• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.194-194
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• 1996

Pathogenesis of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis was involved with infection, inflammatory reaction, immune reaction etc. We studied on relation of blood vessel system and EAE. So, we measured blood pressure, heart rate and relaxation of isolated blood vessel in control and EAE-induced lewis rats. Blood pressure was decreased before EAE clinical sign (0-20day), but was increased from 23day. In isolated blood vessel, acetylcholine-treated relaxation was different on control, maximum EAE stage, recovery stage. Acetylcholine-treated relaxation was reduced 30% in recovery stage. but, sodium nitroprusside had similar relaxation reaction.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.257-265
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• 2018

The Panax ginseng Mayer is used in conventional medicine in Asia owing to its preventing effects on thrombosis, hypertension, atherosclerosis, vasorelaxation and myocardial infarction. Because platelets are crucial mediators of cardiovascular diseases, many studies have investigated its functions. The previous study showed the antiplatelet effects of crude ginseng fraction and two of its components, ginsenoside Rg3 (20S and 20R). In addition, ginsenoside Rg3-enriched fraction shows an inhibitory effect on collagen-activated rat platelets. However, the mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. Thus, I investigated the inhibitory action of ginsenoside Rg3 (20S, G-Rg3) on the regulation of signaling molecules involved in ${\alpha}IIb/{\beta}_3$ activation. I found that G-Rg3, in a cyclic AMP dependent manner, inhibited thrombin-induced activation of human platelets and affinity of fibrinogen and fibronectin with ${\alpha}IIb/{\beta}_3$. Thus, in the present study, G-Rg3 showed an inhibitory effect on glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (${\alpha}IIb/{\beta}_3$) activation, suggesting its potential use for preventing platelet-mediated thrombotic disease.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.264-269
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• 2018

Panax ginseng, also called Asian or Korean ginseng, has long been traditionally used in Korea and China to treat various diseases. The major active ingredients of P. ginseng are ginsenosides, which have been shown to have a variety of therapeutic effects, including antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, vasorelaxation, antiallergic, antidiabetic, and anticancer. To date, approximately 40 ginsenoside components have been reported. Current research is concentrating on using a single ginseng compound, one of the ginsenosides, instead of the total ginseng compounds, to determine the mechanisms of ginseng and ginsenosides. Recent in vitro and in vivo results show that ginseng has beneficial effects on cardiac and vascular diseases through efficacy, including antioxidation, control of vasomotor function, modulation of ion channels and signal transduction, improvement of lipid profiles, adjustment of blood pressure, improvement in cardiac function, and reduction in platelet adhesion. This review aims to provide valuable information on the traditional uses of ginseng and ginsenosides, their therapeutic applications in animal models and humans, and the pharmacological action of ginseng and ginsenosides.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.249-253
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• 2012

In this study, we prepared alcohol extracts of the larva, pupa, queen, and cocoon (clony) of B. ignitus, B. terrestris, and B. h. sapporoensis, and tested the anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts by using a rat model of adjuvant-induced edema. The extracts derived from the queen of B. ignitus, the queen of B. terrestris, and the cocoon of B. ignitus decreased hind paw edema after 1 day of i.p. administration. These extracts also induced vasorelaxation and NO production in calf pulmonary artery endothelial cells. These results suggest that bumblebee alcohol extracts has anti-inflammatory and vasorelaxant properties.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 2001

In order to determine the role of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the important sex-steroid hormone precursor, in vascular reactivity in rats, animals were treated for two weeks with DHEA or sex hormones, and the vascorelaxant and contractile responses of isolated aorta were examined. DHEA diminished the acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxation in female rats, while the drug was without effect in males. Testoterone lowered the vasorelaxant activity to ACh in either sex. 17$\beta$-Estradiol enhanced ACh-induced vasorelaxation in male rats, but this female sex hormone did not influence in females. In male rats, the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide also enhanced vasorelaxant action of ACh. When the male rat aorta was incubated in vitro with a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor L-NAME, phenylephrine-induced contraction was greatly potentiated in DHEA-pretreated rats compared to control ones. The present results suggest that DHEA stimulates mainly androgen in female, but both androgen and estrogen in male rats. The participation of NO In the modulation of vascular reactivity with pretreated DHEA was also considered.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.337-342
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• 2014

The present study was undertaken to investigate the influence of diosgenin on vascular smooth muscle contractility and to determine the mechanism involved. We hypothesized that diosgenin, the primary ingredient of Dioscorea villosa, plays a role in vascular relaxation through inhibition of Rho-kinase in rat aortae. Denuded arterial rings from male Sprague-Dawley rats were used and isometric tensions were recorded using a computerized data acquisition system. Interestingly, diosgenin inhibited fluoride-induced contraction but didn't inhibit phorbol ester-induced contraction suggesting that additional pathways different from endothelial nitric oxide synthesis such as inhibition of Rho-kinase might be involved in the vasorelaxation. Furthermore, diosgenin didn't inhibit thromboxane $A_2$-induced increases in pERK1/2 levels suggesting the mechanism excluding inhibition of thromboxane $A_2$-induced increases in ERK1/2 phosphorylation. This study provides evidence that diosgenin induces vascular relaxation through inhibition of Rho-kinase in rat aortae.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.361-367
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• 2019

