• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.1253-1258
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• 2016

Although major advances have been achieved in our understanding and treatment of diseases in many areas of medicine, relatively few improvements have been made in the area of gastrointestinal (GI) motor function. The dried root of Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf. (CP) has been used as a traditional folk medicine for improving poor GI function in East Asia, including China and Korea. In the present study, neither aqueous (CP-W) nor ethanolic (CP-E) extracts of CP showed significant toxicity, even at an oral dose of 5 g/kg to mice. The effects of CP-W and CP-E on GI motor function were investigated by measuring in vivo the gastric emptying rate (GER) and intestinal transit rate (ITR) in mice. In normal mice, the ITR was significantly increased by CP-W in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the GER was not significantly affected by any CP extracts. The ITR was significantly retarded in the mice with experimental GI motility dysfunction (i.e., peritoneal irritation by acetic acid) compared with that in normal mice. However, the retardation was significantly recovered by the pre-treatment of CP-W in a dose-dependent manner. The above results suggest that CP-W might be a potential prokinetic agent preventing or alleviating GI motility dysfunctions in human patients.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.196-199
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• 2008

The interstitial cells of Cajal are the pacemakers in the gastrointestinal tract that modulate gastrointestinal motility. A case of a neonate with intestinal pseudo-obstruction caused by a decreased number of the interstitial cells of Cajal is presented. A premature male infant born at 32 weeks of gestation showed progressive abdominal distention beginning 3 days after initiation of enteral feeding at 15 days of life. No etiologic factors were identified on radiologic studies, a gastrographin enema, and an intestinal biopsy other than a markedly decreased number of the intestinal cells of Cajal. An ileostomy, followed by repair of the ileostomy was done, which resulted in but a limited improvement of the abdominal gas pattern. Respiratory distress, pancytopenia, and abdominal distention persisted, and the infant expired on 142 days of life.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.666-674
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• 2008

Objectives : The aim of this study was to evaluate gastrointestinal parasympathetic nerve activation and pyloric valve function in patients with functional dyspepsia through analysis of bowel sounds and to investigate clinical characteristics associated with the parameters of bowel sounds. Method : We surveyed clinical characteristics of patients by using a questionnaire about functional dyspepsia. Bowel sounds were recorded for 15 minutes during fasting state and for 40 minutes during postprandial state. We then classified the patients into 3 groups by abnormal states of bowel sounds, specifically by the percentage of B.S. and dominenet frequency, and studied clinical characteristics in each group. Results : Among the 182 subjects, patients who had low activity of parasympathetic nerve were 25.8% and showed a tendency of female-dominant, family history and more frequent abdominal pain. Those who had pyloric valve disturbance were 24.1% and showed no tendency by sex distribution, family history and complained of indigestion sensation. Patients who had both disorders were 10.9%, and their clinical characteristics were non-specific. Conclusion : Analysis of bowel sounds may be useful in evaluating pathophysiological factors of functional dyspepsia.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.34-38
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• 2006

The hot water extract of the seeds of Vernonia anthelmintica Kuntze (Compositae) in a dose of 10 ml/kg body weight of mice, showed significant analgesic activity on the hot plate analgesic method throughout the 4 h experimental period. The hole cross scores and the climbing out scores are of lower than the control animals. The hot water extract reduced the defecation in hole board study and significantly reduces the exploratory ambulation and head dipping behaviour. The seed also showed significant depressant activity on the exploratory ambulation of the open field scores. The drug decreased the spontaneous locomotion activity on brick-chip displacement method up to 45 min and also showed the ability to lessen the amphetamine induced hyperactivity up to 20 min. But it didn't show any effect on pentobarbital induced sleeping time test. The extract reduced gastrointestinal motility.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 2009

The changes on the regional distributions and frequencies of somatostatin-immunoreactive (IR) cells in the fundus and pylorus of the stomach of osteoporotic Sprague-Dawley rats induced by ovariectomy were studied by immunohistochemical methods. The experimental animals were divided into two groups, one for non-ovariectomized group (Sham) and the other for ovariectomized group (OVX). Samples were collected from the fundus and pylorus regions at the 10 th week after ovariectomy or sham-operation. Somatostatin-IR cells were observed in both regions of the stomach regardless of ovariectomy. Most of these IR cells in the mucosa of the fundus or pylorus were generally spherical or spindle in shape (open type cell) while cells found in the gastric gland regions were round in shape (close type cell). Significantly lower number (P<0.01) of somatostatin-IR cells were detected in OVX as compared with Sham in the fundus and pylorus. In the present study, the density of somatostatin in the stomach was markedly decreased. Therefore, these changes in density of somatostatin-IR cells detected in this study may support the speculation that the development of gastrointestinal symptoms in osteoporosis such as impairments of calcium and some lipids, frequently encountered in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis because the changes in gastrointestinal endocrine density would reflect the change in the capacity of producing these hormones and regulating gut motility and digestion.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.184-189
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• 1996

