• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.99-104
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• 2000

We investigated the action of NOS inhibitors on NOS in rats. Both of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors, $N^G$-monomethyl-L-arginine $(L-NMMA,\;3\;{\mu}M)$ or $N^G$-nitro-L-arginine methylester $(L-NAME,\;30\;{\mu}M),$ augmented phenylephrine $(PE,\;10^{-7}\;M)-induced$ contraction which was inhibited by acetylcholine (ACh) in rat thoracic aorta. This augmentation by L-NAME or L-NMMA was attenuated with the treatment of NO precursor, arginine. ACh, however, decreased the augmentation induced by L-NMMA, but not by L-NAME. Superoxide dismutase (SOD, 50 u/ml) potentiated an inhibitory effect of ACh on the PE $(10^{-7}\;M)-induced$ contraction. It has been known that platelet activating factor itself induces iNOS. Platelet activating factor $(PAF,\;10^{-7}\;M)$ inhibited PE $(10^{-7}\;M)-induced$ contraction. Pretreatment with L-NMMA (30 mM) or L-NAME (30 mM) significantly blocked the inhibitory action of PAF on PE-induced contraction. L-NMMA (100 mM) or L-NAME (100 mM) reduced nerve conduction velocity (NCV) relevant to nNOS in rat sciatic nerve. ACh attenuated the reduction of NCV by L-NMMA-, but not by L-NAME-induced reduction of NCV. These results suggest that L-NMMA and/or L-NAME have different action on three types of NOS in rats.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of endurance training and prolonged L-arginine supplementation on blood glucose, blood insulin, muscle glycogen, muscle glycogen synthase (GS), muscle nitric oxide (NO), muscle nitric oxide synthase (NOS), endurance performance. We equally divided 36 Sprague-Dawley mice to be distributed into control group, L-NMMA treated group and L-arginine treated group. The L-arginine treated group and L-NMMA treated group consumed 10 mg/kg/day of L-arginine and 5 mg/kg/day of L-NMMA for 6 weeks period. Mice of control group, L-arginine treated group, and L-NMMA treated groups performed swimming exercise training for 60 min once a day, 5 days per week for 6 weeks. Blood glucose had tendency to increase in L-arginine treated group than the control group, and insulin significantly increased in L-arginine treated group than the control group. L-arginine treated group showed significant increase in glycogen, GS, NO and NOS in the gastrocnemius muscle and soleus muscle compared to the control group. Whereas L-NMMA treated group showed the lowest glycogen, GS, NO and NOS in the gastrocnemius muscle and soleus muscle compared to control group and L-arginine treated group. Exhaustive swimming time had tendency to increase in L-arginine treated group compared to the value for control group. These reults indicate that endurance training and prolonged L-arginine supplementation appear to be effective in exhancing nitric oxide production, glycogen concentration and endurance performance.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.317-325
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• 2006

Purpose : This study was carried out to elucidate the effects of nitric oxide synthase(NOS) inhibitor, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine(L-NMMA) and nitric oxide precursor, L-arginine(L-Arg) on cerebral hemodynamics and energy metabolism during reoxygenation-reperfusion(RR) after hypoxia-ischemia(HI) in newborn piglets. Methods : Twenty-eight newborn piglets were divided into 4 groups; Sham normal control(NC), experimental control(EC), L-NMMA(HI & RR with L-NMMA), and L-Arg(HI & RR with L-Arg) groups. HI was induced by occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries and simultaneously breathing with 8 percent oxygen for 30 mins, and followed RR by release of carotid occlusion and normoxic ventilation for one hour. All groups were monitored with cerebral hemodynamics and cytochrome $aa_3$ (Cyt $aa_3$) using near infrared spectroscopy(NIRS). $Na^+$, $K^+$-ATPase activity, lipid peroxidation products, and tissue high energy phosphate levels were determined biochemically in the cerebral cortex. Results : In experimental groups, mean arterial blood pressure, $PaO_2$, and pH decreased, and base excess and blood lactate level increased after HI compared to NC group(P<0.05). These variables subsequently returned to baseline after RR except pH. There were no differences among the experimental groups. In NIRS, oxidized hemoglobin($HbO_2$) decreased and hemoglobin(Hb) increased during HI(P<0.05) but returned to base line immediately after RR; 40 min after RR, the $HbO_2$ had decreased significantly compared to NC group(P<0.05). Changes of Cyt $aa_3$ decreased significantly compared to NC after HI and recovered at the end of the experiment. Significantly reduced cerebral cortical cell membrane $Na^+$, $K^+$-ATPase activity and increased lipid peroxidation products(P<0.05) were not improved with L-NMMA or L-Arg. Conclusion : These findings suggest that NO is not involved in the mechanism of HI and RR brain damage during the early acute phase of RR.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.231-238
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• 1994

