• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 2006

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the roles of the spinal and peripheral ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA)- ergic systems for the mechanical hypersensitivity produced by chronic compression of the dorsal root ganglion (CCD). Methods: CCD was performed at the left 5th lumbar dorsal root ganglion. The paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) to von Frey stimuli was measured. The mechanical responsiveness of the lumbar dorsal horn neurons was examined. GABAergic drugs were delivered with intrathecal (i.t.) or intraplantar (i.pl.) injection or by topical application onto the spinal cord. Results: CCD produced mechanical hypersensitivity, which was evidenced by the decrease of the PWT, and it lasting for 10 weeks. For the rats showing mechanical hypersensitivity, the mechanical responsiveness of the lumbar dorsal horn neurons was enhanced. A similar increase was observed with the normal lumbar dorsal horn neurons when the GABA-A receptor antagonist bicuculline was topically applied. An i.t. injection of GABA-A or GABA-B receptor agonist, muscimol or baclofen, alleviated the CCD-induced hypersensitivity. Topical application of same drugs attenuated the CCD-induced enhanced mechanical responsiveness of the lumbar dorsal horn neurons. CCD-induced hypersensitivity was also improved by low-dose muscimol applied (i.pl.) into the affected hind paw, whereas no effects could be observed with high-dose muscimol or baclofen. Conclusions: The results suggest that the neuropathic pain associated with compression of the dorsal root ganglion is caused by hyperexcitability of the dorsal horn neurons due to a loss of spinal GABAergic inhibition. Peripheral application of low-dose GABA-A receptor agonist can be useful to treat this pain.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.189-197
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• 2001

To investigate propofol's effects on ionic currents induced by ${\gamma}-aminobutyric$ acid (GABA) and glycine as well as on those produced by the nicotinic acetylcholine- and glutamate-responsive channels, rat dorsal raphe neurons were acutely dissociated and the nystatin-perforated patch-clamp technique under voltage-clamp conditions was used to observe their responses to the administration of propofol. Propofol evoked ion currents in a dose-dependent manner, and propofol $(10^{-4}\;M)$ was used to elicit ion currents through the activation of $GABA_A,$ glycine, nicotinic acetylcholine and glutamate receptors. Propofol at a clinically relevant concentration $(10^{-5}\;M)$ potentiated $GABA_A-,$ glycine- and NMDA receptor-mediated currents. The potentiating action of propofol on $GABA_A-,$ glycine- and NMDA receptor-mediated responses involved neither opioid receptors nor G-proteins. Apparently, propofol modulates inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitter-activated ion channels either by acting directly on the receptors or by potentiating the effects of the neurotransmitters, and this modulation appears to be responsible for the majority of the anaesthetic and/or adverse effects.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.791-795
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• 2011

Sea tangle, a kind of brown seaweed, was fermented with Lactobacillus brevis BJ-20. The gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in fermented sea tangle (FST) was 5.56% (w/w) and GABA in total free amino acid of FST was 49.5%. The effect of FST on the enzyme activities and mRNA protein expression of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) involved in alcohol metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated. Yeast was cultured in YPD medium supplemented with different concentrations of FST powder [0, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.0% (w/v)] for 18 h. FST had no cytotoxic effect on the yeast growth. The highest activities and protein expressions of ADH and ALDH from the cell-free extracts of S. cerevisiae were evident with the 0.4% and 0.8% (w/v) FST-supplemented concentrations, respectively. The highest concentrations of GABA as well as minerals (Zn, Ca, and Mg) were found in the cell-free extracts of S. cerevisiae cultured in medium supplemented with 0.4% (w/v) FST. The levels of GABA, Zn, Ca, and Mg in S. cerevisiae were strongly correlated with the enzyme activities of ADH and ALDH in yeast. These results indicate that FST can enhance the enzyme activities and protein expression of ADH and ALDH in S. cerevisiae.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2017

