• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2016

The present study was undertaken to investigate the influence of cardamonin on vascular smooth muscle contractility and to determine the mechanism(s) involved. Denuded aortic rings from male rats were used and isometric contractions were recorded and combined with molecular experiments. Cardamonin significantly relaxed fluoride-, phenylephrine-, and phorbol ester-induced vascular contractions, suggesting that it has an anti-hypertensive effect on agonist-induced vascular contraction regardless of endothelial nitric oxide synthesis. Furthermore, cardamonin significantly inhibited the fluoride-induced increase in pMYPT1 level and phenylephrine-induced increase in pERK1/2 level, suggesting inhibition of Rho-kinase and MEK activity and subsequent phosphorylation of MYPT1 and ERK1/2. This study provides evidence that the relaxing effect of cardamonin on agonist-induced vascular contraction regardless of endothelial function involves inhibition of Rho-kinase and MEK activity.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.99-106
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• 2010

A piezo-driven injector was applied with a purpose to evaluate the effect of induced voltage on spray characteristics. For this, injection rate, macroscopic imaging, ambient gas entrainment and particle sizing were carried out. It was shown that initial slope of injection rate was steeper as induced voltage increased, while slope of injection rate became mostly constant with fully opened needle. From macroscopoic imaging, longer spray tip penetration was produced with higher induced voltage. Moreover, wider spray angle was detected in the early stage of spray development, when higher induced voltage was applied. Ambient air entrainment rate was increased and particle size was reduced with higher induced voltage.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.95-99
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• 2004

The ethanolic extract of some medicinal plants having anti-asthmatic activity such as Solanum xanthocarpum, Curcuma longa, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Piper longum, A. vasica, A. lebbeck, and Tinospora cordifolia was evaluated for antihistaminic and anti-cataleptic activity. The aqueous solution of ethanolic extract of S. xanthocarpum and G. glabra potentiated histamine-induced tracheal chain contractions. Whereas, C. longa, P. longum, and T. cordifolia, and A. lebbeck were without any significant effect on histamine. Only A. vasica inhibited histamine-induced tracheal chain contraction. G. glabra per se produced contraction of the tracheal chain, which was blocked by pretreatment with atropine. Single dose of S. xanthocarpum potentiated clonidine-induced catalepsy but on repeated doses (once in a day for 3 days) inhibited catalepsy. Pretreatment with ethanolic extract of C. longa, P. longum, T. cordifolia inhibited catalepsy whereas G. glabra and A. lebbeck significantly potentiated clonidine-induced catalepsy. None of the extracts inhibited haloperidol-induced catalepsy. Thus the extracts having antihistaminic activity or mast cell stabilizing activity inhibited clonidineinduced catalepsy.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.166-173
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• 2000

Angiopoietin-1(Ang-1) is a vasculogenic factor that signals through the endothelial cell-specific Tie2 receptor tyrosine kinase. We examined the effect of angiopoietin-1(Ang-1) on radiation-induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECS) and receptor/second messenger signal transduction pathway for Ang-1's effect on HUVECs. The percent of apoptotic cells under control condition(0Gy) was $8.2\%$. Irradiation induced apoptosis was increased in a dose(1, 5, 10, and 15Gy)- and time 12, 24, 48 and 72hr)-dependent manner. The percent of apoptotic cells was approximately $34.9\%$ after 15 Gy of irradiation. Under these conditions, pretreatment with Ang-1's (50, 100, 200, and 400 ng/ml) inhibited irradiation-induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. Two hundred ng/ml of Ang-1 inhibited approximately $55-60\%$ of the apoptotic events that occurred in the 10 Gy-irradiated cells. Pre-treatment with soluble Tie2 receptor, but not Tie1 receptor, blocked the Ang-1's antiapoptotic effects. Phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (P13-kinase) specific inhibitor, wortmanin and LY294002, blocked the Ang-1-induced antiapoptotic effect. Ang-1 promotes the survival of endothelial cells in irradiation-induced apoptosis through Tie2 receptor binding and P13-kinase activation. Pretreatment of Ang-1 could be beneficial in maintaining normal endothelial cell integrity during irradiation therapy.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.33 no.3 s.130
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• pp.252-256
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• 2002

In the previous study, we demonstrated that ginsenoside $Rb_1$ isolated from the butanol fraction of the head of Panax ginseng had significant gastroprotective activity on gastritis and gastric ulcer models in rats. It has been well established that drugs to have capacity of scavenging or inhibiting the generation of reactive oxygen radicals prevent the gastric mucosal injury. Ginsenoside $Rb_1$ was tested on HCl ethanol-induced gastritis in rats, DPPH-induced free radical scavenging effect, MDA assay, GSH activity, and SOD activity in gastric tissue. It showed significant inhibition in HCl ethanol-induced gastritis, and al~o significantly increase of GSH activated SOD. We speculate that the protective effect of ginsenoside $Rb_1$ against HCl ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage is originated from the increase of GSH and the activation of SOD.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.64-70
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• 2000