Backgroud: Since the demonstration of the fact that vascular relaxation by acetylcholine(Ach) results from the release of relaxing factor from the endothelium, the identity and physiology of this endothelium-derived relaxing factor(EDRF) has been the target for many researches. EDRF has been identified as nitric oxide(NO). With the recent evidences that EDRF is an important mediator of vascular tone, there have been increasing interests in defining the role of the EDRF as a potential mediator of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. But the role of EDRF in modulating the pulmonary circulation is not compeletely clarified. To investigate the endothelium-dependent pulmonary vasodilation and the role of EDRF during hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, we studied the effects of $N^G$-monomethyl-L-arginine(L-NMMA) and L-arginine on the precontracted pulmonary arterial rings of the rat in normoxia and hypoxia. Mothods: The pulmonary arteries of male Sprague Dawley(300~350g) were dissected free of surrounding tissue, and cut into rings. Rings were mounted over fine rigid wires, in organ chambers filled with 20ml of Krebs solution bubbled with 95 percent oxygen and 5 percent carbon dioxide and maintained at $37^{\circ}C$. Changes in isometric tension were recorded with a force transducer(FT.03 Grass, Quincy, USA) Results: 1) Precontraction of rat pulmonry artery with intact endothelium by phenylephrine(PE, $10^{-6}M$) was relaxed completely by acetylcholine(Ach, $10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$) and sodium nitroprusside(SN, $10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$), but relaxing response by Ach in rat pulmonary artery with denuded endothelium was significantly decreased. 2) L-NMMA($10^{-4}M$) pretreatment inhibited Ach($10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$)-induced relaxation, but L-NMMA ($10^{-4}M$) had no effect on relaxation induced by SN($10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$). 3) Pretreatment of the L-arginine($10^{-4}M$) significantly reversed the inhibition of the Ach ($10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$)-induced relaxation caused by L-NMMA($10^{-4}M$) 4) Pulmonary arterial contraction by PE($10^{-6}M$) was stronger in hypoxia than normoxia but relaxing response by Ach($10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$) was decreased, 5) With pretreatment of L-arginine($10^{-4}M$), pulmonary arterial relaxation by Ach($10^{-9}-10^{-5}M$) in hypoxia was reversed to the level of relaxation in normoxia. Conclusion: It is concluded that rat pulmonary arterial relaxation by Ach is dependent on the intact endothelium and is largely mediated by NO. Acute hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction is related to the suppression on NO formation in the vascular endothelium.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1265-1276
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• 1998

