• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.152-158
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• 2010

Melanin concentrating hormone is a neuropeptide highly expressed in the brain that regulates several physiological functions mediated by receptors in the G-protein coupled receptor family, especially plays an important role in the complex regulation of energy balance and body weight mediated by the melanin concentrating hormone receptor subtype 1 (MCH1). Compelling pharmacological evidence implicating MCH1 signaling in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure has generated a great deal of interest by pharmaceutical companies as MCH1 antagonists may have potential therapeutic benefit in the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Although fluorescence-based calcium mobilization assay platform has been one of the most widely accepted tools for receptor research and drug discovery, fluorescence interference and shallow assay window limit their application in high throughput screening and have led to a growing interest in alternative, luminescence-based technologies. Herein, a luminescence-based functional assay system for the MCH1 receptor was developed and validated with the mitochondrial targeted aequorin. Aequorin based functional assay system for MCH1 presented excellent Z' factor (0.8983) and high signal-to-noise ratio (141.9). The nonpeptide MCH1 receptor antagonist, SNAP 7941 and GSK 803430, exhibited $IC_{50}$ values of 0.62 ${\pm}$ 0.11 and 12.29 ${\pm}$ 2.31 nM with excellent correlation coefficient. These results suggest that the aequorin based assay system for MCH1 is a strong alternative to the traditional GPCR related tools such as radioligand binding experiments and fluorescence functional determinations for the compound screening and receptor research.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2003.08a
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• pp.209.2-209
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• 2003

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2014

Inductive expression of early growth response 1 (Egr-1) in neurons is associated with many forms of neuronal activity. However, only a few Egr-1 target genes are known in the brain. The results of this study demonstrate that Egr-1 knockout (KO) mice display impaired contextual extinction learning and normal fear acquisition relative to wild-type (WT) control animals. Genome-wide microarray experiments revealed 368 differentially expressed genes in the hippocampus of Egr-1 WT exposed to different phases of a fear conditioning paradigm compared to gene expression profiles in the hippocampus of KO mice. Some of genes, such as serotonin receptor 2C (Htr2c), neuropeptide B (Npb), neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (Npas4), NPY receptor Y1 (Npy1r), fatty acid binding protein 7 (Fabp7), and neuropeptide Y (Npy) are known to regulate processing of fearful memories, and promoter analyses demonstrated that several of these genes contained Egr-1 binding sites. This study provides a useful list of potential Egr-1 target genes which may be regulated during fear memory processing.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.375-382
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• 2005

This study aimed to investigate whether nociceptin is implicated in the, trigeminovascular responses to electrical stimulation of trigeminal ganglion in rats. An open cranial window was prepared on the right parietal bone of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Trigeminovascular system was stimulated by electrical stimulation of trigeminal ganglion (ETS; 5ms, 5Hz, 3V). Neonatal capsaicin treatment was performed with subcutaneous administration of capsaicin (50mg/kg) within the first 24 hours after birth. Changes in regional cerebral blood flow were continuously measured through the cranial window by laser-Doppler flowmetry, and the expression of nociceptin-like immunoreactivity was determined by immunohistochemistry. ETS caused increases in regional blood flow of pial arteriole in a voltage-dependent manner. ETS markedly and voltage-dependently increased the expression of nociceptin-like immunoreactivity in dura mater ipsilateral rather than contralateral to ETS. The nociceptin-like immunoreactivity was markedly reduced by pretreatments with calcitonin gene-related peptide(8-37) ($CGRP_{8-37},\;a\;CGRP_1$ receptor antagonist), L-733060 (a $NK_1$ receptor antagonist), and $[Nphe^1]$ nociceptin(1-13)$NH_2$ (a selective and competitive nociceptin receptor antagonist) as well as by neonatal capsaicin treatment. These results suggest that the electrical stimulation of trigeminal ganglion causes prominent expression of nociceptin within dura mater, in which not only neuropeptides inducing substance P and CGRP but also nociceptin are implicated in the trigeminovascular responses to electrical trigeminal ganglion stimulation.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 2013

