• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.456-465
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• 2004

$K^+$ efflux through a certain type of $K^+$ channels causes the change of membrane potential and leads to cAMP synthesis in the transmembrane cell signaling for the initiation of sperm motility in the salmonid fishes. The addition of $Ca^{2+}$ conferred motility to the trout sperm that were immobilized by external $K^+$ and other alkaline metals, $Rb^+$ and $Cs^{2+}$, suggesting the participation of external $Ca^{2+}$ in the initiation of sperm motility. L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel blockers such as nifedipine, nimodipine, and FS-2 inhibited the motility, but N-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker, w-conotoxin MvIIA, did not. On the other hand, the membrane hyperpolarization and cAMP synthesis were suppressed by $Ca^{2+}$ channel blockers, nifedipine, and trifluoroperazine. Furthermore, these suppressions were relieved by the addition of $K^+$ ionophore, valinomycin. Inhibitors of calmodulin, such as W-7, trifluoperazine, and calrnidazol-C1, inhibited the sperm motility, membrane hyperpolarization, and cAMP synthesis. The results suggest that $Ca^{2+}$ influx through $Ca^{2+}$ channels that are sensitive to specific $Ca^{2+}$ channel blockers and calmodulin participate in the changes of membrane potential, leading to synthesis of cAMP in the cell signaling for the initiation of trout sperm motility.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.243-250
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• 1995

A possible potentiation between cholecystokinin (CCK) and secretin in amylase secretion from isolated rat pancreatic acini was investigated. Combined treatment of acini with secretin and CCK at low concentrations, which are known to be physiological, resulted in enzyme secretion larger than the arithmetic sum of their separate effects. Such a potentiating effect also occurred between secretin and A23187 (Ca ionophore), between forskolin (adenylate cyclase activator) and CCK, and between forskolin and A23187. Staurosporin (protein kinase C inhibitor) and W7 (calmodulin antagonist) inhibited markedly the potentiated amylase release induced by the agonists, but KT5720 (protein kinase A inhibitor) did not affect the potentiated amylase release. Therefore, we concluded that the action of CCK in a physiological concentration is potentiated by secretin in a physiological concentration range and vice versa, and that the intracellular mechanism necessary for the potentiation is associated with $Ca^{2+}$. However, it is uncertain what mechanisms are involved in potentiation of amylase release after CAMP and $Ca^{2+}$.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.107-115
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• 1997

We studied the effects of bile acids on the induction ofapoptosis in HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Treatment with either ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) or lithocholic acid (LCA) resulted in a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cell viability assessed by MTT assay. Both UDCA and LCA also induced genomic DNA fragmentation, a hallmark of apoptosis, indicating that the mechanism by which these bile acids induce cell death was through apoptosis. Cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, blocked the apoptosis induced by these bile acids, implying that new protein synthesis may be required for the apoptosis. Intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release blockers (dantrolene and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid-8-(diethylamino)octyl ester) inhibited decreased cell viability and DNA fragmentation induced by these bile acids. Treatment of HepG2 cells with calcium ionophore A23l87 induced DNA fragmentation. These results suggest that UDCA and LCA induce apoptosis in the HepG2 cells and that the activation of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ signals may play an important role in the apoptosis induced by these bile acids.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.30-30
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• 2003

