• Toxicological Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 1987

The effects of monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the activities if tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine ${\beta}$-hydroxylase (DBH), tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) in various regions (cerebral cortex, striatum, midbrain, pons and medulla of nat brain have been determined. It was observed that up to 1mM MSGhad no significant effects on the activities of brain tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine ${\beta}$-hydroxylase, tryptophan hydroxylase and monoamine oxidase in all regions of rat brain. These results indicated that MSG itself exerted no direct effect on the important enzymes synthsizing and metabolizing the monoaminergic neuronal system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.77.1-77.1
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• 2006

• Proceedings of the KSCN Conference
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• 1999.05a
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• pp.126-126
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• 1999

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.32 no.1 s.124
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• pp.49-54
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• 2001

The effects of protoberberine compounds on serotonin biosynthesis in P815 cells were investigated. Protoberberine compounds such as berberine, palmatine and coralyne decreased serotonin content dose-dependently, but coptisine did not. The $IC_{50}$ values of berberine, palmatine and coralyne were $3.0\;{\mu}M,\;16.5\;{\mu}M\;and\;14.5\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Protoberberine compounds at concentrations up to $20\;{\mu}M$ were not cytotoxic towards P815 cells. The activity of tryptophan hydroxylase, a ratelimiting enzyme in serotonin biosynthesis, was inhibited by the exposure of berberine, palmatine and coralyne in P815 cells (14.9-19.3% inhibition at $2-15\;{\mu}M$), but that of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase was not. These results suggest that the inhibition of tryptophan hydroxylase activity by berberine, palmatine and coralyne might partially contribute to the decrease in serotonin content in P815 cells.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.5-12
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• 2000

The control of food intake is a complex phenomenon caused by interactions between central and peripheral control mechanisms. The hypothalamic and brain stem regions have been identified as centers for food intake and energy expenditure in animals and humans. Of these, the ventromedial and lateral hypothalamic areas are involved in the control of food intake. Also, large amounts of neurotransmitters known to be involved in feeding are present in the hippocampus. Paricularly, tryptophan hydroxylase(TPH), known as a factor in the control of food intake, is present in high levels in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and the hippocampus. In this study, TPH expression levels in the hypothalamic and hippocampal regions of fasting, anorexia mutant, and control mice were compared using RT-PCR and immunohistochemical methods. Differences in body weight among the fasting, anorexia mutant, and control groups wire observed. No statistical significance was noted in the number of TPH-immunoactivity in the hypothalamic nuclei, but relatively higher populations of such fibers were observed in the fasting group : the control group yielded samples with an overall value of 170.3${\pm}$3.5 in terms of immunoreactivity-induced optical density, whereas the fasting group yielded a value of 168.3${\pm}$2.6, and the anorexia mutant group 171.3${\pm}$0.8(lower values represent higher immunoreactivity), In fasting mice, stained neuronal bodies were observed in the CA3 and dentate gyrus regions of the hippocampus, which was different from the hippocampal regions of the control and anorexia mutant mice. The RT-PCR procedures were performed using whole brains, precluding any statistically noticeable findings in relation to specific regions, although the fasting and anorexia mutant groups showed 123.3% and 102.9%, respectively, of the TPH mRNA level in the control. The overall results present evidences of the role of TPH in the decrease in food intake during fasting caused by exogenic factors and in genetically acquired anorexia. (Korean J Nutrition 33(1) : 5-12, 2000)

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.136-145
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• 2004

Objectives:Genetic variations of the tryptophan hydroxylase(TPH) gene and the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region(5-HTTLPR) polymorphism have been associated with its functional capacity. The authors investigated whether the allelic constitution of the TPH gene and 5-HTTLPR are associated in Korean panic patients. Methods:244 Korean patients with panic disorder and 227 normal healthy controls were tested for a genetic polymorphism of TPH A218C and 5-HTTLPR polymorphism. To assess the severity of panic disorder during the last one month, anticipatory anxiety, panic difficulty, panic distress, agoraphobic difficulty and agoraphobic distress were measured with visual analogue scale(VAS) score, STAI-S & T, BDI, SCL-90-R, ASI-R, CGI, PDSS, and HAMD. Results:There was no significant difference in genotype and allele frequencies of TPH A218C and 5-HTTLPR polymorphism between panic patients and controls. Although we observed some differences in genotype and allele frequencies of TPH A218C polymorphism among male subjects, these differences disappeared after Bonferroni correction. And there were no significant differences in clinical variables. Conclusion:Our results suggested that there are no association between the genetic polymorphism of TPH gene and 5-HTTLPR with panic disorder.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.5
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• pp.501-505
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• 1999

Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), the rate-limiting enzyme in serotonin biosynthesis, is primarily expressed in serotonergic neurons of the raphe nuclei. Simple tandem repeat polymorphisms, typically one to four nucleotides long, are tandemly repeated several times and often characterized by many alleles. To identify the presence of polymorphic repeats, we sequenced the 5'-upstream region of the mouse TPH gene. For the detection of any allelic variants, polymerase chain reaction, nonisotopic single-strand conformation polymophism, and DNA sequencing analyses of the tandem repeat sequences were performed using genomic DNA extracted from 60 ICR mice. Two dinucleotide repeats, $5'-(AC/TG)_{22}-3'$ and $5'-(GT/CA)_{17}3',$ were identified at approximately - 5.7 kb and - 3.4 kb upstream from the transcriptional initiation site of the mouse TPH gene, respectively. Minor allelic variants, $5'-(AC/TG)_{21}-3'$ and $5'-(GT/CA)_{18}-3',$ were observed in heterozygous pairs from 3 of 60 and 1 of 60 ICR mice, respectively. The identification of these microsatellites in the mouse TPH promoter raises the possibility that identical and/or other polymorphic sequences might exist in the upstream region of the human TPH gene.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.5-8
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• 2003

Alcohol abuse and cigarette smoking have been on the rise worldwide and it has been reported that alcohol and nicotine influence serotonergic neuronal activity in the dorsal raphe. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of various neuropsychiatric disorders. In the present study, the effects of alcohol and nicotine on the synthesis of 5-HT and the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), the rate limiting enzyme of 5-HT synthesis, in the dorsal and median raphe of young rats were investigated via immunohistochemistry. The numbers of the 5-HT-positive and TPH-positive cells in raphe nuclei were reduced by alcohol and nicotine treatment, and these numbers were reduced more potently by co-administration of alcohol and nicotine. Based on the results, it can be suggested that the pathogenesis of alcohol- and nicotine-induced neuropsychological disorders involves alcohol- and nicotine-induced suppression of 5-HT synthesis and TPH expression in raphe, and that this may be of particular relevance in the consumption of alcohol and nicotine during adolescence.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.83-87
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• 2007

The effects of ethaverine on serotonin biosynthesis in murine mastocytoma P815 cells were investigated. Ethaverine at 2.5${\sim}$10 ${\mu}$M decreased serotonin content in a concentration-dependent manner. The IC$_{50}$ value of ethaverine was 6.1 ${\mu}$M. Ethaverine at concentrations up to 20 ${\mu}$M was not cytotoxic towards P815 cells. Under these conditions, tryptophan hydroxylase (EC 1.14.16.4; TPH), a rate-limiting enzyme in serotonin biosynthesis, was inhibited by ethaverine in P815 cells (15.3% inhibition at 7.5 ${\mu}$M), however, aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.28) was not. These results indicate that ethaverine leads to a decrease in serotonin content by reducing TPH activity in P815 cells.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.874-883
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• 2007

The aqueous extract of Chungsimyeonja-eum has been used to treat palpitation, anemia, chronic fatigue, hypertension, and stroke. It also possesses various pharmacological effects including hypotensive, blood circulating, sedative, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and anti-stress activities. In the present results, the latency time of plantar test was decreased in the immobilization stress and incusion pain-induction group. However the paw withdrawal latency values were increased in the immobilization stress and incision pain-induction groups after treatment with the aqueous extract of Chungsimyeonja-eum. The c-Fos expression in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) in the dorsal raphe were enhanced in the immobilization stress and incision pain-induction groups. However, the treatment with the aqueous extract of Chungsimyeonja-eum suppressed the immobilization stress and incision pain-induced increase of c-Fos, 5-HT, and TPH expressions. Here in this study, we have demonstrated the protective effects of Chungsimyeonja-eum on immobilization and incision pain-induced stress. The present study revealed that Chungsimyeonja-eum treatment diminishes immobilization and pain stress.