Background : Nitric oxide(NO) is an endogenously produced free radical that plays an important role in regulating vascular tone, inhibition of platelet aggregation and white blood cell adhesion to endothelial cells, and host defense against infection. The highly reactive nature of NO with oxygen radicals suggests that it may either promote or reduce oxidant-induced cell injury in several biological pathways. Oxidant injury and interactions between pulmonary vascular endothelium and leukocytes are important in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury, including acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS). In ARDS, therapeutic administration of NO is a clinical condition providing exogenous NO in oxidant-induced endothelial injury. The role of exogenous NO from NO donor or the suppression of endogenous NO production was evaluated in oxidant-induced endothelial injury. Method : The oxidant injury in cultured rat lung microvascular endothelial cells(RLMVC) was induced by hydrogen peroxide generated from glucose oxidase(GO). Cell injury was evaluated by $^{51}$chromium($^{51}Cr$) release technique. NO donor, such as S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine(SNAP) or sodium nitroprusside(SNP), was added to the endothelial cells as a source of exogenous NO. Endogenous production of NO was suppressed with N-monomethyl-L-arginine(L-NMMA) which is an NO synthase inhibitor. L-NMMA was also used in increased endogenous NO production induced by combined stimulation with interferon-$\gamma$(INF-$\gamma$), tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$(TNF-$\alpha$), and lipopolysaccharide(LPS). NO generation from NO donor or from the endothelial cells was evaluated by measuring nitrite concentration. Result : $^{51}Cr$ release was $8.7{\pm}0.5%$ in GO 5 mU/ml, $14.4{\pm}2.9%$ in GO 10 mU/ml, $32.3{\pm}2.9%$ in GO 15 mU/ml, $55.5{\pm}0.3%$ in GO 20 mU/ml and $67.8{\pm}0.9%$ in GO 30 mU/ml ; it was significantly increased in GO 15 mU/ml or higher concentrations when compared with $9.6{\pm}0.7%$ in control(p < 0.05; n=6). L-NMMA(0.5 mM) did not affect the $^{51}Cr$ release by GO. Nitrite concentration was increased to $3.9{\pm}0.3\;{\mu}M$ in culture media of RLMVC treated with INF-$\gamma$ (500 U/ml), TNF-$\alpha$(150 U/ml) and LPS($1\;{\mu}g/ml$) for 24 hours ; it was significantly suppressed by the addition of L-NMMA. The presence of L-NMMA did not affect $^{51}Cr$ release induced by GO in RLMVC pretreated with INF-$\gamma$, TNF-$\alpha$ and LPS. The increase of $^{51}Cr$ release with GO(20 mU/ml) was prevented completely by adding 100 ${\mu}M$ SNAP. But the add of SNP, potassium ferrocyanate or potassium ferricyanate did not protect the oxidant injury. Nitrite accumulation was $23{\pm}1.0\;{\mu}M$ from 100 ${\mu}M$ SNAP at 4 hours in phenol red free Hanks' balanced salt solution. But nitrite was not detectable from SNP upto 1 mM The presence of SNAP did not affect the time dependent generation of hydrogen peroxide by GO in phenol red free Hanks' balanced salt solution. Conclusion : Hydrogen peroxide generated by GO causes oxidant injury in RLMVC. Exogenous NO from NO donor prevents oxidant injury, and the protective effect may be related to the ability to release NO. These results suggest that the exogenous NO may be protective on oxidant injury to the endothelium.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.843-850
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• 1999

We investigated whether endothelium-derived NO and endothelin-1 might result enhanced vasoconstriction induced by administration of norepinephrien (NE) at the early stage of one-kidney, one-clip (1K1C) renal hypertensive rats. We also studied the relation ship of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) using rat aorta in this hypothesis. L-NMMA (30$\mu$M) and L-NAME(30${\mu}M$) enhanced vasoconstriction induced by NE in thoracic aorta of control rats. However angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor didn't. The aorta of 1KIC rats showed a singnificantly exaggerated contractile response to NE as compared with control rats. Rub-bing the endothelium abolished this difference. Ach and SNP-induced vasorelaxation show no significant difference between 1KIC and control rats. The treatment of phosphoramidon (10${\mu}M$) and oral administration of captopril (0.05, w/v%) abolished the exaggerated contractile response to NE at early stage of 1KIC rats. These results suggest that the increase of contractile response at the early phase in 1KIC rat is partially involved in the activation of ACE.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 1992

Intravenous administration of saponin from the root of Panax ginseng (red ginseng) lowered the blood pressure in a dose-dependent manner (10~100 mg/kg B.W) in anesthetized rats. Therefore, experiments were designed to study whether this lowering of blood pressure is associated with the release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor. Rings of thoracic aorta with and without endothelium were suspended for the measurement of isometric tension in organ chamber. All experiments were performed in the presence of indomethacin (10-5 M). Ginseng saponin (10-5~3$\times$10-4 g/ml) relaxed contractions induced by phenylephrine (10-5 M) in the aorta with endothelium but not in that without endothelium. Treatment of aortic rings with NG_monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA 10-4 M for 30 min), a competive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase and methylene blue (M.B., 3$\times$10-7 M for 30 min), an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, diminished the relaxation induced by ginseng saponin. In thoracic aortic rings from rats treated with ginseng saponin for 2 weeks intraperitoneally, the relaxation to acetylcholine was increased compared with non-ginseng treated rings. These data suggest that red ginseng saponin evokes hypotension and that vascular relaxations induced by red ginseng saponin are inediatpd by release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.599-605
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• 1996

