• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.163-166
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• 2016

Objectives: Quercetin is a flavonoid and an important dietary constituent of fruits and vegetables. In recent years, several pharmacological activities of quercetin, such as its neuroprotective activity and, more specifically, its anti-convulsant effects in animal models of epilepsy, have been reported. This study evaluated the role of quercetin pretreatment on gene expression of ${\gamma}$-amino butyric acid type A ($GABA_A$) receptor beta subunits in kainic acid (KA)-induced seizures in mice. Methods: The animals were divided into four groups: one saline group, one group in which seizures were induced by using KA (10 mg/kg) without quercetin pretreatment and two groups pretreated with quercetin (50 and 100 mg/kg) prior to seizures being induced by using KA. Next, the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels of the $GABA_A$ receptor ${\beta}$ subunits in the hippocampus of each animal were assessed at 2 hours and 7 days after KA administration. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was used to detect mRNA content in hippocampal tissues. Results: Pretreatments with quercetin at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg prevented significant increases in the mRNA levels of the ${\beta}_1$ and the ${\beta}_3$ subunits of the $GABA_A$ receptor at 2 hours after KA injection. Pretreatment with quercetin (100 mg/kg) significantly inhibited ${\beta}_1$ and ${\beta}_3$ gene expression in the hippocampus at 7 days after KA injection. But, this inhibitory effect of quercetin at 50 mg/kg on the mRNA levels of the ${\beta}_3$ subunit of the $GABA_A$ receptor was not observed at 7 days after KA administration. Conclusion: These results suggest that quercetin (100 mg/kg) modulates the expression of the $GABA_A$ receptor ${\beta}_1$ and ${\beta}_3$ subunits in the KA model of epilepsy, most likely to prevent compensatory responses. This may be related to the narrow therapeutic dose range for the anticonvulsant activities of quercetin.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.143-152
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• 2013

Aminobutyric acid (GABA), a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of animals, has several physiological effects including anti-hypertensive, diuretic, tranquilizing, and anti-stress properties, in humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate Lactobacillus plantarum K74, which was isolated from kimchi and selected as a strain with a high ability to produce GABA, to develop a new starter culture for fermented milk production. L. plantarum K74 produced $134.52{\mu}g/mL$ GABA in MRS broth containing 1% MSG, $212.27{\mu}g/mL$ GABA in MRS broth containing 2% MSG, and $234.63{\mu}g/mL$ GABA in MRS broth containing 3% MSG. The optimum growth temperature of L. plantarum K74 was $34^{\circ}C$, reaching a pH of 4.4 after 18 hours of growth. L. plantarum K74 was most sensitive to novobiocin out of 16 different antibiotics tested, and was most resistant to kanamycin and polymyxin B. L. plantarum K74 did not produce ${\beta}$-glucuronidase, a carcinogenic enzyme, and was comparatively tolerant to bile juice and low pH. Furthermore, it displayed resistance to Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus at rates of 54.9%, 46.3%, and 0.7%, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.438-445
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• 2015

The production of GABA was optimized by co-cultivation of immobilized Lactobacillus plantarum K154 (ILK) with Ceriporia lacerata cultures. The mycelial culture of C. lacerata was performed in a defined medium containing 3% glucose, 3% soybean flour, and 0.15% $MgSO_4$ in a submerged condition for 7 days at $25^{\circ}C$, resulting in the production of 29.7 g/L mycelia, 3.1 g/L exopolysaccharides, 2% (w/w) ${\beta}$-glucan, 68.96 unit/mL protease, and 10.37 unit/mL ${\alpha}$-amylase. ILK in C. lacerata culture showed viable cell counts of $3.13{\time}10^9CFU/mL$ for immobilized cells and $1.48{\time}10^8CFU/mL$ for free cells after 1 day. GABA production in the free and immobilized cells was 9.96 mg/mL and 6.30 mg/mL, respectively, after 7 days. A recycling test of ILK in the co-fermentation was consequently performed five times at $30^{\circ}C$ for 15 days, resulting in the highest production of GABA. GABA could also be efficiently overproduced by co-cultivation with the produced polysaccharides, ${\beta}$-glucan, peptides, and probiotics.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2012

Steeping and germination conditions were investigated in order to produce barley containing a high ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content, and the changes in GABA and nutritional components before and after germination were also evaluated in this study. Water absorption rates of three barleys increased alongside both steeping time and steeping temperature. The highest GABA contents of the three barleys, 10.4-14.1 mg/100 g, were obtained from the steeping condition of $25^{\circ}C$ for 24 hr. The GABA contents of germinated barleys ranged from 14.3 to 20.9 mg/100 g, increasing by 3.9 to 14.6 times compared with raw barley. The crude lipid, crude ash and total mineral contents were slightly decreased after germination. The major fatty acids of the three barleys before and after germination were linoleic and palmitic acids. ${\beta}$-glucan contents of three barleys were slightly decreased after germination.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.28-33
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• 2003

