• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.147-162
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• 2011

Objectives : This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of the BSGE hot water extract on serotonin biosynthesis of depression model. Methods : The cytotoxicity of the BSGE hot water extract was analyzed by MTT assay on P815 cell. The antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH free radical-scavenging activity and SOD activity on P815 cell. The quantity of 5-HT and expression of TPH-1, AAADC and MAOa mRNA was measured by of HPLC profle Analysis on P815 cell. Results : 1. The BSGE hot water extract increased DPPH free radical-scavenging activity and SOD activity on P815 cell. 2. The BSGE hot water extract increased significantly the quantity of 5-HT. 3. The BSGE hot water extract increased the expression of TPH-1 mRNA. Conclusions : This experiment shows that the BSGE hot water extract might be effective for the prevention and treatment of depression. Investigation into the clinical use of the BSGE hot water extract for depression is suggested for future research.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.17-35
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• 1990

Effect of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT, serotonin) and its precursor tryptophan on the cell proliferation of brain and somite parts of 4 day chick embryo in Dulbeco's modified essential medium was examined morphologically at cellular level. It was realized that the externally added 5-HT and/or tryptophan disturbed cell proliferation and severve necrosis occured. Electron micrograph showed that the development of cell organelles were greatly impaired. The activities of both acetylcholine esterase and $Mg^{2+}$ -dependent ATPase of the brain tissues of 5 day chick embryo, which received 1mg of tryptophan and/or 0.1mg of 5-HT at primitive streak stage after 24 hrs incubation of the fertilized egg, were much lower(about 20-25%) than those of control group. These results were supported by the electron micrographs of chemically treated cells. Control cells showed clear densed bands of acetylcholine esterase activity around nucleus and rough endoplasmic reticulum but tryptophan or 5-HT treated groups showed discontinued activity bands. In the case of $Mg^{2+}$-ATPase, the control groups showed clear continuous activity bands but tryptophan and/or 5-HT treated groups were discontinuous. From the previous and present studies, it seems that the intracelluar 5-HT level is very important for the cell proliferation and normal morphogenesis.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.112-122
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• 2003

Objectives：Considerable data indicate that diminished serotonergic activity is related to aggressive behavior. In order to understand the biological etiology in conduct disorder, we studied the relationships of plasma serotonin and 5-HIAA levels in conduct disorders to measures of aggression, violation of rules and oppositional defiant behavior. Methods：Subjects were selected from inpatients and outpatients department of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of Seoul National University Hospital. 41 conduct disorders(18 childhoodonset type, 23 adolescent-onset type) and 23 normal controls were included in this study. For the assessment of aggression, rule violation and oppositional behavior, parents completed the rating scale for conduct disorder and oppositional behavior based on the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Plasma serotonin and 5-HIAA levels were determined by HPLC with electrochemical detection. Results：1) Plasma 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels were not significantly different among childhood-onset conduct disorder, adolescent-onset conduct disorder and normal control subjects. 2) No significant correlations were found between plasma 5-HT levels and aggression or rule violation. 3) Plasma 5-HT levels showed significant positive correlations with oppositional behavior both in childhood-onset conduct disorder and adolescent-onset conduct disorder. 4) Age-related changes were not found in plasma 5-HT and 5-HIAA levles. Conclusion：Our findings do not support the hypothesis that dysregulation of serotonergic function may be associated with aggresson. Instead, our data suggest that serotonergic function is more closely related with oppositional behavior than aggression.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1990

We established an in vitro system of central serotonergic neurons by culturing dissociated rat embryonic (El4) brainstem cells to 14 days in vitro and monitored the serotonergic neuronal growth by measuring 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) contents in the cells with hish performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-EC). We studied also tile effects of various drugs on the contents of 5-HT and 5-HIAA, confirming in vivo reports. The 5-HT content (13 ng/mg protein) and 5-HT turnover rate (17 pmol/mg protein/h) at 14 days in vitro were in good agreement with those reported in the adult rat brain. The 5-HT content was more easily depleted with p-chlorophenylalanine, a tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor than with NSD 1015 (3-hydroxybenzylhydrazine), an aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) inhibitor. Incubation of the cultures with tryptophan or 5-hydroxytryptophan increased the rate of serotonin formation implying that neither tryptophan hydroxylase nor AADC is saturated with its amino acid substrate in this in vitro system . The 5-HT content was depleted by reserpine. The 5-HT and 5-HIAA contents were increased and decreased, respectively, by monoamine oxidase inhibitors. All the above results indicate that the biochemical properties of the central serotonergic neurons in this culture system reflect reliably those of central serotonergic neurons in vivo. We suggest that measuring 5-HT and 5-HIAA contents in the primary cultured dissociated brainstem-cells with HPLC-EC is useful in the study of pharmacology as well as toxicolgy of the central serotonergic neurons.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.spc8
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• pp.2861-2862
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• 2011

