• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.278-292
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• 1994

This study was attempted to investigate the effect of Machili Cortex extract(Machilus thunbergii Sieb. et Zucc. ) on digestive system in experimental animals. EtOH and MeOH extracts(E.E. and M.E.) were found to inhibit the charcoal transport rate in the small intestine of mice. E.E. exhibited the inhibition of spontaneous movement(motility) and tension in the ileum and colon strips of rabbit, and these actions were inhibited by action of acetylcholine. E.E. and M.E. given intraduodenaly(i.d.) exhibitied the significant decrease of gastric acid secretion in pylorus-ligated rats. E.E. and M.E. inhibited the formation of some experimental gastric ulcers(pylorus ligation-ulcer i.d., indomethacin-induced ulcer p.o. and aspirin-induced ulcer p.o. ) in rats, which are considered to relate to a protective action. E.E. and M.E. caused remarkable increase of bile excretion, compared with normal-control group, when adminstered through i.d., i.v. and p.o. The antibacterial activity against several intestinal microorganisms and other bacteria in vitro test was observed in the administration of E.E. and M.E.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.444-452
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• 2007

Acupuncture treatment cures disease by regulating the functional excessiveness or deficiency which occurs in the meridian and visceral organs, and by letting stagnated Qi and Blood flow through the whole body and then controlling Qi. Whether or not to have Qi feeling is the main factor needed to manifest the efficacy of acupuncture. So it needs the very stimulus to make Qi felt rather than the simple stimulus. In order to have Qi feeling, it needs to acupuncture a patient according to patient's thinness or fatness, constitution, richness or poverty and age. And also it needs to vary the way to acupuncture a patient according to meridian, kinds of pulse, degrees of disease, new or old diseases, seasons with a disease and local areas of disease. In order to ascertain that it is important for the quality and quantity of acupuncture stimulus and the state of feeling acupuncture to get the efficacy of acupuncture, the experiment was planned to confirm whether the form and Qi of subject has different result according to the stimulated duration and depth. On the basis of the report that acupuncture on derma, when using electroacupuncture at Zusanli(ST 36) which denotes small intestinal motility, is more efficient than full depth acupuncture, I got the following result, after I observed whether the stimulated duration and depth give different efficacy according to the sex and weights of rat in experiment. The increased effects of small intestinal motility by electroacupuncture on Zusanli(ST 36) appeared after stimulating full depth for thirty minutes without distinction of sex and weights. This significant change was observed only in the female experimental group when I distinguished the sex. The small interstinal motility in rats by electroacupuncture at zusanli(ST 36) decreased in the 10 minutes' stimulated group and 30 minutes' stimulated group by duration on the one hand, and derma-deep stimulated group and full depth stimulated group by the depth of stimulus on the other hand, as the weights increased. This result shows that the duration and depth of acupuncture depends on the differences of acupuncture points, sex of the experimental animals, ages, and, weights. And the further study on the experimental and clinical differences and sextual differences need to be continued on.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.119-125
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• 2021

Obejectives : The purpose of this study is to find out the efficacy of pacemaker potentials of interstitial Cells of Cajal (ICC) by Fermented Lotus Root (FLR) in small intestine. Methods : Enzyme digestions were used to separate the ICC. Using electrophysiological methods, pacemaker potentials were measured and intestinal transit rates (ITR) experiments were conducted to identify in vivo gastrointestinal motility. Results : 1. FLR (0.5-10 mg/ml) caused membrane depolarization by electrophysiological methods. 2. In the case of pretreatment with a Ca²⁺ free solution and thapsigargin, the pacemaker potential disappeared and in this case, FLR did not have a membrane depolarization reaction. 3. Lowering the concentration of extracellular Na⁺ concentration stoped the pacemaker potentials and inhibited the reaction caused by FLR. Flufenamic acid also inhibited the reaction by FLR. 4. In mice, ITR was increased by FLR. Conclusions : This study shows that FLR can control ICC by an internal/external Ca²⁺ and Na⁺. It also shows that FLR can be a good candidate for gastrointestinal motility medication development.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.655-659
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• 2008

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction (IPO) is a rare and poorly understood manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), especially in children. The characteristic clinical feature of IPO is obstruction without an identifiable obstructive lesion. The authors a 13-year-old girl whose first symptom of SLE was IPO. The patient presented with a 3-day history of nausea, bilious vomiting, abdominal distention, and no bowel movement. Simple abdominal radiographs revealed mild dilatation with partial air-fluid levels in the small intestine. Abdominal CT and methylcellulose small bowel studies showed massive ascites, engorgement of the small mesenteric vessels, pleural effusion, and diffuse bowel wall thickening of the gastric antrum, duodenum. and jejunum. The delayed passage of contrast for 15 days after the methylcellulose small bowel studies was suggestive of decreased bowel motility. Laboratory findings were positive for ANA, anti-double-stranded DNA, anti-Smith and lymphopenia. After 10-day treatment with high-dose corticosteroids, the symptoms improved. IPO associated with SLE should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with symptoms of intestinal obstruction. Early recognition of IPO in SLE and appropriate therapy are important for prevention of complications and unnecessary surgery. This case raises awareness among pediatricians that although rare, IPO can be the presenting symptom of SLE in children.