Ginsenosides, major active ingredients of Panax ginseng, are known to regulate excitatory ligand-gated ion channel activity such as nicotinic acetylcholine and NMDA receptor channel activity. However, it is not known whether ginsenosides affect inhibitory ligand-gated ion channel activity. We investigated the effect of ginsenosides on human recombinant $GABA_A$ receptor (${\alpha}_1{\beta}_1{\gamma}_{2s}$) channel activity expressed in Xenopus oocytes using a two-electrode voltage-clamp technique. Among the eight individual ginsenosides examined, namely, $Rb_1$, $Rb_2$, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, $Rg_1$ and $Rg_2$, we found that Rc most potently enhanced the GABA-induced inward peak current ($I_{GABA}$). Ginsenoside Rc alone induced an inward membrane current in certain batches of oocytes expressing the $GABA_A$ receptor. The effect of ginsenoside Rc on $I_{GABA}$ was both dose-dependent and reversible. The half-stimulatory concentration ($EC_{50}$) of ginsenoside Rc was 53.2$\pm$12.3 $\mu$M. Both bicuculline, a $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist, and picrotoxin, a $GABA_A$ channel blocker, blocked the stimulatory effect of ginsenoside Rc on $I_{GABA}$. Niflumic acid (NFA) and 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS), both $CI^{-1}$ channel blockers, attenuated the effect of ginsenoside Rc on I$I_{GABA}$. This study suggests that ginsenosides regulated $GABA_A$ receptor expressed in Xenopus oocytes and implies that this regulation might be one of the pharmacological actions of Panax ginseng.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.163-176
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• 2011

Objectives : BCS(Bambusae concretio silicae) is used as a traditional medicine in Korea for the incipient stroke. Recent reports indicated that BCS has a neuroprotective effect by anti-convulsion effect. However, it's mechanism is not well studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate into the molecular mechanism of BCS for neuroprotection in normoxia of cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Methods : BCS (1.0, 2.5, 5.0, and $10.0\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) was added to culture media (Neurobasal supplemented with B27) on DIV 0, given a normoxia, and the cell viability was measured by typical phase-contrast images of the cultures with 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, and $10.0\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ on DIV 21. Effects of BCS on the expression of various synaptic proteins ($GABA_B$ R1, $GABA_B$ R2, GlyR, PSD95) were observed by immunocytochemistry showing on DIV 3, 7 and 21. Results : Typical phase-contrast images of the cultures indicated that BCS has a protective effect of rat hippocampal cells in normoxia. The BCS upregulated $GABA_B$ R1 after normoxia on DIV 7, $GABA_A$ ${\beta}2/3$ on DIV 21 and $GABA_B$ R2 on DIV 21. And the BCS downregulated PSD95 after normoxia on DIV 7. Conclusions : The present study showed evidence for the efficacy of BCS in Typical phase-contrast images, upregulation of inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors($GABA_B$ R1) and downregulation of PSD95 which eventually protected neuronal cell death in normoxia.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.89-93
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• 2013

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) aminotransferase (gabT) and succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (gabD) genes from Pseudomonas fluorescens KCCM 12537 were cloned into a single pETDuet-1 vector and co-expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) simultaneously. The mixture of both enzymes, called GABase, is the key enzyme for the enzymatic analysis of GABA. The molecular mass of the GABA aminotransferase and succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase were determined to be 52.8 and 46.7 kDa following computations performed with the pI/Mw program, respectively. The GABase activity between pH 6.0 and 9.0 for 24 h at $4^{\circ}C$ remained over 75%, but under pH 6.0 decreased rapidly. The GABase activity between 25 and $35^{\circ}C$ by the treatment at pH 8.6 for 30 min remained over 80%, but over $35^{\circ}C$ decreased rapidly. When the activity against GABA was defined as 100%, the purified GABase activity against 5-aminovaleric acid having a similar structure to GABA showed 47.7% and GABase activity against ${\beta}$-alanine, ${\varepsilon}$-amino-n-caproic acid, $_L$-ornithine, $_L$-lysine, and $_L$-aspartic acid showed between 0.3 to 2.3%. The GABA content was analyzed with this co-expressed GABase, compared with the other GABase which was available commercially. As a result, the content of GABA extracted from brown rice, dark brown rice, and black rice were $26.4{\pm}3.5$, $40.5{\pm}4.7$ and $94.7{\pm}9.3{\mu}g/g$, which were similar data of other GABase in the error ranges.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.71-77
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• 2016