Without a definitive resolution of stoichiometry of cardiac Na$^{+}$-Ca$^{2+}$exchange (NCX), we cannot proceed to any quantitative analysis of exchange function as well as cardiac excitation-contraction coupling. The stoichiometry of cardiac NCX, however, is presently in doubt because reversal potentials determined by various groups range between those expected for a 3-to-1 and a 4-to-1 flux coupling. For a new perspective on this problem, we have used ion-selective microelectrodes to quantify directly exchanger-mediated fluxes of $Ca^{2+}$and Na$^{+}$in giant membrane patches. $Ca^{2+}$- and Na$^{+}$-selective microelectrodes, fabricated from quartz capillaries, are placed inside of the patch pipettes to detect extracellular ion transients associated with exchange activity. Ion changes are monitored at various distances from the membrane, and the absolute ion fluxes through NCX are determined via simulations of ion diffusion and compared with standard ion fluxes (Ca$^{2+}$ fluxes mediated by $Ca^{2+}$ ionophore, and Na$^{+}$ fluxes through gramicidin channels and Na$^{+}$/K$^{+}$pumps). Both guinea pig myocytes and NCX1-expressing BHK cells were employed, and for both systems the calculated stoichiometries for inward and outward exchange currents range between 3.2- and 3.4-to-1. The coupling ratios do not change significantly when currents are varied by changing cytoplasmic [Ca$^{2+}$] or by adding cytoplasmic Na$^{+}$. The exchanger reversal potentials, measured in both systems under several ionic conditions, range from 3.1- to 3.3-to-1. Taken together, a clear discrepancy from a NCX stoichiometry of 3-to-1 was obtained. Further definitive experiments are required to acquire a fixed number, and the present working hypothesis is that NCX current has an extra current via ‘conduction mode’.ent via ‘conduction mode’.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.5
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• pp.537-546
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• 1997

It has been postulated that the intracellular taurine is co-transported with $Na^+$down a concentration gradient and prevents the intracellular accumulation of sodium. It is therefore, expected that an elevated level of intracellular taurine prevents the sodium-promoted calcium influx to protect the cellular damages associated with sodium and calcium overload. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of intra- and extracellular taurine on the myocardial $Na^+$and$Ca^{++}$ contents and the cardiac functions in isolated rat hearts which were loaded with sodium by monensin, a $Na^+-ionophore$. Monensin caused a dose-dependent increase in intracellular $Na^+$ accompanied with a subsequent increase in intracellular $Ca^{++}$ and a mechanical dysfunction. In this monensin-treated heart, myocardial taurine content was decreased with a concomittent increase in the release of taurine. The monensin-induced increases in intracellular $Na^+$, $Ca^{++}$ and depression of cardiac function were prevented in the hearts of which taurine content had been increased by high-taurine diet. Conversely, in the hearts of which taurine concentration gradient had been decreased by addition of taurine in the perfusate, the monensin-induced increases in $Na^+$, $Ca^{++}$ and functional depression were accelerated. These results suggest that taurine, depending on the intra-extracellular concentration gradient, can affect intracellular sodium and calcium concentrations, and that an increased intracellular taurine may play a role in protection of myocardial dysfunction associated with the sodium and calcium overload.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2018.10a
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• pp.128-128
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• 2018

Nypa fruticans wurmb (NF) has been used as traditional medicinal food in Asian countries. Especially, NF has been used for conventional medicine to treat inflammatory periodontal diseases. Previous studies have been shown that NF has large amount of useful constituents such as phenolic acids, polyphenols and flavonoids. Also, NF is known as having medicinal effects such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering effects. NF has recently been attracted to use complementary medicinal food on inflammatory diseases in Korea. However, there are no obvious effects in inflammatory and metabolic diseases also mechanisms has been studied yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of NF and steamed-NF (SNF), which recently has been used as health food, using Human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) and Human mast cell line (HMC-1). The cytotoxicities of NF and SNF were measured by using MTT assays in HaCaT cells and HMC-1 cell. To evaluate anti-inflammatory effects of NF and SNF, HaCaT cells were stimulated with tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ and Interferon $(IFN)-{\gamma}$. Also, HMC-1 cells were stimulated with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) and A23187 calcium ionophore (A23187) to induce allergic inflammation. Inflammatory cytokine were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In this result, the extract of NF and SNF (0.01 - 1mg/ml) did not show cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells and HMC-1 cells. In addition, the NF and SNF suppressed the production of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 in HaCaT cells at highest concentration. Furthermore, the treatment of SNF significantly inhibited the secretion level of IL-8 in PMA plus A23187-stimulated HMC-1 cells compared with NF treatment group. These results suggest that the extract of NF and SNF may serve as a potential therapy for skin inflammatory diseases.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.481-485
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• 2008

