• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 1999

The hyperactivity of cholinergic system in the RVLM of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) may contribute to the sustained elevation of blood pressure. However, the hyperactivity mechanisms of cholinergic system are controversial. Thus, to clarify the mechanisms of cholinergic hyperactivity in RVLM of the SHR, we studied the activities of enzymes that participate in the biosynthesis and degradation of acetylcholine (ACh) and the density of muscarinic receptors in RVLM of the 14- to 18-week-old SHR and age-marched Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). Choline acetyltransferase activity was far greater in RVLM of SHR than that of WKY. $[^3H]ACh$ release from RVLM was also greater in SHR than in WKY. Acetylcholinesterase activity and $[^3H]NMS$ binding of RVLM slice of SHR were not significantly different from that of WKY. These results suggest that the enhanced cholinergic mechanisms in the RVLM of SHR is due to the enhanced presynaptic cholinergic tone rather than the altered postsynaptic mechanisms.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.401-409
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• 1994

The cholinergic activity of dammarane glycosides of Panax ginseng was examined both morphologically and chemically on primary cultures of chicken embryonic brain cells. When primary cultured chicken embryonic cells were treated with $50\;{\mu}g/ml$ of total dammarane glycosides of Panax ginseng followed by the exposure to 10mM atropine for 48 hr, lactate dehydrogenase levels within the cells remained at 36% of untreated control values while atropine-treated controls fell to 0% lactate dehydrogenase. It was found that cholinergic activity was mainly exerted by the panaxadiol glycosides. The treatment of the cells with $50\;{\mu}g/ml$ of panaxadiol glycosides followed by the exposure to atropine, lactate dehydrogenase levels within the cells remained at 60% of untreated control values. Ginsenoside $Rb_1$, a component of panaxadiol glycosides, was found to exert the cholinergic activity keeping the lactate dehydrogenase levels within the cells at 70% of untreated control values. The cholinergic activity of ginsenoside $Rb_1$ seems to be exerted through acting on the $Ca^{2+}$ channel in cultured brain cells.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.421-428
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• 2011

This study evaluated cholineresterase inhibitory activity of Korean white ginseng extract (WGE), red ginseng extract (RGE), and black ginseng extract (BGE) and the cholinergic effect on scopolamine (SCOP)-induced amnesic mice. WGE, RGE, and BGE inhibited acetylcholineserase (AChE), as well as butyrylcholineserase (BuChE) in a concentration-dependent manner. BGE presented strong inhibition of AChE with an $IC_{50}$ value of 1.72 mg/mL, followed by WGE (5.89 mg/mL), RGE (6.30 mg/mL), respectively. The inhibitory activity of the three ginseng extracts on BuChE showed similar values among the groups. To better understand the mechanisms of the possible effect of ginseng extract on the cholinergic function, this study assessed the expression of the cholinergic markers of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and AChE using western blot and RT-PCR analysis in the brains of amnesic mice. Treatment with ginseng extracts led to inhibition of AChE expression and, the activation of ChAT expression in the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex of amnesic mice as induced by SCOP. The results suggest that ginseng extracts including BGE, appear to modulate the metabolism of acetylchoine (ACh), which would greatly increase synaptic ACh levels and most potently revert SCOP-induced amnesia.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.220-227
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• 2009

Acquired hypohidrosis is a rare condition of unknown pathogenesis, while idiopathic cholinergic urticaria is relatively common. We report the case of a 18-year-old male with idiopathic cholinergic urticaria and acquired hypohidrosis. He presented with an intermittent pruritic eruption precipitated by mild activity, such as mild exercise or laughing, for last 4 years. He was diagnosed with cholinergic urticaria associated acquired hypohidrosis, successfully treated by herbal medicine applied Gejimahwanggakban-tang(桂枝麻黃各半湯).

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.9
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• pp.796-805
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• 2015

Gintonin is a novel ginseng-derived lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor ligand. Oral administration of gintonin ameliorates learning and memory dysfunctions in Alzheimer's disease (AD) animal models. The brain cholinergic system plays a key role in cognitive functions. The brains of AD patients show a reduction in acetylcholine concentration caused by cholinergic system impairments. However, little is known about the role of LPA in the cholinergic system. In this study, we used gintonin to investigate the effect of LPA receptor activation on the cholinergic system in vitro and in vivo using wild-type and AD animal models. Gintonin induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i $ transient in cultured mouse hippocampal neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Gintonin-mediated $[Ca^{2+}]_i $ transients were linked to stimulation of acetylcholine release through LPA receptor activation. Oral administration of gintonin-enriched fraction (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg, 3 weeks) significantly attenuated scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Oral administration of gintonin (25 or 50 mg/kg, 1 2 weeks) also significantly attenuated amyloid-${\beta}$ protein ($A{\beta}$)-induced cholinergic dysfunctions, such as decreased acetylcholine concentration, decreased choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and immunoreactivity, and increased acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity. In a transgenic AD mouse model, long-term oral administration of gintonin (25 or 50 mg/kg, 3 months) also attenuated AD-related cholinergic impairments. In this study, we showed that activation of G protein-coupled LPA receptors by gintonin is coupled to the regulation of cholinergic functions. Furthermore, this study showed that gintonin could be a novel agent for the restoration of cholinergic system damages due to $A{\beta}$ and could be utilized for AD prevention or therapy.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.69-77
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• 1982

