• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.27-35
• /
• 2012

Oroxylin A is a flavone isolated from a medicinal herb reported to be effective in reducing the inflammatory and oxidative stresses. It also modulates the production of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in cortical neurons by the transactivation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB). As a neurotrophin, BDNF plays roles in neuronal development, differentiation, synaptogenesis, and neural protection from the harmful stimuli. Adenosine $A2_A$ receptor colocalized with BDNF in brain and the functional interaction between $A2_A$ receptor stimulation and BDNF action has been suggested. In this study, we investigated the possibility that oroxylin A modulates BDNF production in cortical neuron through the regulation of $A2_A$ receptor system. As expected, CGS21680 ($A2_A$ receptor agonist) induced BDNF expression and release, however, an antagonist, ZM241385, prevented oroxylin A-induced increase in BDNF production. Oroxylin A activated the PI3K-Akt-GSK-$3{\beta}$ signaling pathway, which is inhibited by ZM241385 and the blockade of the signaling pathway abolished the increase in BDNF production. The physiological roles of oroxylin A-induced BDNF production were demonstrated by the increased neurite extension as well as synapse formation from neurons. Overall, oroxylin A might regulate BDNF production in cortical neuron through $A2_A$ receptor stimulation, which promotes cellular survival, synapse formation and neurite extension.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.145-150
• /
• 2010

Adenosine (Ado) is an important mediator of the endogenous defense against ischemia-induced injury in the heart. The action of Ado is mediated by activation of G protein-gated inwardly rectifying $K^+$ (GIRK) channels. In turn, GIRK channels are inhibited by reducing phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate ($PIP_2$) through Gq protein-coupled receptors (GqPCRs). We previously found that GIRK channels activated by acetylcholine, a muscarinic M2 acetylcholine receptor agonist, are inhibited by GqPCRs in a receptor-specific manner. However, it is not known whether GIRK channels activated by Ado signaling are also regulated by GqPCRs. Presently, this was investigated in mouse atrial myocytes using the patch clamp technique. GIRK channels were activated by $100\;{\mu}M$ Ado. When Ado was repetitively applied at intervals of 5~6 min, the amplitude of second Ado-activated GIRK currents ($I_{K(Ado)}$) was $88.3{\pm}3.7%$ of the first $I_{K(Ado)}$ in the control. Pretreatment of atrial myocytes with phenylephrine, endothelin-1, or bradykinin prior to a second application of Ado reduced the amplitude of the second $I_{K(Ado)}$ to $25.5{\pm}11.6%$, $30.5{\pm}5.6%$, and $96.0{\pm}2.7%$, respectively. The potency of $I_{K(Ado)}$ inhibition by GqPCRs was different with that observed in acetylcholine-activated GIRK currents ($I_{K(ACh)}$) (endothelin-1>phenylephrine>bradykinin). $I_{K(Ado)}$ was almost completely inhibited by $500\;{\mu}M$ of the $PIP_2$ scavenger neomycin, suggesting low $PIP_2$ affinity of $I_{K(Ado)}$. Taken together, these results suggest that the crosstalk between GqPCRs and the Ado-induced signaling pathway is receptor-specific. The differential change in $PIP_2$ affinity of GIRK channels activated by Ado and ACh may underlie, at least in part, their differential responses to GqPCR agonists.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.40 no.10
• /
• pp.752-760
• /
• 2017

A2B adenosine receptor (A2BAR) is known to be the regulator of bone homeostasis, but its regulatory mechanisms in osteoclast formation are less well-defined. Here, we demonstrate the effect of A2BAR stimulation on osteoclast differentiation and activity by RANKL. A2BAR was expressed in bone marrow-derived monocyte/macrophage (BMM) and RANKL increased A2BAR expression during osteoclastogenesis. A2BAR stimulation with its specific agonist BAY 60-6583 was sufficient to inhibit the activation of ERK1/2, p38 MAP kinases and $NF-{\kappa}B$ by RANKL as well as it abrogated cell-cell fusion in the late stage of osteoclast differentiation. Stimulation of A2BAR suppressed the expression of osteoclast marker genes, such as c-Fos, TRAP, Cathepsin-K and NFATc1, induced by RANKL, and transcriptional activity of NFATc1 was also inhibited by stimulation of A2BAR. A2BAR stimulation caused a notable reduction in the expression of Atp6v0d2 and DC-STAMP related to cell-cell fusion of osteoclasts. Especially, a decrease in bone resorption activity through suppression of actin ring formation by A2BAR stimulation was observed. Taken together, these results suggest that A2BAR stimulation inhibits the activation of ERK1/2, p38 and $NF-{\kappa}B$ by RANKL, which suppresses the induction of osteoclast marker genes, thus contributing to the decrease in osteoclast cell-cell fusion and bone resorption activity.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.44 no.5
• /
• pp.335-340
• /
• 2011