Panax ginseng, known as Koran ginseng, one of the most commonly used traditional plants, has been demonstrated to show a wide range of pharmacological applications. Ginsenosides are the major active ingredients found in ginseng and are responsible for the biological and pharmacological activities, such as antioxidation, antiinflammation, vasorelaxation, and anticancer actions. Existing studies have mostly focused on identifying and purifying single ginsenosides and investigating pharmacological activities and molecular mechanisms in cells and animal models. However, ginsenoside studies based on clinical trials have been very limited. Therefore, this review aimed to discuss the currently available clinical trials on ginsenosides and provide insights and future directions for developing ginsenosides as efficacious and safe drugs for human disease.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 1997

In the present study, it was aimed to further indentify the intracellular action mechansm of cromakalim and levcromakalim in the porcine coronary artery. In intact porcine coronary arterial strips loaded with fura-2/AM, acetylcholine caused an increase in intracellular free $Ca^{2+}$ $([Ca^{2+}]_i)$ in association with a contraction in a concentration-dependent manner. Cromakalim (1 ${\mu}M$) caused a reduction in acetylcholine-induced increased $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ not only in the mormal physiological salt solution (PSS) but also in $Ca^{2+}$-free PSS (containing 1 mM EGTA). In the skinned strips prepared by exposure of tissue to 20 .${\mu}M$ B-escin, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate ($IP_3$) evoked an increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, but it was without effect on the intact strips. The $IP_3$-induced increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ was inhibited by cromakalim by 78% and levcromakalim by 59% (1 .${\mu}M$, each). Pretreatment with glibenclamide (a blocker of ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channels, 10 .${\mu}M$) and apamin (a blocker of small conductance $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels, 1 .${\mu}M$) strongly blocked the effect of cromakalim and levcromakalim. However, charybdotoxin (a blocker of large conductance $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels, 1 .${\mu}M$) was without effect. In addition, cromakalim inhibited the $GTP{\gamma}S$ (100 .${\mu}M$, non-hydrolysable analogue of GTP)-induced increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$. Based on these results, it is suggested that cromakalim and levcromakalim exert a potent vasorelaxation, in part, by acting on the $K^+$ channels of the intracellular sites (e.g., sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane), thereby, resulting in decrease in release of $Ca^{2+}$ from the intracellular storage site.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.7 s.87
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• pp.905-909
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• 2007

The dual-function protein redox factor-1 (Ref-1) is essential for base excision repair of oxidatively damaged DNA and also governs the activation of many redox-sensitive transcription factors. We examined the role of Ref-1 in regulation of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis employing adenoviral-mediatedoverexpression of Ref-1 in bradykinin-stimulated endothelial cells. Intracellular NO was detected with the NO-sensitive fluorophore DAF-2. Overexpression of Ref-1 potentiates bradykinin-stimulated NO production in endothelial cells. And, cells ifected with AdRef-1 showed higher fluorescence intensity compared with uninfected or AdD1312-infected cells. In parallel with this, over expression of Ref-1 also stimulated endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) enzyme activity, compared with unifected or AdD1312-infected cells, in bradykinin-stimulated cells as well as in unstimulated cells. These results suggest that Ref-1 implicates in endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation resulting from NO production in vascular system.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.198-206
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• 2019

This study was conducted to evaluate the vasorelaxant effect of DangGuiSu-San and SamHwangSaSim-Tang extract on contracted rabbit carotid artery. To study the effect of DangGuiSu-San and SamHwangSaSim-Tang extract on contracted rabbit carotid arterial strips, arterial strips with intact or damaged endothelium were used for experiment using organ bath. The pre-contracted arterial strips with Phenylephrine(PE) was treated with various concentrations of DangGuiSu-San and SamHwangSaSim-Tang extract(0.01, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3 and $1.0mg/m{\ell}$). To determine the mechanisms of DangGuiSu-San and SamHwangSaSim-Tang-induced vasorelaxant, DangGuiSu-San and SamHwangSaSim-Tang extract were infused into contracted arterial rings which had been pretreated by indomethacin(IM), tetraethylammonium chloride(TEA), $N{\omega}$-nitro-L-arginine ($_L-NNA$), methylene blue(MB). And calcium chloride(Ca) 1 mM was infused into precontracted arterial ring induced by PE after treatment of DangGuiSu-San and SamHwangSaSim-Tang extract in $Ca^{2+}$-free krebs solution. DangGuiSu-San and SamHwangSaSim-Tang extract revealed significant relaxation on PE-induced arterial contraction. DangGuiSu-San and SamHwangSaSim-Tang extract also had an effective relaxation to the intact endothelium arterial ring. SamHwangSaSim-Tang extract on contracted rabbit carotid artery is related with NO-cGMP pathway. Pretreatment of DangGuiSu-San and SamHwangSaSim-Tang extract inhibited the contraction by influx of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ in contracted arterial ring induced by NE. This study indicated that the relaxation effect of SamHwangSaSim-Tang extract on contracted rabbit carotid artery is related with NO-cGMP pathway. Pretreatment of DangGuiSu-San and SamHwangSaSim-Tang extract inhibited the contraction by influx of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ in contracted arterial ring induced by NE.