• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.41-48
• /
• 1998

The present study was undertaken to characterize homocysteic acid (HCA)-and cysteic acid (CA)-mediated formation of inositol phosphates (InsP) in primary culture of rat cerebellar granule cells. HCA and CA stimulated InsP formation in a dose-dependent manner, which was prevented by the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist D,L-2-amino-5-phosphopentanoic acid (APV). CA-, but not HCA-, mediated InsP formation was in part prevented by the metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist ?${\alpha}$-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine ($({\pm})$-MCPG). Both HCA- and CA-mediated increases in intracellular calcium concentration were completely blocked by APV, but were not altered by $({\pm})$-MCPG. CA-mediated InsP formation was in part prevented by removal of endogenous glutamate. In contrast, the glutamate transport blocker L-aspartic acid-${\beta}$-hydroxamate synergistically increased CA responses. These data indicate that in cerebellar granule cells HCA mediates InsP formation wholly by activating NMDA receptor. In contrast, CA stimulates InsP formation by activating both NMDA receptor and metabotropic glutamate receptor, and in part by releasing endogenous glutamate into extracellular milieu.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
• /
• 2004.12a
• /
• pp.7-11
• /
• 2004

We previously reported that ginseng inhibited NMDA receptors in cultured hippocampal neurons. Here, we further examined the detailed mechanism of ginseng-mediated inhibition using its main active ingredient, ginsenoside Rg$_3$. Co-application of ginsenoside Rg$_3$ with increasing concentrations of NMDA did not change the EC$_{50}$ of NMDA to the receptor, suggesting ginsenoside Rg$_3$ inhibits NMDA receptors without competing with the NMDA-binding site. Ginsenoside Rg$_3$-mediated inhibition also occurred in a distinctive manner from the well-characterized NMDA receptor open channel blocker, MK-801, However, ginsenoside Rg$_3$ produced its effect in a glycine concentration-dependent manner and shifted the glycine concentration-response curve to the right without changing the maximal response, suggesting the role of ginsenoside Rg$_3$ as a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist. We also demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg$_3$ significantly protected neurons against NMDA insults. Therefore, these results suggest that ginsenoside Rg$_3$ protects NMDA-induced neuronal death via a competitive interaction with the glycine-binding site of NMDA receptors in cultured hippocampal neurons.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.391-395
• /
• 1995

Several lines of evidence indicate that physiological activity of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor was blocked by physiological concentration of $Mg^{2+}$ (1.2 mM). However, the activity of NMDA receptor may not be blocked totally with this concentration of $Mg^{2+}$ under elevated membrane potential by kainate. Here, we described the effect of $Mg^{2+}$ on NMDA receptor and how much of NMDA receptor functions could be activated by kainate. Effects of NMDA receptor antagonist on kainate-induced elevation of intracellualr $Ca^{2+}$ levels $([Ca^{2+}]_i)$ and extracellular glutamate level were examined in cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons. kainate-induced elevation of $([Ca^{2+}]_i)$ was not affected by physiological concentration of $Mg^{2+}$. Kainate-induced NMDA-induced elevation was blocked by the same concentration of $MG^{2+}$Kainate-induced elevation of [$([Ca^{2+}]_i)$ was decreased by 32% in the presence of NMDA antagonists, MK-801 and CPP (3-[2-carboxypiperazine-4-yl]propyl-1-phosphonic acid), in $Mg^{2+}$ free buffer. Kainate receptor-activated gluamate release was also decreased (30%) by MK-801 or CPP. These resuts show that certain extent of elevations of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ and extracellular glutamate by kainate is due to coativation of NMDA receptors.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 1997.04a
• /
• pp.92-92
• /
• 1997

Stereotaxic apparatus를 이용하여 흰쥐의 두개골을 천공하여 periaqueductal gray matter에 정확히 cannula를 삽입하여 1일 이상의 방치후 여기로 약물을 투여하여 일군의 동물들은 행동의 변화를 관찰하고, 일군의 동물들은 경동맥에서의 혈압과 심박수의 변화를 관찰한다. 결과: ET-1에 의해 유발된 barrel-rolling은 NMDA receptor-selective antagonist인 MK-801에 의해 유의성있게 억제되었으며, NOS antagonist인 L-NAME과 NO scavenger인 Hemoglobin에 의해서도 유의성 있게 억제되었다.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.535-540
• /
• 1999