Angelicae Gigantis Radix (AGR, Angelica gigas) has been used for a long time as a traditional folk medicine in Korea and oriental countries. Decursinol angelate (DCA) is structurally isomeric decursin, one of the major components of AGR. This study was performed to confirm whether DCA augments pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors via the activation of $GABA_A$-ergic systems in animals. Oral administration of DCA (10, 25 and 50 mg/kg) markedly suppressed spontaneous locomotor activity. DCA also prolonged sleeping time, and decreased the sleep latency by pentobarbital (42 mg/kg), in a dose-dependent manner, similar to muscimol, both at the hypnotic (42 mg/kg) and sub-hypnotic (28 mg/kg) dosages. Especially, DCA increased the number of sleeping animals in the sub-hypnotic dosage. DCA (50 mg/kg, p.o.) itself modulated sleep architectures; DCA reduced the counts of sleep/wake cycles. At the same time, DCA increased total sleep time, but not non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. In the molecular experiments. DCA (0.001, 0.01 and $0.1{\mu}g/ml$) increased intracellular Cl- influx level in hypothalamic primary cultured neuronal cells of rats. In addition, DCA increased the protein expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase ($GAD_{65/67}$) and $GABA_A$ receptors subtypes. Taken together, these results suggest that DCA potentiates pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors through the activation of $GABA_A$-ergic systems, and can be useful in the treatment of insomnia.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.586-592
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• 2017

Sinomenium acutum has been long used in the preparations of traditional medicine in Japan, China and Korea for the treatment of various disorders including rheumatism, fever, pulmonary diseases and mood disorders. Recently, it was reported that Sinomenium acutum, has sedative and anxiolytic effects mediated by GABA-ergic systems. These experiments were performed to investigate whether sinomenine (SIN), an alkaloid derived from Sinomenium acutum enhances pentobarbital-induced sleep via ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic systems, and modulates sleep architecture in mice. Oral administration of SIN (40 mg/kg) markedly reduced spontaneous locomotor activity, similar to diazepam (a benzodiazepine agonist) in mice. SIN shortened sleep latency, and increased total sleep time in a dose-dependent manner when co-administrated with pentobarbital (42 mg/kg, i.p.). SIN also increased the number of sleeping mice and total sleep time by concomitant administration with the sub-hypnotic dosage of pentobarbital (28 mg/kg, i.p.). SIN reduced the number of sleep-wake cycles, and increased total sleep time and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. In addition, SIN also increased chloride influx in the primary cultured hypothalamic neuronal cells. Furthermore, protein overexpression of glutamic acid decarboxylase ($GAD_{65/67}$) and $GABA_A$ receptor subunits by western blot were found, being activated by SIN. In conclusion, SIN augments pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors through $GABA_A$-ergic systems, and increased NREM sleep. It could be a candidate for the treatment of insomnia.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.330-335
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• 2004

Changes in functional constituents of rice germ prepared using three different heat pretreatments: roasting, steaming and microwave heating, were determined and compared with those of non-treated rice germ. The yield of rice germ oil increased generally and then decreased with increasing time for all three heat pretreatments, although the yields of rice germ oil varied among the three heat pretreatments. There were no major differences in fatty acid compositions among the rice germ oils subjected to the three different heat pretreatments. Levels of $\alpha$-tocopherol in rice germ oil increased up to about 1.5 times at 3 min of roasting and microwave heating, compared to control, and then decreased with increasing treatment time, but $\alpha$­tocopherol concentrations in rice germ oil gradually decreased with increasing steaming time. The contents of three phytosterols ($\beta$-sitosterol, stigmasterol and ergosterol) decreased progressively with increases in roasting and steaming time, while concentrations of the three phytosterols increased up to - 15$\%$ with 3 min of microwave process as compared to control, and then decreased thereafter. Levels of $\gamma$-oryzanol in rice germ oil decreased gradually with increasing time during all three different heat pretreatments. However, levels of $\gamma$ -aminobutyric acid (GABA) in rice germ decreased gradually with increasing roasting time, while those of GABA increased greatly up to about 2 times after 10 min of steaming process, and then decreased slowly thereafter. During microwave heating, the contents of GABA increased at 3 min of treatment time and then decreased. These results suggest that microwave heating may be the most suitable processing method to preserve functional constituents in rice germ.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.1208-1213
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• 2008