As an inhibitor of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC), D609 has been widely used to explain the role of PC-PLC in various signal transduction pathways. This study shows that D609 inhibits group IV cytosolic phospholipase $A_2$ ($cPLA_2$), but neither secretory $PLA_2$ nor a $Ca^{2+}$-dependent $PLA_2$. Dixon plot analysis shows a mixed pattern of noncompetitive and uncompetitive inhibition with $K_i=86.25{\mu}M$ for the $cPLA_2$ purified from bovine spleen. D609 also time- and dose-dependently reduces the release of arachidonic acid from a $Ca^{2+}$- ionophore A23187-stimulated MDCK cells. In the AA release experiment, $IC_{50}$ of D609 was ${\sim375}{\mu}M$, suggesting that this reagent may not enter the cells easily. The present study indicates that the inhibitory effects of D609 on various cellular responses may be partially attributable to the inhibition of $cPLA_2$.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 1996

The role of Ca2+ on benzyladenine (BA)-induced senescence retardation in mature wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) primary leaves was investigated. When an extracellular calcium chelator, ethylene glycol-bis-($\beta$-aminoethylether)-N, N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) together with BA, was applied to senescing leaves for 4 days of dark incubation, the content of chlorophyll and soluble protein decreased rapidly. And, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), known to be a degradation product of membrane lipids, increased compared with the BA alone control. The BA-EGTA combination also caused the stimulation of protease and RNase activity and a rapid loss of catalase activity owing to the decling of BA effects. In the case of treatment with only intracellular calcium antagonist 3, 4, 5-trimethoxybenzoic acid 8-(diethylamino) octyl ester (TMB-8) without the BA addition, the chlorophyll content at day 4 after dark incubation decreased in paralled with the increasing concentration of the antagonist. In addition, the chlorophyll content at 10-5 M calcium ionophore A23187 treatment in the absence of BA was similar to that of the BA alone treatment. These results suggest that calcium may mediate the retardation effect of BA on leaf senescence by acting as a second messenger and that the calcium input from cell organelles, as well as the calcium inflow from intercellular spaces and cell walls, may be involved in modulating cytosolic calcium levels related to BA action.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.174-177
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• 2003

The present experiment was performed to investigate the protective effects of paeonol isolated from Moutan Cortex Radicis on primary cultured rat hepatocytes exposed to Br-A23187 ($Ca^{2+}$ ionophore). Br-A23187 is frequently used as a model of cell killing as inducing both necrotic and apoptotic cell death. Hepatocytes were isolated by collagenase perfusion from livers of fasted male Sprague Dawley rats and cultured overnight. Cell viability was determined by propidium iodide using fluorocytometry in Krebs-Ringer-HEPES buffer at pH 7.4. In addition, intracellular calcium was measured by excitation at 340 and 380 nm and emission at 505 nm using a luminescence spectrophotometer. Paeonol (20-100 ${\mu}M$) inhibited cell killing induced by 10 ${\mu}M$ Br-A23187, in a dose-dependent manner. Paeonol also reduced increased intracellular calcium level when hepatocytes were exposed to Br-A23187. Therefore, the present results suggest that paeonol protects the hepatocytotoxicity induced by Br-A23187, via inhibiting the influx of calcium into into rat hepatocytes.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.487-495
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• 1993

TRH (Thvrotropin-Releasing Hormone) known to regulate the transcription of the TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormones gene in pituitary cells, but little is understood about the mechanism(sl involved. re present study was attempted to elucidate the role of Ca2+ movement through the voltage-gated channels in the regulation of TSH gene transcription. The c-fos is one of immediate early genes and used as model system for the investigation of signaling pathwavs involved in various stimuli. The changes of c-fos mRNA levels were determined after treatment of various agents using Northern and slot hybridization analysis. The c-fos mRNA was rapidly and transiently induced by TRH (about 3-fold) in GH3 cells and this induction was repressed by calcium chelating agent (EGTA), calcium channel blocker (verapamil) anti protein kinase C inhibitor (aminoacridine). The abilities of forskolin (adenvlate cvclase activators, PMA (protein kinase C activator), and A23187 (calcium ionophore) to affect c-ios gene transcription, either alone or in combination with TRH were tested in the same cells. All of them significantly increased the level of c-fos mRUA. However, no additive relationship was observed in all combined treatments except forskolin. These results suggest that TRH action on the c-fos gene activation is mediated by calcium influx as well as through protein kinase C.