Glutamate (Glu) receptor-mediated excitoxicity has been implicated in many acute and chronic types of neurological disorders. Exposure of mature rat cortical neurons (15-18 days in culture) to the various concentrations of Glu resulted in a marked neuronal death, whereas immature rat cortical neurons (4∼5 days in culture) were resistant to the Glu-induced toxicity. Glu receptor subtype-specific agonists showed differential extent of toxicity in the immature neurons. The neurons treated with NMDA or kainate (KA) did not exhibit damage. However, quisqualate (QA) treatment induced a considerable cell death (36.1%) in immature enurons. The non-NMDA antagonist DNQX did not reduce this response. Interestingly, the QA-induced toxicity was potentiated by spermine in a concentration-dependent manner. Again, the spermine-enhanced damage was not altered by the polyamine antagonist ifenprodil. Taken together, unlike NMDA or KA, QA can induce neurotoxicity in immature rat cortical neurons and the QA-induced toxicity was potentiated by spermine. The lack of antagonizing effects of DNQX and ifenprodil on QA-induced toxicity and the potentiated toxicity by spermine, respectively, implies that both QA receptor and the polyamine site of NMDA receptor may not mediate the neurotoxicity observed in this study, and that a distinct mechanism(s) may be involved in excitotoxicity in immature neurons.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.59-63
• /
• 2003

The medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) neurons are controlled by excitatory synaptic transmission from the vestibular afferent and commissural projections, and by inhibitory transmission from interneurons. Spontaneous synaptic currents of MVN neurons were studied using whole cell patch clamp recording in slices prepared from 13- to 17-day-old rats. The spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) were significantly reduced by the $GABA_A$ antagonist bicuculline ($20{\mu}M$), but were not affected by the glycine antagonist strychnine ($1{\mu}M$). The frequency, amplitude, and decay time constant of sIPSCs were $4.3{\pm}0.9$ Hz, $18.1{\pm}2.0$ pA, and $8.9{\pm}0.4$ ms, respectively. Spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) were mediated by non-NMDA and NMDA receptors. The specific AMPA receptor antagonist GYKI-52466 ($50{\mu}M$) completely blocked the non-NMDA mediated sEPSCs, indicating that they are mediated by an AMPA-preferring receptor. The AMPA mediated sEPSCs were characterized by low frequency ($1.5{\pm}0.4$ Hz), small amplitude ($13.9{\pm}1.9$ pA), and rapid decay kinetics ($2.8{\pm}0.2$ ms). The majority (15/21) displayed linear I-V relationships, suggesting the presence of GluR2-containing AMPA receptors. Only 35% of recorded MVN neurons showed NMDA mediated currents, which were characterized by small amplitude and low frequency. These results suggest that the MVN neurons receive excitatory inputs mediated by AMPA, but not kainate, and NMDA receptors, and inhibitory transmission mediated by $GABA_A$ receptors in neonatal rats.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.217-221
• /
• 2008

Bicuculline is one of the most commonly used $GABA_A$ receptor antagonists in electrophysiological research. Because of its poor water solubility, bicuculline quaternary ammonium salts such as bicuculline methiodide (BMI) and bicuculline methbromide are preferred. However, a number of studies have shown that BMI has non-$GABA_A$ receptor-mediated effects. The substantia gelatinosa (SG) of the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc) is implicated in the processing of nociceptive signaling. In this study, we investigated whether BMI has non-GABA receptor-mediated activity in Vc SG neurons using a whole cell patch clamp technique. SG neurons were depolarized by application of BMI ($20{\mu}M$) using a high $Cl^-$ pipette solution. GABA ($30-100{\mu}M$) also induced membrane depolarization of SG neuron. Although BMI is known to be a $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist, GABA-induced membrane depolarization was enhanced by co-application with BMI. However, free base bicuculline (fBIC) and picrotoxin (PTX), a $GABA_A$ and $GABA_C$ receptor antagonist, blocked the GABA-induced response. Furthermore, BMI-induced membrane depolarization persisted in the presence of PTX or an antagonist cocktail consisting of tetrodotoxin ($Na^+$ channel blocker), AP-5 (NMDA receptor antagonist), CNQX (non-NMDA receptor antagonist), and strychnine (glycine receptor antagonist). Thus BMI induces membrane depolarization by directly acting on postsynaptic Vc SG neurons in a manner which is independent of $GABA_A$ receptors. These results suggest that other unknown mechanisms may be involved in BMI-induced membrane depolarization.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.153-158
• /
• 1995