• Integrative Medicine Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.149-155
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• 2017

Background: Naringenin (NRG) is a common dietary polyphenolic constituent of fruits. NRG has diverse pharmacological activities, and is used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases including gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are pacemaker cells of the GI tract. In this study, the authors investigated the effects of NRG on ICCs and on GI motility in vitro and in vivo. Methods: ICCs were dissociated from mouse small intestines by enzymatic digestion. The whole-cell patch clamp configuration was used to record pacemaker potentials in cultured ICC clusters. The effects of NRG on GI motility were investigated by calculating percent intestinal transit rates (ITR) using Evans blue in normal mice. Results: NRG inhibited ICC pacemaker potentials in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of tetraethylammonium chloride or iberiotoxin, NRG had no effect on pacemaker potentials, but it continued to block pacemaker potentials in the presence of glibenclamide. Preincubation with SQ-22536 had no effect on pacemaker potentials or on their inhibition by NRG. However, 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one blocked pacemaker potential inhibition by NRG. In addition, L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester blocked pacemaker potential inhibition by NRG. Furthermore, NRG significantly suppressed murine ITR enhancement by neostigmine in vivo. Conclusion: This study shows NRG dose-dependently inhibits ICC pacemaker potentials via a cyclic guanosine monophosphate/nitric oxide-dependent pathway and $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels in vitro. In addition, NRG suppressed neostigmine enhancement of ITR in vivo.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.112-117
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• 2013

We studied the modulation of pacemaker activities by Samchulkunbi-tang (SCKB) in cultured interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) from murine small intestine with the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Externally applied SCKB produced membrane depolarization in the current-clamp mode. The pretreatment with $Ca^{2+}$-free solution and thapsigargin, a $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase inhibitor in endoplasmic reticulum, abolished the generation of pacemaker potentials and suppressed the SCKB-induced action. The application of flufenamic acid (a nonselective cation channel blocker) abolished the generation of pacemaker potentials by SCKB. However, the application of niflumic acid (a chloride channel blocker) did not inhibit the generation of pacemaker potentials by SCKB. In addition, the membrane depolarizations were inhibited by not only GDP-${\beta}$-S, which permanently binds G-binding proteins, but also U-73122, an active phospholipase C inhibitor. These results suggest that SCKB modulates the pacemaker activities by nonselective cation channels and external $Ca^{2+}$ influx and internal $Ca^{2+}$ release via G-protein and phospholipase C-dependent mechanism. Therefore, the ICC are targets for SCKB and their interaction can affect intestinal motility.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2010

In this study, we studied whether hydrogen sulfide ($H_2S$) has an effect on the pacemaker activity of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), in the small intestine of mice. The actions of $H_2S$ on pacemaker activity were investigated using whole-cell patch-clamp technique, intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ analysis at $30^{\circ}C$ and RT-PCR in cultured mouse intestinal ICC. Exogenously applied sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS), a donor of hydrogen sulfide, caused a slight tonic inward current on pacemaker activity in ICC at low concentrations (50 and $100{\mu}m$), but at high concentration ($500{\mu}m$ and 1 mM) it seemed to cause light tonic inward currents and then inhibited pacemaker amplitude and pacemaker frequency, and also an increase in the resting currents in the outward direction. Glibenclamide or other potassium channel blockers (TEA, $BaCl_2$, apamin or 4-aminopydirine) did not have an effect on NaHS-induced action in ICC. The exogenous application of carbonilcyanide p-triflouromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP) and thapsigargin also inhibited the pacemaker activity of ICC as NaHS. Also, we found NaHS inhibited the spontaneous intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) oscillations in cultured ICC. In doing an RT-PCR experiment, we found that ICC enriched population lacked mRNA for both CSE and CBS, but was prominently detected in unsorted muscle. In conclusion, $H_2S$ inhibited the pacemaker activity of ICC by modulating intracellular $Ca^{2+}$. These results can serve as evidence of the physiological action of $H_2S$ as acting on the ICC in gastrointestinal (GI) motility.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.254-269
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• 2015

