• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.441-447
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• 2002

It has been well known that vanadium shows various physiological and pharmacological properties such as an insulin-mimetic effect. In view of the reported toxic effects there is the problems that the safety margin is narrow because of its strong toxicity, Vanadate was tested for its ability to cause blood aggregation. Although vanadate or $H_2O$$_2$ alone had little effect on platelet aggregation, treatment of vanadate and $H_2O$$_2$ together induced platelet aggregation indicated that it was occurred by pervandate or hydroxyl radical produced from the reaction of vanadate and $H_2O$$_2$. It was dependent on extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ion. Platelet aggregation caused by vanadate and $H_2O$$_2$ was inhibited by ascorbic acid, tocopherol, catalase, mannitol, and Tiron. In contrast to vanadate, vanadium yeast prepared by uptaking vanadate in yeast cells did not induce platelet aggregation in the presence of $H_2O$$_2$.>.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2003

The cellular mechanisms that contribute to the acceleration of atherosclerosis in diabetes are poorly understood. Therefore, the potential mechanisms involved in the diabetes-dependent increase in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation was investigated. Using primary culture of VSMC from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat aorta, cell proliferation assay showed two-fold increase in cell number accompanied with enhanced superoxide generation compared to normal VSMC, 2 days after plating. Both the increased superoxide production and cell proliferation in diabetic VSMC were significantly attenuated by not only tiron (1 mM), a superoxide scavenger, but also by diphenyleneiodonium (DPI; $10{\mu}M$), an NAD(P)H oxidase inhibitor. NAD(P)H oxidase activity in diabetic VSMC was significantly higher than that in control cell, accompanied with increased mRNA expression of p22phox, a membrane subunit of oxidase. Furthermore, inhibition of p22phox expression by transfection of antisense p22phox oligonucleotides into diabetic VSMC resulted in a decrease in superoxide production, which was accompanied by a significant inhibition of cell proliferation. Based on these results, it is suggested that diabetes-associated increase in NAD(P)H oxidase activity via enhanced expression of p22phox contributes to augmented VSMC proliferation in diabetic rats.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.18-25
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• 2008

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) can affect many biological functions such as apoptosis and differentiation in various cells. We investigated the involvement of ROS and GSH in ATO-induced HeLa cell death using ROS scavengers, especially N-acetylcysteine (NAC). ATO increased intracellular ${O_2}^{{\cdot}-}$ levels and reduced intracellular GSH content. The ROS scavengers, Tempol, Tiron and Trimetazidine, did not significantly reduce levels of ROS or GSH depletion in ATO-treated HeLa cells. Nor did they reduce the apoptosis induced by ATO. In contrast, treatment with NAC reduced ROS levels and GSH depletion in the ATO-treated HeLa cells and prevented ATO-induced apoptosis. Treatment with exogenous SOD and catalase reduced the depletion of GSH content in ATO-treated cells. Catalase strongly protected the cells from ATO-induced apoptosis. In addition, treatment with SOD, catalase and NAC slightly inhibited the G1 phase accumulation induced by ATO. In conclusion, NAC protects HeLa cells from apoptosis induced by ATO by up-regulating intracellular GSH content and partially reducing the production of ${O_2}^{{\cdot}-}$.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.156-160
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• 2000

The possible mechanism of the DNA strand breaking activity of the hot-water extract of Fructus Chaenomelis (dried fruit of Chaenomeles sinensis) in a closed circular duplex replica form DNA (RFI DNA) was studied through agarose gel electrophresis under various conditions. Induction of DNA strand scission by the hot-water extract of C. sinensis occurred in dose and time-dependent manners. $Cu^{2+}$ was indispensable for the induction of DNA strand breakage. Exogeneous chelating agents inhibited the DNA breaking activity, conforming the catalytic action of $Cu^{2+}$ on generation of free radicals responsible for oxidative damage. Antioxidant enzymes and some radical scavengers were used to investigate the major radical species triggering the DNA strand scission, demonstrating that a highest inhibitory activity was found in the presence of catalase, while less in the presence of tiron (a scavenger for superoxide radical), 2-aminoethyl-isothiuroniumbromide-HBr, cysteamine (scavengers for hydroxyl radical), and 1,4-diazabicyclo [2,2,2] octane (a scavenger for singlet oxygen) in decreasing order. The findings implied that oxygen radical species generated in presence of transition divalent cation during the oxidation of some compounds contained in the hot-water extract of C. sinensis is mainly responsible for inducing genotoxicity.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.675-680
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• 2002