The levels of extracellualr glutamate, intracellular $Ca^{2+}\;([Ca2+]_i)$ and cGMP were determined for 1 h with the excitatory amino acids, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) or kainate in cultured cerebellar granule cells. Both NMDA and kainate produced a time-dependent release of glutamate, and kainate was more potent than NMDA in glutamate elevation. The elevation of extracellular glutamate was not purely governed by intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. However, in opposite to the time-dependent elevation of glutamate, the elevation of cGMP by NMDA and kainate were at maximum level in short-time (1 min) incubation then remarkably decreased with longer incubation times. Post-applications (30 min after agonist) of EAA antagonist did not block EAAs-induced glutamate elevation. However, NMDA antagonist, phencyclidine (PCP), blocked NMDA-induced cGMP elevation at pre- or post-application, but kainate antagonist, 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), paradoxically augmented kainate-induced cGMP elevation for 1 h incubation. These results show that NMDA or kainate induces time-dependent elevations of extracellular glutamate, while the elevations of cGMP by these EAAs are remarkably decreased with longer incubation times. However, NMDA- arid kainate-indcued glutamate release was blocked by pre-application of each receptor antagonist but not by post-application while EAA-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ was blocked by post-application of antagonist. These observations suggest that EAA-induced elevation of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ is not parallel with elevation of glutamate release or cGMP.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.47-54
• /
• 2012

Korean red ginseng (KRG) has been used worldwide as a traditional medicine for the treatment of various reproductive diseases. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are the fundamental regulators of pulsatile release of gonadotropin required for fertility. In this study, an extract of KRG (KRGE) was applied to GnRH neurons to identify the receptors activated by KRGE. The brain slice patch clamp technique in whole cell and perforated patch was used to clarify the effect of KRGE on the membrane currents and membrane potentials of GnRH neurons. Application of KRGE (3 ${\mu}g$/${\mu}L$) under whole cell patch induced remarkable inward currents (56.17${\pm}$7.45 pA, n=25) and depolarization (12.91${\pm}$3.80 mV, n=4) in GnRH neurons under high $Cl^-$ pipette solution condition. These inward currents were not only reproducible, but also concentration dependent. In addition, inward currents and depolarization induced by KRGE persisted in the presence of the voltage gated $Na^+$ channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX), suggesting that the responses by KRGE were postsynaptic events. Application of KRGE under the gramicidin perforated patch induced depolarization in the presence of TTX suggesting its physiological significance on GnRH response. Further, the KRGE-induced inward currents were partially blocked by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX; non-NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, 10 ${\mu}M$) or picrotoxin (PIC; $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist, 50 ${\mu}M$), and almost blocked by PIC and CNQX mixture. Taken together, these results suggest that KRGE contains ingredients with possible GABA and non-NMDA glutamate receptor mimetic activity, and may play an important role in the endocrine function of reproductive physiology, via activation of $GABA_A$ and non-NMDA glutamate receptors in GnRH neurons.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.219-225
• /
• 2011

Korean red ginseng (KRG) is a valuable and important traditional medicine in East Asian countries and is currently used extensively for botanical products in the world. KRG has both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the central nervous system (CNS) suggesting its complicated action mechanisms. The substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons of the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc) are involved in orofacial nociceptive processing. Some studies reported that KRG has antinociceptive effects, but there are few reports of the functional studies of KRG on the SG neurons of the Vc. In this study, a whole cell patch clamp study was performed to examine the action mechanism of a KRG extract on the SG neurons of the Vc from juvenile mice. KRG induced short-lived and repeatable inward currents on all the SG neurons tested in the high chloride pipette solution. The KRG-induced inward currents were concentration dependent and were maintained in the presence of tetrodotoxin, a voltage gated $Na^+$ channel blocker. The KRG-induced inward currents were suppressed by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, a non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist and/or picrotoxin, a gamma-aminobutyric acid $(GABA)_A$ receptor antagonist. However, the inward currents were not suppressed by d,l-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid, an NMDA receptor antagonist. These results show that KRG has excitatory effects on the SG neurons of the Vc via the activation of non-NMDA glutamate receptor as well as an inhibitory effect by activation of the $GABA_A$ receptor, indicating the KRG has both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the CNS. In addition, KRG may be a potential target for modulating orofacial pain processing.