This study was designed to examine the mechanism of penile erection in adult bull by analyzing the responses of bovine proximal retractor penile muscle strips(BRP) to electtical field stimulation(EFS), exogenous nitric oxide(NO), NO synthesis precursor(L-arginine), NO synthase inhibitors(L-NAME, L-NMMA), guanylate cyclase inhibitor(methylene blue) and nonspecific potassium channel blocker(tetraethylammonium, TEA) treatments. Isometric tension of BRP was measured using physiograph. Results were summarized as follows: 1. EFS of nonadrenergic noncholinrgic(NANC) nerve in BRP produced frequency-dependent inhibitory responses to the contraction induced by co-treatment of epinephrine, guanethidine and atropine. The inhibitory responses to EFS were blocked by tetrodotoxin(TTX, $1{\mu}M$). 2. Treatment of L-NAME ($10,\;20{\mu}M$) inhibited the relaxation to EFS whereas L-NMMA ($100{\mu}M$) had no effect. 3. Treatment of NO($20,\;40{\mu}M$; as an acidified solution of $NaNO_2$) induced concentration-dependent relaxation whereas preincubation of TTX($1{\mu}M$) and L-NAME($20{\mu}M$) had no effect on the relaxation response. 4. L-arginine treatment(10mM) blocked the inhibitory effect of L-NAME($20{\mu}M$). 5. Pretreatment of methylene blue($40{\mu}M$) reduced the NANC-induced relaxation of BRP. 6. Tetraethylammonium(TEA, 80mM) reduced NANC relaxation. These results suggest that NO may act as a NANC neurotransmitter in BRP and the effects might be mediated by cGMP and potassium channel.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.203-203
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• 2002

Rheum palmatum L. has been used for treatment of hypertension, lipemia, and paramenia in the oriental gerbal medicines for a long time. We have examined the relaxational response to the water extract of Rheum palmaum L. in isolated thoracic aorta from sprague dawley (SD) rat in the presence and absence of endothelium. Rat thoracic aorta was investigated in vessel segments suspended for isometric tension recording by polygraph. Responses to Rhizoma Rhei were investigated in vessels precontracted with 5-hydroxytryptamine. We found that the ghoracic aorta segments responded to the water extract of Rheum palmatum L. (ERP) with a dose-dependent vasorelaxation. We found that 1.The thoracic aorta sehments responded to ERP with a dose-dependent vasodiliation. 2.The 5-HT induced contraction at 10$\^$-4/M were inhibited by 85.8% after addition of the 0.1 g/mL water extract of ERP. 3. The 5-HT induced contraction at 10$\^$-4/ M with and without endothelium were inhibited by 86.4% and 85.8% after addition of the 0.1g/mL ERP. 4. After pre-treatment of the thoracic aorta with 10$\^$-4/M N$\^$G/-monomethyl-L-arginine(L-NMMA), inducible niric oxide synthase inhibitor, the vessels has not response to the contraction. In conclusion, ERP induced reaxation in the isolated rat thoracic aorta were composed of dose-dependent relaxation. and it has potent vasodilation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.209-220
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• 2023

This study is to determine the regulation of nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) by edaravone in mice with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH). C57BL/6J mice were reared in a hypoxic chamber. HPH mice were treated with edaravone or edaravone + L-NMMA (a NOS inhibitor). Lung tissue was collected for histological assessment, apoptosis analysis, and detection of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and NOS3. The levels of serum TNF-α and IL-6 were also measured. Immunohistochemistry was used to visualize the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) in pulmonary arterioles. Edaravone treatment improved hemodynamics, inhibited right ventricular hypertrophy, increased NOS3 expression, and reduced pathological changes, pulmonary artery wall thickness, apoptotic pulmonary cells, oxidative stress, and the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and α-SMA in HPH mice. L-NMMA treatment counteracted the lung protective effects of edaravone. In conclusion, edaravone might reduce lung damage in HPH mice by increasing the expression of NOS3.