$Na^+,\;K^+-ATPase$ is a component of plasma membrane in almost all animal cell, and maintains ionic distribution and membrane potential of normal cell. In the mechanism of adrenergic transmission, it is relatively well known that drug-receptor combination leads to stimulate adenylate cyclase and so on. In the cholinergic transmisison, the mechanism is not well known but is simply interpreted as the change of membrane permeability results from acetylcholine receptor interaction. To study the relationship between cholinergic transmission and membrane $Na^+,\;K^+-ATPase$, the effect of carbachol on $Na^+,\;K^+-ATPase$ activity in rabbit erythrocyte membrane is studied. The results are summarized as follows. 1) Total ATPase, $Mg^{+2}-ATPase$ and $Na^+,\;K^+-ATPase$ of rabbit erythrocyte membrane show maximum activities at 1mM of tris-ATP. 2) Total ATPase activity tends to increase when treated with carbachol $(10-^{-9}M-10^{-3}M)$. 3) The $Mg^{+2}-ATPase$ activity also tends to increase when treated with carbachol $(10-^{-9}M-10^{-3}M)$. 4) The $Na^+,\;K^+-ATPase$ activity is inhibited when treated with carbachol $(10-^{-9}M-10^{-7}M)$. It is suggested that the inhibition of $Na^+,\;K^+-ATPase$ by cholinergic drugs may be considered as one part of mechanism of cholinergic transmission.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2021

Belamcandae Rhizoma (BR), the rhizome of Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC., possesses various biological properties such as anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant activity and antimutagenic activity. However, there have been no studies on the anti-amnesic effect of BR. In this study, we assessed the improvement effect of BR extract on scopolamine-induced amnesia in mice. ICR mice were administrated with BR (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg, p.o.) and were subsequently injected of scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min before behavioral tasks (Y-maze, passive avoidance and Morris water maze tasks). To further assess the possible mechanisms of BR, the ex vivo acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was also evaluated. BR could ameliorate scopolamine-induced memory impairment and could regulate the cholinergic function by inhibiting the AChE activity. These data demonstrated that BR exert candidate extract against amnesia by restoring the cholinergic activity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1151-1156
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• 2002

This research was done to make the effective prescription and cope with various senile dementia. Sprague-Dawley rats were injured by ibotenic acid to make a damage on learning and memory functions of model rats. At first acquisition test and retention rest were done in the Morris water maze. And to evaluate the effects of the sample drug(GSD) on choline acetyltranferase and acetylcholine esterase, immunoreactive measurement and enzymatic activity measuring were carried out. The ibotenic acid were injected to hippocampus CA1 and CA3 area. Conclusion : GSD improved the learning ability in the acquisition test and memory function in the retention test significantly. And GSD increased the level of ChAT which is synthesizing acetylcholine in CA1 area, and at the same time it increased the level of AChE which is resolving acetylcholine. These results show that GSD improved the cholinergic catabolism and anabolism, and the increment of metabolic activity of cholinergic system. In other words, it contributes to the recovery of damaged learning and memory function by ibotenic acid. So it can be concluded that GSD will be helpful to cholinergic brain damage induced by primary or senile reduction of acetylcholine secretive activity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1236-1242
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• 2002

In order to make an efficient prescription and cope with dementia, learning and memory functions of Sprague-Dawley model rats were tested with Morris water maze. And to evaluate the effect of the sample drug(CHM) on choline acetyltranferase and acetylcholine esterase, immunoreactive measurement and enzymatic activity measuring were carried out. Rats were injected with ibotenic acid through hippocampus CA1 and CA3 area. The results are as following. CHM improves the learning ability in the acquisition test and memory function in the retention test significantly. And CHM increases the level of AChE which is resolving acetylcholine. Though it doesn't increase the level of ChAT significantly which is synthesizing acetylcholine, but it shows the tendency of increase. So these results show that CHM improve the cholinergic catabolism and anabolism, and the increment of metabolic activity of cholinergic system. Thus it can be concluded that CHM will be helpful to cholinergic brain disease induced by primary or senile reduction of acetylcholine secretive activity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.553-559
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• 2003

In order to make the efficient prescription and cope with various senile dementia, learning and memory functions of Sprague-Dawley model rats were tested with Morris water maze at first. And to evaluate the effects of the sample drug(GM) on choline acetyltranferase and acetylcholine esterase, immunoreactive measurement and enzymatic activity measuring were carried out. Rats were injected with ibotenic acid through hippocampus CA1 and CA3 area. The results are as following. GM improves the learning ability in tile acquisition test and memory function in the retention test significantly. And GM increases the level of ChAT which is synthesizing acetylcholine in CA3 area, and at the same time it increases the level of AChE which is resolving acetylcholine. These results show that GM improve the cholinergic catabolism and anabolism, and the increment of metabolic activity of cholinergic system contributes to the recovery of damaged learning and memory function by ibotenic acid. So it can be concluded that GM will be helpful to cholinergic brain disease induced by primary or senile reduction of acetylcholine secretive activity.