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1439-1444
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• 2002

6-Nitroquipazine has higher binding affinity for SERT than other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. We have prepared 6-nitroquipazine based rhenium complexes which would lead to the development of potential SPECT imaging agents with $^{99m}Tc$ for 5-HT transporter.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.153-161
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• 1994

We fed high trypotophan diet(3.5% tryptophan/diet(w/w) to mice for 7 days and treated then with 3 hour immobilization(IMMB) stress to investigate tryptophan metabolism and immunomodulation. The levels of serum tryptophan, brain tryptophan, serotonin(5HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid(5HIAA) in the tryptophan diet fed animals were higher than those of the normal diet fed animals. Feeding tryptophan supplemented diet to stressed animal significantly decreased the levels of serum and brain tryptophan and 5HT levels. However, the amount of 5HIAA which is the metabolite of serotonin was increased in brain. Plasma corticosterone level was increased by the stress in both groups but the degree of this increase was smaller in high tryptophan fed animals. The relative numbers of CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells and B cells in spleen were decreased in high tryptophan diet fed and stressed animals compared to control diet fed and no stressed animals. CD8+ T cells decreased more than CD4+ T cells. The decrease of CD8+ T cells in high tryptophan fed and stressed animals was similar to that in high tryptophan fed animals or normal diet fed and stressed animals. Stress and tryptophan supplement acted synergistically to decrease the number of B cells. This study suggests that stress and tryptophan supplement could modify the number of lymphocyte cells, and indicates that the interaction of stress and tryptophan supplement on immune fuction depends on the types of immune cells.

• 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.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.453-460
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• 2021

Oxytocin (OXT) and serotonin (5-HT) are essential neurotransmitters associated with the behavior of animals. Recently, we found that the plasma concentration of OXT is positively correlated with horse docility and friendliness toward humans. However, the relationships between the neurotransmitters and other temperaments such as fearfulness, dominance, and trainability are unknown. This study aimed to identify whether the plasma concentration of OXT or 5-HT is correlated with fearfulness, dominance, and trainability of horses. Blood samples of 34 horses were collected at the Horse Industry Complex Center of Jeonju Kijeon College. The concentration of OXT and 5-HT was measured in the plasma samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The fearfulness, dominance, and trainability of horses were scored by three professors who were very familiar with the horses. One-way analysis of variance with the least significant difference post-hoc analysis was used to compare the scores for fearfulness and dominance among groups. The trainability of horses was compared using the student t-test. The 5-HT was negatively correlated with dominance, but it had no relation with fearfulness. The OXT appeared to be negatively correlated with fearfulness and dominance in horses. Furthermore, OXT was positively correlated with the trainability of horses. Additionally, 5-HT appeared to enhance trainability. In conclusion, the concentration of OXT or 5-HT in horse blood plasma can be used as a biomarker to monitor the fearfulness, dominance, or trainability of horses.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.149-153
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• 2014

Nausea and emesis are a major side effect and obstacle for chemotherapy in cancer patients. Employ of antiemetic drugs help to suppress chemotherapy-induced emesis in some patients but not all patients. Ginger, an herbal medicine, has been traditionally used to treat various kinds of diseases including gastrointestinal symptoms. Ginger is effective in alleviating nausea and emesis, particularly, for cytotoxic chemotherapy drug-induced emesis. Ginger-mediated antiemetic effect has been attributed to its pungent constituents-mediated inhibition of serotonin (5-HT) receptor activity but its cellular mechanism of action is still unclear. Emetogenic chemotherapy drugs increase 5-HT concentration and activate visceral vagal afferent nerve activity. Thus, 5-HT mediated vagal afferent activation is essential to provoke emesis during chemotherapy. In this experiment, water extract of ginger and its three major pungent constituent's effect on 5-HT-evoked responses were tested on acutely dispersed visceral afferent neurons with patch-clamp methods. The ginger extract has similar effects to antiemetic drug ondansetron by blocking 5-HT-evoked responses. Pungent constituents of the ginger, [6]-shogaol, [6]-gingerol, and zingerone inhibited 5-HT responses in a dose dependent manner. The order of inhibitory potency for these compounds were [6]-shogaol>[6]-gingerol>zingerone. Unlike well-known competitive 5-HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron, all tested ginger constituents acted as non-competitive antagonist. Our results imply that ginger and its pungent constituents exert antiemetic effects by blocking 5-HT-induced emetic signal transmission in vagal afferent neurons.