To determine the nutritional value of domestic tomatoes, the levels of amino acids, amino acid metabolites, and the bioactive compound ${\gamma}-aminobutyric-acid$ (GABA) were analyzed in three domestic tomato varieties (Rafito, Momotaro, and Medison). Eighteen free amino acids were found, and total free amino acid content was 3,810.21~4,594.56 mg/100 g (dry weight). L-glutamic acid (L-Glu) was the most abundant amino acid, ranging from 1,866.60 mg/100 g for Momotaro to 2,417.45 mg/100 g for Medison. The next most abundant amino acids were L-glutamine (L-Gln) and L-aspartic acid (L-Asp). The three tomato varieties had a good balance of all the essential amino acids except tryptophan. Total essential amino acid content was 274.26~472.71 mg/100 g (dry weight). The following amino acid metabolites were found: L-carnitine (L-Car), hydroxylysine (Hyl), o-phosphoethanolamine (o-Pea), phosphoserine (p-Ser), ${\beta}-alanine$ (${\beta}-Ala$), N-methyl-histidine (Me-His), ethanolamine (EtNH2),and L-citrulline(L-Cit). Large quantities of GABA were found in all three varieties: 666.95-868.48 mg/100g (dry weight). These results support the use of these tomato varieties as nutritious food materials.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.382-395
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• 1992

GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in central nervous system and produce sedative, antianxiety and muscle reaxing effects via $GABA_A$ receptor or $GABA_B$ receptor. Recently it is known that GABA is widely distributed throughout peripheral organs and may playa physiological role in certain organ. The vas deferens is innervated by species-difference. These study, therefore, was performed to investigate the mode and the mechanism of action of GABA on the norepiniphrine-, ATP- and electric stimulation-induced contraction of vas deferens of rat. Sprague-Dawley rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The smooth muscle strips were isolated from the prostastic portion and were mounted in the isolated muscle bath. PSS in the bath was aerated with 95/5%-$O_2/CO_2$ at $33^{\circ}C$. Muscle tensions were measured by isometric tension transducer and were recorded by biological recording system. 1. GABA, muscimol, a $GAB_A$ agonist, and baclofen, a $GABA_B$ agonist inhibited the electric field stimulation(EFS, 0.2Hz, 1mSec, 80 V, monophasic square wave)-induced contraction with a rank order of potency of GABA greater than baclofen greater than muscimol. 2. The inhibitory effect of GABA was antagonized by delta aminovaleric acid(DAVA), a $GABA_B$ antagonist, but not by bicuculline, a $GABA_A$ mtagonist. 3. The inhibitory effect of baclofen was antagonized by DAVA, but the effect of muscimol was not antagonized by bicuculline. 4. Exogenous norepinephrine(NE) and ATP contracted muscle strip concentration dependently, but the effect of acetylcholine was negligible : and GABA did not affect the NE-and ATP-induced contractions. 5. GABA, baclofen and muscimol did not affect basal tone, and GABA did not affect the NE-and ATP-induced contractionsm 6. EFS-induced contraction was including 2 distinctable components. The first phasic component was inhibited by beta gamma-methylene ATP(mATP), a desensitizing agent of APT receptor and the second tonic component was reduced by pretreatment of reserpine(3 mg/Kg, IP). 7. GABA inhibited the EFS-induced contraction of reserpinized strips, but not the mATP-treated strips. These results suggest that in the prostatic portion of the rat vas deferens, adrenergic and purinergic neurotransmissions are exist, and GABA inhibits the release of ATP via presynaptic $GABA_B$ receptor on the excitatory neurons.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.4-10
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• 2015

Etifoxine (etafenoxine, $Stresam^{(R)}$) is a non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic with an anticonvulsant effect. It was developed in the 1960s for anxiety disorders and is currently being studied for its ability to promote peripheral nerve healing and to treat chemotherapy-induced pain. In addition to being mediated by $GABA_A{\alpha}2$ receptors like benzodiazepines, etifoxine appears to produce anxiolytic effects directly by binding to ${\beta}2$ or ${\beta}3$ subunits of the $GABA_A$ receptor complex. It also modulates $GABA_A$ receptors indirectly via stimulation of neurosteroid production after etifoxine binds to the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) of the outer mitochondrial membrane in the central and peripheral nervous systems, previously known as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR). Therefore, the effects of etifoxine are not completely reversed by the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil. Etifoxine is used for various emotional and bodily reactions followed by anxiety. It is contraindicated in situations such as shock, severely impaired liver or kidney function, and severe respiratory failure. The average dosage is 150 mg per day for no more than 12 weeks. The most common adverse effect is drowsiness at the initial stage. It does not usually cause any withdrawal syndromes. In conclusion, etifoxine shows less adverse effects of anterograde amnesia, sedation, impaired psychomotor performance, and withdrawal syndromes than those of benzodiazepines. It potentiates $GABA_A$ receptor-function by a direct allosteric effect and by an indirect mechanism involving the activation of TSPO. It seems promising that non-benzodiazepine anxiolytics including etifoxine will replenish shortcomings of benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors according to animated studies related to TSPO.