In order to investigate the underlying mechanism of HCI in oesophagitis, the inflammatory response to HCI was observed in RBL-2H3 mast cells. Rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells were used to measure histamine release, arachidonic acid (AA) release, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and peroxynitrite generation induced by HCI. Exogenous HCl increased the level of histamine release and ROS generation in a dose dependent manner, whereas it decreased the spontaneous release of [$^3$H] M and the spontaneous production of peroxynitrite. Mepacrine (10 $\mu$M), oleyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (10 $\mu$M) and bromoenol lactone (10 $\mu$M) did not affect both the level of histamine release and ROS generation induced by HCI. U73122 (1 $\mu$M), a specific phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor did not have any influence on level of histamine release and ROS generation. Propranolol (200 $\mu$M), a phospholipase D (PLD) inhibitor, and neomycin (1 mM), a nonspecific PLC and PLD inhibitor, significantly inhibited both histamine release and ROS generation. Diphenyleneiodonium (10 $\mu$M), a NADPH oxidase inhibitor, and tiron (5 mM), an intracellular ROS scavenger significantly inhibited the HCI-induced histamine release and ROS generation. These findings suggest that the inflammatory responses to HCI is related to histamine release and ROS generation, and that the ROS generation by HCI may be involved in histamine release via the PLD pathway in RBL-2H3 cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.687-694
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• 2017

Plumbagin, a hydroxy 1,4-naphthoquinone compound from plant metabolites, exhibits anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal activities via modulating various signaling molecules. However, its effects on vascular functions are rarely studied except in pulmonary and coronary arteries where NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibition was suggested as a mechanism. Here we investigate the effects of plumbagin on the contractility of skeletal artery (deep femoral artery, DFA), mesenteric artery (MA) and renal artery (RA) in rats. Although plumbagin alone had no effect on the isometric tone of DFA, $1{\mu}M$ phenylephrine (PhE)-induced partial contraction was largely augmented by plumbagin (${\Delta}T_{Plum}$, 125% of 80 mM KCl-induced contraction at $1{\mu}M$). With relatively higher concentrations (>$5{\mu}M$), plumbagin induced a transient contraction followed by tonic relaxation of DFA. Similar biphasic augmentation of the PhE-induced contraction was observed in MA and RA. VAS2870 and GKT137831, specific NOX4 inhibitors, neither mimicked nor inhibited ${\Delta}T_{Plum}$ in DFA. Also, pretreatment with tiron or catalase did not affect ${\Delta}T_{Plum}$ of DFA. Under the inhibition of PhE-contraction with L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker (nifedipine, $1{\mu}M$), plumbagin still induced tonic contraction, suggesting $Ca^{2+}$-sensitization mechanism of smooth muscle. Although ${\Delta}T_{Plum}$ was consistently observed under pretreatment with Rho A-kinase inhibitor (Y27632, $1{\mu}M$), a PKC inhibitor (GF 109203X, $10{\mu}M$) largely suppressed ${\Delta}T_{Plum}$. Taken together, it is suggested that plumbagin facilitates the PKC activation in the presence of vasoactive agonists in skeletal arteries. The biphasic contractile effects on the systemic arteries should be considered in the pharmacological studies of plumbagin and 1,4-naphthoquinones.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.979-984
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• 2006

Although iron is essential for many physiological processes, excess iron can lead to tissue damage by promoting the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). There is increasing evidence that ROS might play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. However, the effects of iron excess on platelet function and the thrombotic response to vascular injury are not well understood. We examined the effects of iron excess-induced oxidative stress and the antioxidants on platelet aggregation. Oxidative stress was accessed by either free iron $(Fe^{+2})$ or hydrogen peroxide $(H_2O_2)$, as well as their combination on washed rabbit platelets (WPs) in vitro. When WPs were stimulated with either $Fe^{+2}$ alone or a subthreshold concentration of collagen, which gave an aggregatory curve with a little effect, and a dose dependent increase in platelet aggregation was observed by increasing concentrations of $Fe^{+2}$ with $H_2O_2$. This aggregation was associated with the iron-catalyzed formation of hydroxyl radicals from $H_2O_2$, and were inhibited by NAD/NADP (proton acceptor), catalase $(H_2O_2\;scavenger)$, tiron (iron chelator), mannitol (hydroxyl radical scavenger), and indomethacin (cyclooxygenase inhibitor), but not by NADH/NADPH (proton donor), superoxide mutase, and aspirin. However, NADH/NADPH, an essential cofactor for the antioxidant capacity by the supply of reducing potentials, showed the effect of an enhanced radical formation, suggesting a role for NADH/NADPH-dependent oxidase. These results suggest that iron $(Fe^{+2})$ can directly interact with washed rabbit platelets and this aggregation be mediated by OH formation as in the Fenton reaction, inhibited by radical scavengers.