Effects of Rhizoma gastrodiae on glucose oxidase-induced neurotoxicity was investigated in cultured newborn mouse spinal dorsal root ganglion(DRG) neurons that were treated in the media with or without glucose oxidase. In addition, the protective effect of Rhizoma gastrodiae extract against glucose oxidase-induced neurotoxicity was examined. Cytotoxic values were expressed as a percentage of number of living cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In this paper, exposure of neurons to glucose oxidase resulted in a significant call death in a dose- and time-dependent manners in DRG neuron cultures. The decrease in cell viability induced by the glucose oxidase was blocked by Rhizoma gastrodiae extract. These results indicate that the neuroprotective effect of Rhizoma gastrodiae extract against glucose oxidase-induced neurotoxicity may result from a prevention or attenuation of oxidative damage induced by glucose oxidase.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2007

The ethanolic extract of Bacopa monnieri Linn. aerial parts were studied far its hepatoprotective effect on $CCl_4-induced$ hepatotoxic rats. The extract was found to decrease significantly $CCl_4-induced$ elevation of SGOT, SGPT, ALP, bilirubin and total cholesterol. But, it increased HDL-cholesterol level and liver weight with respect to $CCl_4$ toxic rats. The extract was also found to decrease significantly the $CCl_4-induced$ elevation of lipid peroxidation and increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) and GSH level in the liver of extract treated rats when compared with $CCl_4$ induced rats. Histopatholosical profiles showed that the extract had significant protective effect against $CCl_4-induced$ liver injury, which corroborates the above findings. Hence it may be possible that the mechanism of hepatoprotection of the extract is due to its antioxidant effect.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.441-445
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• 2012

Cadmium is an important occupational and environmental pollutant that damages various organs, especially renal proximal tubular cells. We examined the effect of aqueous extract of Buddleja officinalis (ABO) on cadmium chloride ($CdCl_2$)-induced cytotoxicity in HK-2 human renal proximal tubular cells. HK-2 cells were preincubated with ABO (50, 100, 200 and 400 ${\mu}g/ml$) for 3 hr and then treated with 10 ${\mu}M$ $CdCl_2$ for 24 hr. The effect of ABO on $CdCl_2$-induced cytotoxicity in HK-2 cells was investigated by using MTT assay, morphological observation, flow cytometric analysis and Western blot. The results of the MTT assay and morphological observation indicated that $CdCl_2$-induced cytotoxicity was prevented by pretreatment with ABO. In flow cytometric analysis, ABO reduced sub-G1 peak (apoptotic peak) in $CdCl_2$-treated cells. $CdCl_2$-induced procaspase-3 proteolysis and PARP cleavage reduced by pretreatment with ABO. These results suggest that ABO effectively inhibited $CdCl_2$-induced cytotoxicity in HK-2 cells.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.45-57
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• 2001

Objectives : The water extract of Gwibitang (GBT) has been traditionally used for treatment of psychologic disease and brain damage in Oriental Medicine, This study was designed to investigate the effect of GBT on the glutamate-induced toxicity of rat C6 glial cells. Methods : The cultured cells were pretreated with GBT and exposed to glutamate, The cell damage was assessed by using MTT assay and Hoechst, IC-l staining, Results : GBT had protective effects in glutamate-induced cytotoxicity, which was revealed as apoptosis characterized by chromatic condensation and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in C6 glial cells. However, GBT and glutamate had no effect in the activation of caspase family cysteine proteases including caspase-3, -8 and -9 proteasesin C6 glial ce]]s, GBT significantly recovered the depletion of GSH and inhibited the generation of $H_2O_2$ by glutamate in C6 glial cells. In addition, both GBT and antioxidants such as GSH and NAC protected the glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in C6 glial cells, indicating that GBT possibly has antioxidative effect. Moreover, GBT also inhibited the glutamate-induced degradation of $IkB{\alpha}$ in C6 glial cells, This result suggest that GBT has some inhibitory effects on the transcriptional activation of $NF-_{k}B$. Conclusions : GBT has protective effects in glutamate-induced cytotoxicity via an antioxidative mechanism.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2 s.70
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• pp.44-53
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• 2007

Objectives : This study examined the neuroprotective effect of Hyulbuchookau-tang (血府逐瘀湯, HBCAT) against neural damage following global cerebral infarction. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats were induced with global cerebral infarction by occlusion of the bilateral common carotid artery with hypotension (CCAO). The rats were divided into 3 groups. We treated extract of HBCAT to one group after operation (sample group), one group wasn't induced with ischemic damage after operation (sham group), and one group was induced with ischemic damage after operation (control group) but not treated. We observed neurological scores and cresyl violet-stained hippocampus CAl area, TUNEL-positive neurons, and Bax-positive neurons in brain regions. Results : HBCAT treatment after CCAO increased pyramidal neurons in CAl hippocampus induced by CCAO. HBCAT treatment after CCAO reduced Bax-positive neurons in CAl hippocampus of brain regions induced by CCAO. HBCAT treatment after CCAO wasn't effective for HSP70-positive neurons in CAl hippocampus induced by CCAO. Conclusions : These results suggest that HBCAT has a neuroprotective effect against global cerebral ischemia.