The changes in the contents of GABA ($\gamma$-aminobutyric acid) and free amino acids (FAA) were analysed by HPLC in soybean fermented with Monascus pilosus IFO 480, which showed the highest GABA-producing ability among the five different strains. The significant increase (p<0.05) of GABA was observed in Monascusfermented soybean (MFS) with an average 4.5-fold increase of FAA. The contents of GABA (78.5 mg /100 g dry weight, dw) and FAA (5458.5 mg /100 g dw) were enhanced in MFS compared with unfermented soybean (31.5 mg /100 g dw, 1634.0 mg/100 g dw, respectively) during 30 days fermentation at $30^{\circ}C$. Acidic amino acids (i.e., glutamic acid and aspartic acid) in FAA files were found in large quantities (837.0 mg /100 g dw, 580.5 mg /100 g dw, respectively). Moreover, the sum of essential amino acids of MFS (1681.5 mg /100 g dw) at 20 days fermentation increased by 3.6 times compared with that of the control (469.0 mg /100 g dw). The results indicate that Monascus-fermentation have great potential for the enrichment of GABA and free amino acids in soybean.

• Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2006

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of air-phase germination with water-spraying and anion stimuli on germination ratio, sprout growth and ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) of brown rice. Air-phase germination method with intermittent spraying water improved germination ratio and sprout growth by about 100% compared with the conventional water-soaking method. Anion radiation was applied during the germination process and improved the germination ratio, sprout growth and color quality of the germinated brown rice. Germination ratio and sprout growth were improved up to 9% with anion radiation, and its brightness was higher than brown rice germinated with no anion radiation. The air-phase germination with water-spraying improved the GABA content of germinated brown rice by about 8-9 times compared with that of brown rice.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.351-357
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• 2015

The aims of this study were to develop $macaron{\grave{e}}$ with Korean red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and GABA (${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid) rice powder and analyze their physico-chemical and physiological characteristics. Korean red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) was added to $macaron{\grave{e}}$ at a weight percentage of 0, 2.5 and 4.5%. Color values (L-value, redness, and yellowness), total sugar content, total phenolics, total carotenoids, ABTS radical scavenging activity, textures, and sensory characteristics with varying various Korean red pepper were measured. As the ratio of the powders in the $macaron{\grave{e}}s$ increased, total phenolic content, total carotenoid content, and radical scavenging activity increased. There were significant differences in total phenolic and total carotenoid content of $macaron{\grave{e}}s$ (p<0.05). Sensory evaluation indicated significant differences (p<0.05) in color, sweetness, texture, and overall acceptability depending on the addition of Korean red pepper. KR30 $macaron{\grave{e}}$, showed higher overall acceptability, as compared to other $macaron{\grave{e}}$.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.6
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• pp.647-655
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• 1997

The purpose of present study is to investigate the influence of a spinal gamma-aminobutyric acid B($GABA_B$) receptor on a central regulation of blood pressure(BP) and heart rate(HR), and to define its mechanism in the spinal cord. In urethane-anesthetized, d-tubocurarine-paralyzed and artificially ventilated male Sprague-Dawley rats, intrathecal administration of drugs were carried out using injection cannula(33-gauge stainless steel) through the guide cannula(PE 10) which was inserted intrathecally at lower thoracic level through the puncture of a atlantooccipital membrane. Intrathecal injection of an $GABA_B$ receptor agonist, baclofen(30, 60, 100 nmol) decreased both BP and HR dose-dependently. Pretreatment with 8-bromo-cAMP(50 nmol), a cAMP analog, or glipizide(50 nmol), a ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channel blocker, attenuated the depressor and bradycardic effects of baclofen(100 nmol), but not with 8-bromo-cGMP(50 nmol), a cGMP analog. These results suggest that the $GABA_B$ receptor in the spinal cord plays an inhibitory role in central cardiovascular regulation and that this depressor and bradycardic actions are mediated by the decrease of cAMP via the inhibition of adenylate cyclase and the opening of $K^+$ channel.