• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.146-156
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• 2003

Isolated rat thoracic aorta which is pharmacologically precontracted by phenylephrine induces photorelaxation when exposed to long wave length UV-light. The aim of the present study was to characterize the mechanism of UV-light induced by photorelaxation in the rat aorta. 1. UV light relaxed both endothelium-intact and -denuded rat aortic rings contracted by phenylephrine. The magnitude of relaxation on UV light was dependent on the exposure time and slightly greatly in endothelium-denuded rings than in endothelium-intact preparations. 2. L-NAME (10 nM - 100 $\mu$M) but not D-NAME completely inhibited the photorelaxation in a concentration dependent manner. 3. The UV-induced relaxation was inhibited by methylene blue (1 - 100 uM), and verapamil (100 nM), and removal of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$. In contrast, UV-light induced photorelaxation was potentiated by $N^{w}$-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) treatment. These results suggest that UV light-induced photorelaxation may be due to nitric oxide from exogenously administered L-arginine as well as endogenous nitric oxide donors such as amino acid and arginine derivatives

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1202-1206
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• 2004

A rapid, sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/ MS) method for the determination of lithospermic acid B (LSB) in rat serum was developed. LSB and internal standard, 7-hydroxy-3-phenyl-chromen-4-one (HPC) were extracted from rat serum with methyl-tert-butyl ether at acidic pH and analyzed on a Luna $C_8$ column with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-ammonium formate (10 mM, pH 6.5) (50:50, v/v). The analytes were detected using a negative electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple- reaction-monitoring mode. The standard curve was linear $(r^2 = 0.997)$ over the concentration range of 10.0-500 ng/mL. The coefficient of variation and relative error for intra- and interassay at three QC levels were 1.1~6.2% and -10.3~-2.7%, respectively. The recovery of LSB from serum sample ranged from 73.2 to 79.5%, with that of HPC (internal standard) being 75.1 %. The lower limit of quantification for LSB was 10 ng/mL using 50 ${\mu}L$ of serum sample.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2001

To investigate the mutual relationship between angiotensin II (Ang II) and nitric oxide (NO) in paraventricular nucleus (PVN), Ang II receptor type Ia $(AT_{1A}),$ type Ib $(AT_{1B}),$ endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS), and neuronal constitutive nitric oxide synthase (ncNOS) mRNA levels of rat PVN were measured after unilateral carotid artery ligation. $AT_{1A}$ and $AT_{1B}$ mRNA levels were markedly elevated 6 hrs after unilateral carotid artery ligation. Losartan injection $(10\;{\mu}g/0.3\;{\mu}l)$ into the PVN augmented of the increment of $AT_{1A}$ and $AT_{1B}$ mRNAs It also increased ecNOS gene expression. In addition, $AT_{1B}$ mRNA levels increased after N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) injection $(50\;{\mu}g/0.3\;{\mu}l)$ into the PVN. These results suggest that Ang II and NO in the rat PVN may interplay, at least in part, through regulation of gene expression of ecNOS and $AT_{1B},$ respectively.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.479-483
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• 2004

The aim of this study was carried to the induction of follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) in rat myometrium tissue by exogenous estrogen. PCR was performed by using estrogen treatment after ovariectomy of myometrium mRNA and only ovariectomy of myometrium mRNA and on ovariectomy of myometrium mRNA in rat normal uterus tissue. The PCR products were visualized on agarose gel (1.2％) electrophoresis. FSTL1 mRNA expression level was significantly higher (**P<0.001 or *P<0.05) in estrogen treatment after ovariectomy than in only ovariectomy, and was significantly higher (**P<0.001) in no ovariectomy than in estrogen with treatment after ovariectomy. In conclusion, Although the mechanisms of FSTL1 gene were uncertain, It also might be inducted by exogenous estrogen. And also it is thought to be related to the estorgen mechanism.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.147-147
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• 1998

The present study was designed to examine the effect of total ginseng saponin on CA secretion evoked by activation of nicotinic receptors from the isolated perfused rat adrenal glands. Total ginseng saponin given (100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/20 min) into an adrenal vein did fail to produce alteration of spontaneous CA release from the rat adrenal medulla. Acetylcholine (5.32 mM)- and DMPP (100 uM, a selective ncotinic receptor agonist)-evoked CA secretory responses were reduced markedly by the pretreatment with the total ginseng saponin at a rate of 100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/6.2 $m\ell$/20 min, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.142-142
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• 1998

This study has been undertaken to examine the effect of biphenyl dimethyl dicarboxylate (DDB) on rat liver drug metabolizing enzyme in order to understand the mechanism of DDB on improving hepatic toxicity in rat liver. After DDB was administered into male rats for different periods of time, mRNA level of CYP1A1 and CYP2B1 was measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). DDB treatment resulted in increase in CYP2B1 mRNA level whereas there was no change in CYP1A1 mRNA level. This effect of DDB was time dependent reaching maximal level by 2-day treatment. DDB dose response study showed that 50mg/kg DDB induced CYP2B1 mRNA to maximal level and DDB icreased CYP2B1 gene expression with dose-dependent manner. Based on studies of lipid peroxidation, serum ALT and AST levels and histopathologic examination showed DDB protection on CCl4 induced hepatotoxiccity.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2000