Objectives : This study aimed to find out whether acupuncture at various acupoints shows any effects on appetite by regulating neurotransmitters in the hypothalamus through the expression of NPY and LR in the PVN via immunohistochemistry. Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into eight groups of five mice each. The rats in the acupuncture groups were treated with acupuncture at respective acupoints, twice per a day for 3 days. The animals were sacrificed 72 h after commencement of the experiment, the brains being dissected into serial coronal sections. Expressions of neuropeptide Y and leptin receptor in the hypothalamus were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results : NPY expression in the PVN was enhanced and LR expression in the PVN was decreased by food deprivation. NPY immunoreactivity in the PVN of the food-derived rats was decreased by acupuncture at the auricular acupoint, Zusanli-acupoint, a and non-acupoint. However, acupuncture at the auricular acupoint showed most potent suppressing effect on NPY expression in the PVN of food-deprived rats. LR expression in the PVN decreased following food deprivation, and auricular acupuncture increased LR expression in the PVN of food-deprived rats. In normal conditions (fed state), LR expression in the PVN was not changed by acupuncture treatment at several sites. Conclusions : From this study, we have shown that acupuncture at the auricular acupoint exerts the most potent appetite suppressing effect on the food restriction state.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.168-174
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• 2012

Gal (1-3) receptors are members of GPCR superfamily with seven transmembrane helices. The neuropeptide galanin mediates its effects through the receptor subtypes Gal1, Gal2, and Gal3 and has been implicated in anxiety and depression related behaviors. Galanin receptors are considered to be important targets for the development of novel antidepressant drugs. Owing to the importance of these receptors, a short communication about the sequential and structural studies about the functional Galanin (1-3) receptors has been reported. Structural studies have been hampered due to the lack of X-ray crystal structures. However with the availability of templates with close homologs comparative modeling could be encouraging. Sequence analysis was done for each receptors and homology modeling of each receptors were done with recently reported templates. Comparative analyses were done between these receptors to identify the relationships between them sequentially. Phylogram was generated between these receptors to identify the close homologue between this receptor and found that Gal2 and Gal3 receptors are closer. Our results could be useful for further structure based drug design targeting Gal1, Gal2 and Gal3 receptors.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.186-188
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• 1996

곤충애 있어서 호르몬의 작용기작과 그 이용에 관하여 요야하면 다음과 같다. 곤충호르몬에는중추신경계의 신경분비세포에서 합성, 분비되는 peptide의 neuropeptide hormone (PTTH, bombyxin, diapause hormone등)이 있고, 상피계의 내분비선에서 합성, 분비되는 sesquiterpene의 유약호르몬 ( juvenile hormone)과 steroid의 탈피호르몬 (ecdysone)이 있다. 곤충호르몬은 특정한 표족세포에 있는 수용체와 높은 특이성과 높은 친화성을 가지고 결합해서 세포의 작용을 조절한다. 일반적으로 peptide hormone은 표적세포의의 세포막을 통과할 수 없으므로 표적세포의 막표면에 있는 수용체와 결합하는 것에 의해 세포내 대사제를 활성화시킴으로서 peptide hormone의 특이적인 발현이되는 것으로 알려지고 있다. 한편, ecdysone과 같은 steriod hormone이나 juvenlie hormone은 표적세포의 세포막을 용이하게 통과할수 있으므로 세포내의 세포막을 용이하게 통과할 수 있으므로 세포내로 들어가 수용체와 결합해서 hormone-receptor comlpex는 핵내로 들어가 DNA의 특이적인 영역에 결합하므로서 이들 호르몬 특이적인 기능이 발현되는 것으로 알려져 있다. Ecodysone의 활성이 있는 ecdysteroid가 여러 식물에서 발견되고 있어, 금후 양잠의 상족에 이용이 기대되고 있다. 또한, 향유약호르몬(AJH) 활성물지인 imidazole계 화합물은 양잠에 있어서 세섬도고치 생산에 그 이용이 기대되고 있다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.252-252
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• 1996

