• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.1 s.17
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• pp.15-18
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• 1975

The effect of skin extracts of Korean amphibian, poisonous snake and fresh-water fish were determined for their caerulein-like action on rabbit gall bladder strips. The isolated gall bladder strips were prepared according to the technique described by Amer and Becvar(1969). The strips were placed in a bath containing 100ml of Locke-Ringer solution maintained at $38^{\circ}C$. Oxygen was continuously bubbled through the solution. The tension of the muscle strip was initially adjusted to 0.7g. The contractile response was measured isometrically by a force-displacement transducer connected to a polygraph. In this rabbit gall bladder strip caerulein produced contraction of CCK-PZ type. The skin extract of Korean amphibian also elicited similar contraction as caerulein, which extracted from Australian amphibian, Hyla caerulea, by Erspamer et al. The calculated amount was approximately $2{\mu}g$ caerulein per gram of skin tissue in Korean amphibian and the potency was about 1/200 of that seen in Australian amphibian. The contraction of gall bladder strip by our amphibians occurs in decreasing order; Rana Nigromaculata coreana Okada, Rana nigromaculata Hallowell, Hyla arborea japonica Gunther and Bombina orientalis Boulenger. The skin extracts of poisonous snake and fresh-water fish produced no caerulein-like activity.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.46-49
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• 2013

Facial deformity after nerve injury changes ones' social life. We experienced a few patients with healthy early recovery of muscle contraction after the operation with soft tissue wraparound splint. Under general anesthesia, exploration to find as many injured nerve stumps with ${\times}2.5$ loopes was undertaken at first. Interfascicular repair was done with minimal tension by 10-0 nylon under a microscope, and the suture site was sealed by approximating the surrounding fat flaps. This conjoined adipose tissue flap was a splint as a wraparound environment to reduce the tension in the coaptation site, and to increase the relative concentration of releasing neurotrophic factors by surrounding it. A 45-year-old man fell down in a drunken state and had deep laceration by broken flowerpot fragments with facial muscle weakness on the right cheek. His injured mandibular branches of the facial nerve were found. A 31-year-old female suffered from motionlessnesss of frontalis muscle after a traffic accident. She had four frontal branches injured. The man had his cheek with motion after seven days, and the woman two months after the operation. The nerve conduction test of the woman showed normalized values. Facial nerve repair surrounded by adipose tissue wraparound splint can make the recovery time relatively short.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.41-46
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• 1975

The isolated strips of tortoise intestine are evaluated as a test organ for bioassay of prostaglandin $E_1$. This preparation responded highly sensitively to $PGE_1$ and $PGE_2$ in picogram concentration range. The mean slope and the value of precision index among the doses of 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5ng/ml in final concentration were 37.7 and 0.143, respectively. And this was relatively insensitive to different prostaglandins; $E_1/E_2{\gtrsim}1$, $E_1/A_2{\sim}50$ and $E_1/F_{2\alpha}{\sim}100$, and showed the dual responses to 5-hydroxytryptamine and histamine; initial contraction followed by relaxation. The dose-ratio inducing the relative equal contraction height for $PGE_1$, acetylcholine, caerulein, angiotensin and barium chloride was 0.4 : 50 : 25 : 10 : 100 in this order. These results suggest that the intestinal strips of the tortoise are suitable for bioassay of prostaglandin $E_1$ and $E_2$ between the doses of 0.1 and 1.0 ng/ml level in the tissue extracts.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.493-498
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• 2003

Paeoniae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix and Jakyakgamchotang have been used in Oriental Medicine for many centuries as a treatment for various disease. The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of Paeoniae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix and Jakyakgamchotang on narepinephrine(NE) induced contraction of isolated rabbit femoral artery. Rabbits (2.0kg, female) were killed by CO₂ exposure and a segment (8-10mm) of the aortic ring from each rabbit was cut into equal segments and mounted 'in pairs' in a tissue bath. Contractile force was measured with force displacement transducers under 1.5g loading tension. The dose of NE which evoked 50% of maximal response (ED/sub 50/) was obtained from cumulative dose response curves for NE (10/sup -7/～10/sup -4/M). Contractions evoked by NE (ED/sub 50/) were inhibited significantly by Paeoniae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix and Jakyakgamcho-tang. The mean percent inhibition of NE induced contraction was 83.9% (p<0.01) after 150㎕/㎖ Paeoniae Radix, 101.1 %(p<0.01) after 150 ㎕/㎖, Glycyrrhizae Radix and 107.3%(p<0.01) after 150㎕/㎖ Jakyakgamcho-tang, Indomethacin slightly but significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of Paeoniae Radix. Following treatment with indomethacin, the mean percent inhibition caused by 150㎕/㎖ Paeoniae Radix fell to 16.4% in femoral artery induced by NE contraction. Propranolol, ODQ, and L-NNA did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of Paeoniae Radix. ODQ slightly but significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of Glycyrrhizae Radix. Following treatment with ODQ, the mean percent inhibition caused by 150㎕/㎖ Glycyrrhizae Radix fell to 13.0% in femoral artery induced by NE contraction. Propranolol, indomethacin and L-NNA did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of Glycyrrhizae Radix. L-NNA slightly but significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of Jakyakgamchotang. Following treatment with L-NNA, the mean percent inhibition caused by 150㎕/㎖ Jakyakgamchotang fell to 13.8% in femoral artery induced by NE contraction. Propranolol, ODQ and indomethacin did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of Jakyakgamcho-tang. These results indicate that Paeoniae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix and Jakyakgamcho-tang can relax NE induced contraction of the isolated rabbit femoral artery, and that this inhibition related to nitric oxide.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.157-164
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• 2001