General pharmacological studies of LB20304a (a mesylate salt form of a new quinolone antibiotic LB20304 following oral administration of 300 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg, almost maximum tolerance dose in mice and rat, respectively, were performed in terms of effects on general behaviour, central nervous system, gastrointestinal system, and blood coagulation system in mice and rats. With regards to general behaviour of mice, at oral dose of 300 mg/kg, LB20304a reduced muscle tone and locomotor activity. In terms of CNS, at oral treatment of 300 mg/kg, LB20304a showed some analgesic effects in mice, and oral dose of 1000 mg/kg caused drop in normal body temperature of rat, while it enhanced the pentylenetetrazole-induced clonic convulsion to tonic convulsion and/or death in mice at the doses of unto 300 mg/kg. In addition, LB20304a increased hexobarbital-induced sleeping time two and three times in mice at oral doses of 20 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg, respectively. Rota-rod and traction test in mice were not influenced by the dose of 300 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg, respectively. LB20304a reduced gastric secretion of rat at dose of 1000 mg/kg, and increased intestinal motility of mice at dose of 300 mg/kg. In rats, blood coagulation index, such as PT (prothrombin time) and aPTT (activated partial thromboplastin time) were not affected by the treatment of upto 1000 mg/kg of LB 20304a.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2000

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a gastrointestinal hormone which plays an important role in satiety and gastric motility. It is also widely distributed throughout the central nervous system, where it appears to be involved in the central control of anxiety, feeding behavior and nociception. Two distinct CCK receptor types, $CCK_A$ and $CCK_B,$ have been found in the brain. Both CCK receptors coexist in the rat nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), which is the primary center for the coordination of peripheral and central activities related to gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and respiratory functions. In order to study ionic actions of CCK on each type of receptor, we investigated the effects of CCK-8S on neurons located in the NTS of the rat using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in brainstem slices. Application of CCK-8S, under current clamp, produced a membrane depolarization accompanied by action potential firing. This CCK-evoked excitation was dose-dependent $(10\;nM{\sim}10\;{\mu}M)$ and observed in more than 60% of NTS neurons. Under voltage clamp conditions, CCK-8S induced an inward current with a notably increased spontaneous excitatory synaptic activity. However, CCK-8S did not significantly change the amplitude of pharmacologically isolated and evoked EPSP(C)s. Using selective $CCK_A$ and $CCK_B$ receptor antagonists, we observed two different effects of CCK-8S, which suggest $CCK_A$ receptor-mediated inhibitory and $CCK_B$ receptor-mediated excitatory effects in the NTS. These results may help to explain the ability of CCK to modulate gastrointestinal and other reflex systems in the NTS.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.137-142
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• 2011

Extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) have the ability to produce a variety of behavioral and physiological changes in animals. The stomach, as the most sensitive part of the neuroendocrine organ of the gastrointestinal tract, is crucial for the initiation of a full stress response against all harmful stress. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine whether ELF-MF stimuli induce changes in the activity of neuroendocrine cells, considering their involvement in endocrine or paracrine effect on surrounding cells. The exposure to ELF-MF (durations of 24 h and 1 or 2 weeks, 60 Hz frequency, 0.1 mT intensity) altered the distribution and occurrence of gastrin, ghrelin and somatostatinpositive endocrine cells in the stomach of rats. The change, however, in the secretion of those hormones into blood from endocrine cells did not appear significantly with ELF-MF exposure. Comparing with sham control, ELF-MF exposure for 1 and 2 week induced an increase in $BaSO_4$ suspension propelling ratio of gastrointestinal tract, indicating that ELF-MF affects gastrointestinal motility. Our study revealed that ELF-MF exposure might influence the activity of endocrine cells, an important element of the intrinsic regulatory system in the digestive tract. The pathophysiological character of these changes and the mechanism responsible for neuroendocrine cell are still unclear and require further studies.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.281-285
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• 1994

Neutropenia is a major dose-limiting factor in cancer chemotherapy diminishing its usefulness and increase patient's susceptibility to infectious disease. Some recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factors(rhG-CSFs) are in use to reduce the risk of this serious side effect. In this study, we examined the pharmacological properties of DA-3030, a rhG-CSF expressed in E. coli. DA-3030 100 and $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg, i. v., had no significant effect on the central nervous, gastrointestinal system in mice and cardiovascular system in rabbits, but it slightly inhibited the spontaneous motility of isolated nonpregnant uterus in rats. It also had no influence on excretion of urinary electrolytes. DA-3030 administered for successive 3 days increased the blood WBC count in zymosan air pouch inflammed rats and in normal rats. These results indicate that DA-3030 has little side effects in animals.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.100-103
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• 1997

A study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of petroleum ether extract of leaves of Ficus racemosa Linn. for its antidiarrheal potential against several experimental models of diarrhea in rats. Ficus racemosa leaves extract (FRLE) treated animals showed significant inhibitory activity against castor oil induced diarrhea and inhibited significantly $PGE_2$ induced enteropooling in rats. It also showed significant reduction in gastrointestinal motility following charcoal meal in rats. The results obtained establish the efficacy of FRLE as an antidiarrheal agent.