M SB203580, inhibitors of extracellular-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38 MAPK from ADHR, respectively. Conclusion: These results suggest that the development of aldosterone analogue-induced hypertension is associated with an altered blood pressure, resting tension, [$Ca^{2+}{_i}$], and that the $Ca^{2+}$-independent contraction evoked by PKC stimulants is due to the activation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK in volume-dependent hypertension. Therefore, it is suggested that PKC activity affects volume-dependent hypertension and the need to develop cardiovascular disease-specialized physical therapy.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.370-378
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• 2009

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) has recently been found to be a tumor suppressor gene. Although it has been reported that NDRG2 expression in breast cancer cells decreases cell proliferation by inhibiting STAT3 activation via SOCS1 induction, the molecular mechanism of chemotherapeutic agent-induced apoptosis is not well known. To elucidate the effect of NDRG2 on the apoptotic pathway induced by doxorubicin, we established stable cell lines expressing NDRG2 and investigated the effect of NDRG2 expression on the doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. While STAT3 activation was remarkably inhibited by NDRG2 overexpression, the expression level of p21 was increased by NDRG2 expression. We confirmed that NDRG2-expressing cells treated with doxorubicin suppressed STAT3 activation and upregulated p21 expression. NDRG2 expression considerably enhanced TUNEL positive apoptotic cells, poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage, release of cytochrome c to cytosol, and caspase-3 activity in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Bid expression in a resting state and after treatment with doxorubicin increased in MDA-MB-231-NDRG2 cells compared to MDA-MB-231-mock cells. Meanwhile, Bcl-$x_L$ expression decreased in MDA-MB-231-NDRG2 cells compared to MDA-MB-231-mock cells in a resting state and in doxorubicin-treated cells. Collectively, these data suggest that suppression of STAT3 activation by NDRG2 influences the sensitivity to doxorubicin-induced apoptosis of breast cancer cells and this may provide a potential therapeutic benefit to overcome the resistance against doxorubicin in breast cancer.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.268-278
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• 2005

We investigated the effect of cytosolic and extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ on $Ca^{2+}$ signals in pancreatic acinar cells by measuring $Ca^{2+}$ concentration in the cytosol($[Ca^{2+}]_c$) and in the lumen of the ER($[Ca^{2+}]_{Lu}$). To control buffers and dye in the cytosol, a patch-clamp microelectrode was employed. Acetylcholine released $Ca^{2+}$ mainly from the basolateral ER-rich part of the cell. The rate of $Ca^{2+}$ release from the ER was highly sensitive to the buffering of $[Ca^{2+}]_c$ whereas ER $Ca^{2+}$ refilling was enhanced by supplying free $Ca^{2+}$ to the cytosol with $[Ca^{2+}]_c$ clamped at resting levels with a patch pipette containing 10 mM BAPTA and 2 mM $Ca^{2+}$. Elevation of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ to 10 mM from 1 mM raised resting $[Ca^{2+}]_c$ slightly and often generated $[Ca^{2+}]_c$ oscillations in single or clustered cells. Although pancreatic acinar cells are reported to have extracellular $Ca^{2+}$-sensing receptors linked to phospholipase C that mobilize $Ca^{2+}$ from the ER, exposure of cells to 10 mM $Ca^{2+}$ did not decrease $[Ca^{2+}]_{Lu}$ but rather raised it. From these findings we conclude that 1) ER $Ca^{2+}$ release is strictly regulated by feedback inhibition of $[Ca^{2+}]_c$, 2) ER $Ca^{2+}$ refilling is determined by the rate of $Ca^{2+}$ influx and occurs mainly in the tiny subplasmalemmal spaces, 3) extracellular $Ca^{2+}$-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_c$ oscillations appear to be triggered not by activation of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$-sensing receptors but by the ER sensitised by elevated $[Ca^{2+}]_c$ and $[Ca^{2+}]_{Lu}$.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.225-231
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• 2014

In this study we aim to extensively investigate the anti-influenza virus immune responses in human pharyngeal epithelial cell line (Hep-2) and evaluate the protective role of Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands in seasonal influenza A H1N1 (sH1N1) infections in vitro. We first investigated the expression of the TLRs and cytokines genes in resting and sH1N1 infected Hep-2 cells. Clear expressions of TLR3, TLR9, interleukin (IL)-6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ and interferon (IFN)-${\beta}$ were detected in resting Hep-2 cells. After sH1N1 infection, a ten-fold of TLR3 and TLR9 were elicited. Concomitant with the TLRs activation, transcriptional expression of IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IFN-${\beta}$ were significantly induced in sH1N1-infected cells. Pre-treatment of cells with poly I:C (an analog of viral double-stranded RNA) and CpG-ODN (a CpG-motif containing oligodeoxydinucleotide) resulted in a strong reduction of viral and cytokines mRNA expression. The results presented indicated the innate immune response activation in Hep-2 cells and affirm the antiviral role of Poly I:C and CpG-ODN in the protection against seasonal influenza A viruses.