Objectives This study aimed to observe the effect of Taeumjowi-tang on the cisplatin-induced gastrointestinal dysfunctions in rats. Methods Four groups, each of 8 rats per group, were used in this study. Saline and distilled water treated control rats were intact vehicle control group. Delayed gastrointestinal motility was induced by intraperitoneal treatment of cisplatin 2mg/kg, once a week for 5 weeks(Cisplatin control group). Taeumjowi-tang aqueous extracts(TJ) were orally administered in a volume of 5ml/kg, once a day for 14 days from 4th cisplatin treatment(TJ group). Ondansetron 1mg/kg was subcutaneously treated, in a volume of 1ml/kg, as same as TJ(ondansetron group). We measured the body weights, intestinal charcoal transit ratio, fecal parameters, fundus MDA(malondialdehyde), GSH(glutathione) contents and SOD(superoxide dismutase), CAT(catalase) activities, TPH(tryptophanhydroxylase) and MAO(monoamine oxidase) activities, pyloric gastrin and serotonin contents with their immunoreactive cells, colonic serotonin-immunoreactive cells, the histopathology of pylorus, fundus mucosa and colon. Results 1) The body weight gains, the small intestinal charcoal transfer rates, the fecal parameters(numbers, weights and water contents) were increased in TJ, ondansetron group. 2) The inhibit of fundus antioxidant defense systems by cisplatin were decreased in TJ, ondansetron group. 3) The pyloric TPH activities were increased and the pyloric MAO activities were decreased in TJ group. 4) The pyloric gastric contents and the gastrin-immunoreactive cells were increased and the pyloric serotonin contents and the pyloric and colonic serotonin-immunoreactive cells were decreased in TJ group. 5) The pylorus atrophic changes and the gastric surface erosive damage regions by cisplatin were favorably inhibited by treatment of TJ group. Conclusions The results obtained in this study suggest that TJ favorably retarded the cisplatin related GI(gastrointestinal) dysfunctions and constipation through modulations of GI enterochromaffin cells, serotonin and gastrin-producing cells and antioxidative systems.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2013

Objective: Pyungwi-san (PWS) plays a role in a number of physiologic and pharmacologic functions in many organs. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are pacemaker cells that generate slow waves in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. We aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of PWS in mouse small-intestinal ICCs. Methods: Enzymatic digestion was used to dissociate ICCs from the small intestine of a mouse. The whole-cell patch-clamp configuration was used to record membrane potentials from the cultured ICCs. Results: ICCs generated pacemaker potentials in the GI tract. PWS produced membrane depolarization in the current clamp mode. Pretreatment with a $Ca^{2+}$-free solution and a thapsigargin, a $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase, inhibitor in the endoplasmic reticulum, eliminated the generation of pacemaker potentials. However, only when the thapsigargin was applied in a bath solution, the membrane depolarization was not produced by PWS. Furthermore, the membrane depolarizations due to PWS were inhibited not by U-73122, an active phospholipase C inhibitor, but by chelerythrine and calphostin C, protein kinase C inhibitors. Conclusions: These results suggest that PWS might affect GI motility by modulating the pacemaker activity in the ICCs.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.157-168
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• 1967

The entry of antipyrine and urea from the peritoneal cavity of rabbit into organ tissue and blood plasma was studied. Two hundred mg of antipyrine plus 300 mg of urea in 10 ml Ringer's solution was injected into the peritoneal cavity of anesthetized rabbit. The injection was made from above of a rabbit kept tying right side down and it enabled part of the abdominal organs (liver, intestine, kidney) was immersed in the injected solution and kept high concentration gradient throughout the experimental period. The remaining part of the organs was revered only by a thin film of the test solution. Subsequently, in this part of the organs the concentration gradient of the diffusible substances during entry was presumed to decrease as time elapsed. Four pieces of the liver tissue were taken namely, the right superficial, right deep, left superficial and left deep portions. Two were taken from the small intestine, one from the portion which was immersed in. the fluid and the other from that above the fluid mass. Both kidneys were separately analyzed. As a remote organ the gastrocnemius muscle was taken from the right leg of the animal. The intervals which were the time periods elapsed after injections were 5,7,10,15 or 30 minutes. At each point 5 animals were sacrificed and the concentrations of the test substances in the tissue water were measured. The results obtained were as follows. 1. In the liver the right portion which was immersed in the fluid showed higher concentration if the test substances than the left portion and the superficial region exceeded the deep region. The concentrations diminished as the time elapsed after infusion, particulary in the case of antipyrine, suggesting circulatory removal of the substances. In urea such decreasing tendency of the concentration was not obvious, and suggested slower removal rate of it as compared with that of antipyrine. 2. In the small intestine there was no regional difference in the concentration of the test substances. Because of the intestinal motility different portions of the intestine were seemed to have bathed in the fluid of the same concentration. In general the concentrations in the intestinal wall exceeded those of the liver, suggesting a slower removal rate than in the latter. 3. In the kidney the accumulation of the endogenous urea was predominant, and the accumulating mechanism in the renal tissue went on during the period of the experiment. Therefore it revealed increasing tendencies as the time elapsed. The penetration of the test substances in this organ from the peritoneal cavity seemed to be slower than in other abdominal organs, namely liver or small intestine. Part of the test substances in the kidney were obviously brought by the blood stream. 4. Rapid exponential decay of the concentration of antipyrine and of the osmolality of the peritoneal fluid was attributed to the extensive removal through the whole dimension of the peritoneal surface, and the remote organ such as the gastrocnemius muscle attained a fairly close value to that of the abdominal organs in less than 30 minutes. The factors which related to the absorption rate were discussed. They were the concentration gradient, permeability and the regional perfusion rate.