We Investigated the peripheral excitatory effect of capsaicin and KR-25018, a newly synthesized capsaicin derivative which was demonstrated to have a potent analgesic activity. KR-25018 and capsaicin were found to be both potent efficacious contractors of isolated guinea pig bronchial smooth muscle. KR-25018 was equipotent with capsaicin and [Sar$\^$9/,Met(O$_2$)$\^$11/]-substance P, 10-fold more potent than histamine and 10-fold less potent than (${\beta}$ -Ala$\^$8/)-neurokinin A(4-10), and their -log(M)EC$\_$50/ values were 6.94${\pm}$0.08, 6.86${\pm}$0.05, 6.96${\pm}$0.07, 5.64${\pm}$0.04, 7.96${\pm}$0.02, respectively. Contractile responses to KR-25018 and capsaicin were potentiated by phosphoramidon (1 ${\mu}$M), an inhibitor of neuropeptide-inactivating endopeptidase, but completely abolished in a calcium-free medium. These responses to KR-25018 and capsaicin were unaffected by the NK-1 antagonist CP96345 (1${\mu}$M), partially inhibited by the NK-2 antagonist SR48968 (1 ${\mu}$M) but almost completely abolished by a combination of the antagonists. A vanilloid receptor antagonist capsazepine competitively antagonized the responses to both KR-25018 and capsaicin (pA$_2$: aganst KR-25018, 5.98${\pm}$0.47; against capsaicin, 5.80${\pm}$0.31), and a capsaicin-sensitive cation channel antagonist ruthenium red caused significant reduction in the maximum responses to KR-25018 and capsaicin (pD'$_2$: against KR-25018, 4.61${\pm}$0.33; against capsaicin 4.96${\pm}$0.21). In conclusion, the present results suggest that KR-25018 and cpasaicin act on the same vanilloid receptor inducing the influx of calcium through ruthenium red-sensitive cation channel and produce contractile responses via the release of tachykinins that act on both NK-1 and NK-2 receptor subtypes.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.172-181
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• 2022

Pubertal onset is known to result from reactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, which is controlled by complex interactions of genetic and nongenetic factors. Most cases of precocious puberty (PP) are diagnosed as central PP (CPP), defined as premature activation of the HPG axis. The cause of CPP in most girls is not identifiable and, thus, referred to as idiopathic CPP (ICPP), whereas boys are more likely to have an organic lesion in the brain. ICPP has a genetic background, as supported by studies showing that maternal age at menarche is associated with pubertal timing in their offspring. A gain of expression in the kisspeptin gene (KISS1), gain-of-function mutation in the kisspeptin receptor gene (KISS1R), loss-of-function mutation in makorin ring finger protein 3 (MKRN3), and loss-of-function mutations in the delta-like homolog 1 gene (DLK1) have been associated with ICPP. Other genes, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subunit alpha-1 (GABRA1), lin-28 homolog B (LIN28B), neuropeptide Y (NPYR), tachykinin 3 (TAC3), and tachykinin receptor 3 (TACR3), have been implicated in the progression of ICPP, although their relationships require elucidation. Environmental and socioeconomic factors may also be correlated with ICPP. In the progression of CPP, epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation, histone posttranslational modifications, and non-coding ribonucleic acids may mediate the relationship between genetic and environmental factors. CPP is correlated with short- and long-term adverse health outcomes, which forms the rationale for research focusing on understanding its genetic and nongenetic factors.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 2008

The forced swim test (FST) is the most widely used model for assessing potential antidepressant activity. Although it has been shown that lateral septum is involved with the FST-related behavior, it is not clear whether antidepressant treatments could alter the FST-induced gene expression profile in the lateral septum. In the present study, the gene expression profiles in response to FST and reboxetine pretreatment were observed in the lateral septum of rats. Reboxetine is known as a most selective serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. In addition, we compared the changes in gene expression profile between reboxetine response and nonresponse groups, which were determined by counting FST-related behavior. After FST, lateral septum from controls and reboxetine pretreated group were dissected and gene expression profiles were assessed using an Affymetrix microarray system containing 15,923 genes. Various genes with different functions were changed in reboxetine response group compared with reboxetine nonresponse group, In particular, pleiotrophin, orexin receptor 2, serotonin 2A receptor, neuropeptide Y5 receptor and thyroid hormone receptor $\beta$ were decreased in reboxetine response group, but Lim motif-containing protein kinase 1 (Limk1) and histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) were increased. Although further studies are required for direct roles of these genes in reboxetine response, the microarray may provide tools to find out potential target genes and signaling pathways in antidepressant response.