The present study was designed to investigate the effect f quinidine on catecholamine (CA) secretion evoked by ACh, high $K^{+}$, DMPP, McN-A343, cyclopiazonic acid and Bay-K-8644 from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland and to establish the mechanism of its action. The perfusion of quinidine (15-150 $\mu$M) into an adrenal vein for 60 min produced relatively dose- and time-dependent inhibition in CA secretion evoked by ACh (5.32$\times$10$^{-3}$ M), high $K^{+}$ (5.6$\times$10$^{-2}$ M), DMPP (10$^{-4}$ M for 2 min), McN-A-343 (10$^{-4}$ M for 2 min), cyclopiazonic acid (10$^{-5}$ M for 4 min) and Bay-K-8644 (10$^{-5}$ M for 4 min). Furthermore, in adrenal glands pre-loaded with quinine (5$\times$10$^{-5}$ M), CA secretory responses evoked by veratridine (10$^{-4}$ M) was time-dependently inhibited. Also, in the presence of lidocaine (10$^{-4}$ M), which is also known to be a sodium channel blocker, CA secretory responses evoked by ACh, high potassium, DMPP, McN-A-343, Bay-K-8644 and cyclo-piazonic acid were also greatly reduced in similar fashion to that of quinidine-treatment. Taken together, these results suggest that quinidine causes greatly the inhibition of CA secretion evoked by stimulation of cholinergic (both nicotinic and muscarinic) receptors as well as by membrane depolarization, indicating strongly that this effect may be mediated by inhibiting influx of extracellular calcium and release in intracellular calcium in the rat adrenomedullary chromaffin cells. Furthermore, these findings indicate strongly that this inhibitory action of quinidine appears to be associated to the blocking action of sodium channels at least in CA secretion from the rat adrenal gland.and.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.175-182
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• 2015

Previous studies suggested that myelinated axons innervating rat molar pulps undergo morphological changes in their peripheral course. However, little information is available on the morphological feature of the parent axons at the site of origin. We therefore investigated the size of the myelinated parent axons and their morphological features at the proximal sensory root of the trigeminal ganglion by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injection into rat upper molar pulps and subsequent light and electron microscopy. A total of 248 HRP-labeled myelinated axons investigated were highly variable in the size. Fiber area, fiber diameter, axon area (axoplasm area), axon diameter (axoplasm diameter), and myelin thickness were $11.32{\pm}8.36{\mu}m^2(0.80{\sim}53.17{\mu}m^2)$, $3.99{\pm}1.53{\mu}m(1.08{\sim}9.26{\mu}m)$, $8.70{\pm}6.30{\mu}m^2(0.70{\sim}41.83{\mu}m^2)$, $3.13{\pm}1.13{\mu}m(0.94{\sim}7.20{\mu}m)$ and $0.43{\pm}0.23{\mu}m(0.07{\sim}1.06{\mu}m)$, respectively. The g-ratio (axon diameter / fiber diameter) of the labeled axons was $0.79{\pm}0.05$ (0.61~0.91). Axon diameter was highly correlated with myelin thickness (correlation coefficients, r=0.83) but little correlated with g-ratio (r=-0.33) of individual myelinated parent axons. These results indicate that myelin thickness of the myelinated parent axons innervating rat molar pulps increase with increasing axon diameter, thus maintaining a constant g-ratio.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.238-245
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• 2015

A non-protein amino acid, L-ornithine (Orn), has been shown to stimulate the urea cycle and tissue protein synthesis in the liver. The purpose of the current study was to assess whether Orn affects the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway, which is involved in protein synthesis. Primary cultured cells isolated from Wistar rat liver were incubated in an amino acid-free medium, followed by addition of Orn for 3 h. The cell lysate was subjected to immunoblotting to evaluate the phosphorylation of downstream targets of mTORC1, including p70S6K, S6, and 4EBP1. To assess the involvement of mTORC1 for the effect of Orn, the cells were pretreated with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin before the addition of Orn and the cell lysate was subjected to immunoblotting. We next examined whether the effects of Orn were exerted in vivo. Orn was orally administered to 18 h food-deprived rats, the blood and the livers were collected at 1 and 3 h after administration for immunoblotting. Orn treatment for primary cultured cells for 3 h enhanced the phosphorylation of p70S6K, S6, and 4EBP1. In addition, rapamycin blocked the effects of Orn completely (p70S6K and S6) or partially (4EBP1). The oral administration of Orn to the rat also augmented the phosphorylation of mTORC1 downstream targets notably in S6 at 1 h. Our findings demonstrate that Orn has the potential to induce the phosphorylation of downstream targets of mTORC1 in the rat liver. This may be mediated by the augmentation of mTORC1 activity.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.109-113
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• 2005

From the RT-PCR amplifications using mRNA templates isolated from Sprague-Dawley rat brains, we isolated a cDNA fragment of 1,524 bp which covered the full coding information of the rat brain CYP2El. Its nucleotide sequence was identical to the previously reported rat liver CYP2El mRNA except for the difference of one base (A to C at the nucleotide position 73). This difference also altered the amino acid Lys to GIn. However, no insertion or deletion of nucleotide(s) which could alter the reading frame was found within the structure of this rat brain CYP2El. This study should provide the molecular basis regarding the pathophysiological function of CYP2El in the brain.