Radix Asteris has been used in Korea for many centuries as a treatment for respiratory disease. The effect of Radix Asteris on tracheal smooth muscle is not known. The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of Radix Asteris on histamine induced tracheal smooth muscle contraction in rats and guinea pigs. Guinea pig(500g, male) and Sprague Dawley rats (250g, male) were killed by $CO_2$ exposure and a segment (8-10mm) of the thoracic trachea from each rat and guinea pig was cut into equal segments and mounted 'in pairs' in a tissue bath. Contractile force was measured with force displacement transducers under 0.5g loading tension. The dose of histamine (His) which evoked 50% of maximal response ($ED_{50}$) was obtained from cumulative dose response curves for histamine $(10^{-7}{\sim}10^{-4}M)$. Contractions evoked by His ($ED_{50}$) were inhibited significantly by Radix Asteris. In guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle, the mean percent inhibition of histamine induced contraction was 120.5% (p<0.01) after $100{\mu}l/ml$ Radix Asteris. In rat tracheal smooth muscle, the mean percent inhibition of histamine induced contraction was 135.4% (p<0.01) after $100{\mu}l/ml$ Radix Asteris. Propranolol $(10^{-7}M)$ slightly but significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of Radix Asteris. Following treatment with propranolol, the mean percent inhibition caused by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Radix Asteris fell to 44.6% in guinea pig induced by histamine contraction and by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Radix Asteris fell to 18.7% (p<0.05) in rat induced by histamine contraction. Indomethacin and methylene blue$(10^{-7}M)$ did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of Radix Asteris. These results indicate that Radix Asteris can relax histamine induced contraction of guinea pig and rat tracheal smooth muscle, and that this inhibition involves sympathetic effects.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 2012

Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) is physiologically important response for preventing mismatching between ventilation and perfusion in lungs. The HPV of isolated pulmonary arteries (HPV-PA) usually require a partial pretone by thromboxane agonist (U46619). Because the HPV of ventilated/perfused lungs (HPV-lung) can be triggered without pretone conditioning, we suspected that a putative tissue factor might be responsible for the pretone of HPV. Here we investigated whether HPV can be also observed in precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) from rats. The HPV in PCLS also required partial contraction by U46619. In addition, $K^+$ channel blockers (4AP and TEA) required U46619-pretone to induce significant contraction of PA in PCLS. In contrast, the airways in PCLS showed reversible contraction in response to the $K^+$ channel blockers without pretone conditioning. Also, the airways showed no hypoxic constriction but a relaxation under the partial pretone by U46619. The airways in PCLS showed reliable, concentration-dependent contraction by metacholine ($EC_{50}$, ~210 nM). In summary, the HPV in PCLS is more similar to isolated PA than V/P lungs. The metacholineinduced constriction of bronchioles suggested that the PLCS might be also useful for studying airway physiology in situ.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.165-172
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to determine the roles of ET-1 and NO on uterine blood flow in pregnancy. Uterine arteries were isolated from 17 nonpregnant and 12 pregnant women. Nonpregnant group included patients with median age of $48.6{\pm}2.3$ years who underwent hysterectomy, because of myoma. Pregnant group included patients with median age of $31.3{\pm}1.4$ years undergoing cesarean delivery. ET-1 and ET-2 induced concentration-dependent contraction in isolated nonpregnant and pregnant uterine arteries. The contractile response and maximal contraction were increased in pregnant uterine arteries. In nonpregnant uterine arteries, there was no contraction in response to ET-3, whereas pregnancy induced concentration-dependent contraction by ET-3. Tissue nitrite/nitrate level and immunohistochemical staining of eNOS and iNOS were increased in pregnant uterine arteries, compared with nonpregnant uterine arteries. In addition, the expressions of eNOS and iNOS mRNA were significantly increased in pregnancy. Moreover, contractions by ET isopeptides, including ET-1, were enhanced, and immunohistochemical staining of ET-1 and ET-1 mRNA expression was increased in pregnant uterine arteries. These results suggest that NO production by increased NOS activity, especially eNOS activity, is related to placental and uterine blood flow. Furthermore, ET-1 appears to play a pathophysiological role in pregnant complications such as hypertension.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.104-129
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• 1995

Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk, a traditional prescription, has been used in Korea for many centuries as a treatment for chronic respiratory disease. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk on acetylcholine-induced tracheal smooth muscle contraction in guinea pigs and norepinephrine-induced vascular smooth muscle contraction in pigs. Guinea pig (500g, female) were killed by CO2 exposure and a segment (8-10mm) of the thoracic trachea from each guinea pig and renal artery from each pig were cut into equal segments and mounted 'in pairs' in a tissue bath. Contractile force was measured with force displacement transducers under 0.5g loading tension. The dose of acetylcholine (Ach) and norepinephrine (NE) which evoked 50% of maximal response ($ED_{50}$) was obtained from cumulative dose response curves for acetylcholine (10-7-10-4M) and norepinephrine (10-7-10-4M). Contractions of tracheal smooth muscle evoked by Ach ($ED_{50}$) were inhibited significantly by Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk. Propranolol (10-7M) slightly but significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk. Indomethacin and methylene blue (10-7M) did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of Sabaeksan and Sabaeksanga-garyureuk. Contractions of vascular smooth muscle evoked by NE (NE50) were inhibited significantly by Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk. Propranolol (10-7M) slightly but significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk. Indomethacin and methylene blue (10-7M) did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk. These results indicate that Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk can relax acetylcholine-induced contraction of guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle, and norepinephrine-induced contraction of pig vascular smooth muscle that this inhibition involves, in part, the relation of adrenergic receptor.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.121-127
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• 2007

Muscle force produced by muscle fibers is transmitted to bones via tendinous structures(aponeuroses and tendon), resulting in joint(s) movement. As force-transmitting elements, mechanical behavior of aponeuroses and tendon are closely related with the function of muscle-tendon complex. The purpose of this study was to determine strain characteristics of aponeuroses for in-vivo human soleus muscle during submaximal voluntary contractions using an advanced medical imaging technique, velocity-encoded phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (VE-PC MRI). VE-PC MRI of the soleus muscle-tendon complex was acquired during submaximal isometric plantarflexion contraction-relaxation cycle (n = 7), using 3.0T Trio MRI scanner(Siemens AG, Malvern, MA). From the VE-PC MRI containing the tissue velocity in superior-inferior direction, twenty regions of interest(20 ROI; 10 on the anterior aponeurosis and 10 on the posterior aponeurosis) were tracked. During the isometric plantarflexion contraction-relaxation cycle, velocity and displacement profiles were different between the anterior and posterior aponeuroses, indicating heterogeneous strain behavior along the length of the leg. The anterior aponeurosis elongated while the posterior aponeurosis shortened during the initial phase of the contraction. Moreover, strain behavior of the posterior aponeurosis was different from that of the Achilles tendon. Possible explanation for the observed variations in strain behavior of aponeuroses was investigated with morphological assessment of the soleus muscle and it was found that the intramuscular tendinous structures significantly vary among subjects. In conclusion, the heterogeneous mechanical behavior of the soleus aponeuroses and the Achilles tendon suggests that the complexity of skeletal muscle-tendon complex should be taken into consideration when modeling the complex for better understanding of its functions.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2000

The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of Radix Stemonae on histamine induced tracheal smooth muscle contraction in guinea pigs. Guinea pig(500g, male) were killed by $CO_2$ exposure and a segment (8-10mm) of the thoracic trachea from guinea pig was cut into equal segments and mounted 'in pairs' in a tissue bath. Contractile force was measured with force displacement transducers under 0.5g loading tension. The dose of histamine (His) which evoked 50% of maximal response ($ED_{50}$) was obtained from cumulative dose response curves for histamine ($10^{-7}∼10^{-4}M$). Contractions evoked by His ($ED_{50}$) were inhibited significantly by Radix Stemonae. In guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle, the mean percent inhibition of histamine induced contraction was 87.4% (p<0.01) after $100{\mu}l/ml$ Radix Stemonae. Following treatment with propranolol, the mean percent inhibition caused by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Radix Stemonae fell to 16.2% in guinea pig induced by histamine contraction. Indomethacin and methylene blue($10^{-7}M$) did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of Radix Stemonae. These results indicate that Radix Stemonae can relax histamine induced contraction of guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle, and that this inhibition involves sympathetic effects.