In this study, we attempted to isolate novel mast cell-stimulating molecules from Staphylococcus aureus. Water-soluble extract of S. aureus cell lysate strongly induced human interleukin-8 in human mast cell line-1 and mouse interleukin-6 in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells. The active molecule was purified to homogeneity through a $C_{18}$ reverse phase HPLC column. By determination of its structure by MALDITOF and $^1H$- and $^{13}C$-NMR, adenosine was revealed to be responsible for the observed cytokine induction activities. Further studies using 8-sulfophenyl theophylline, a selective adenosine receptor blocker, verified that purified adenosine can induce interleukin-8 production via adenosine receptors on mast cells. Moreover, adenosine was purified from S. aureus-engulfed RAW264.7 cells, a murine macrophage cell line, used to induce phagocytosis of S. aureus. These results show a novel view of the source of exogenous adenosine in vivo and provide a mechanistic link between inflammatory disease and bacterial infection.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.53-57
• /
• 1999

The activities of myocardial antioxidant enzymes are known to increase in the hearts preconditioned with the brief episodes of ischemia. This study was undertaken to elucidate the possible involvement of adenosine in the stimulation of myocardial catalase induced by the brief regional ischemia in rabbit hearts. Coronary artery descending the middle anterior wall of left ventricle was occluded for 15 min, followed by 1 hr of reperfusion. Upon reperfusion after the brief ischemia, the activity of catalase increased significantly in both ischemic and non-ischemic parts of myocardium. Pretreatment of the heart with theophylline, a non-specific adenosine receptor blocker, completely abolished the increase of catalase activity in both the ischemic and non-ischemic regions of myocardium. On the other hand, the administration of exogenous adenosine instead of the ischemia failed to increase the catalase activity in in vivo hearts. Moreover, adenosine infusion did not affect the catalase activity in the isolated, perfused hearts either. These results suggest that the endogenous adenosine released from the ischemic myocardium is involved in the activation of catalase induced by brief ischemia, but that adenosine may not be a final direct activator of cellular catalase in the myocardium.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.135-142
• /
• 1997

As it has been reported that the depolarization-induced norepinephrine (NE) release is modulated by activation of presynaptic $A_1$-adenosine heteroreceptor and various lines of evidence indicate that $A_2$-adenosine receptor also presents in hippocampus, and that the adenosine effect is magnesium dependent, the present study was undertaken to delineate the role of adenosine receptors in the modulation of hippocampal NE release. Slices from the rat hippocampus were equilibrated with $[^3H]-NE$ and the release of the labelled product, $[^3H]-NE$, was evoked by electrical stimulation (3 Hz, 5 V $cm^{-1}$, 2 ms, rectangular pulses), and the influence of various agents on the evoked tritium outflow was investigated. $N^6-cyclo-pentyladenosine$ (CPA), in concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 10 ${\mu}M$, decreased the $[^3H]-NE$ release in a dose-dependent manner without changing the basal rate of release, and these effects were significantly inhibited by 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX, 2 ${\mu}M$) treatment. When the magnesium concentration was reduced to 0.4 mM or completely removed, the evoked NE release increased along with decreased basal rate of release. In contrast, increasing the magnesium concentrations to 2.4 and 4 mM, decreased the evoked NE release. The CPA effects on evoked NE release were reducedby magnesium removal, but potentiated by 2.4 mM magnesium in the medium. 5-(N-cyclopropyl)-carboxamodiadenosine (CPCA, 1 & 10 ${\mu}M$), an $A_2$-agonist, decreased the evoked tritium outflow, and this effect was also abolished by DPCPX pretreatment. CGS, a powerful $A_2$-agonist, did not affect the evoked NE release. However, the effects of CPCA and CGS on evoked NE release were significantly increased by pretreatment of DPCPX in the magnesium-free medium. These results indicate that inhibitory effect of $A_1$-adenosine receptor on NE release is magnesium-dependent, and $A_2$-receptor may be present in the rat hippocampus.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.253-261
• /
• 1993

Possible changes in the role of insulin-sensitive cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase(PDE) in mediating the antilipolytic action of insulin were investigated in adipocytes from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Isolated adipocytes prepared from epididymal adipose tissue were incubated, with or without insulin, at $37^{\circ}C$ for 15 min following pretreatment with various drugs or toxins, and three (plasma membranes, microsomal membranes, and cytosol) fractions prepared by differential centrifugation were then assayed for cAMP phosphodiesterase activity. The PDE activities only in the crude microsomal (P2) fractions were activated by insulin both in diabetic and control rats. The basal PDE activities in P2 fractions of adipocytes from diabetic rats were higher than those from control rats, although the maximal effects observed at 2 nM of insulin, $100\;{\mu}M$ of isoproterenol or the combination of both were not significantly different from each other. The insulin-stimulated PDE activities in P2 fractions of adipocytes from diabetic rats were not changed by PIA, a $A_{1}$ adenosine receptor agonist, whereas they were decreased to the basal PDE activities in those from control rats. In addition, the adipocytes from diabetic rats showed an increased sensitivity to pertussis toxin compared to those from controls. There were no differences between diabetic and control rats in the sensitivity of adipocytes to cholera toxin. These data indicate that the impaired signalling through inhibitory receptors such as adenosine receptors in adipocytes from streptozotocin-induced diabetes relates to the loss or the decreased function of $G_i$ proteins, and leads to the increased activity of the insulin-dependent PDE at the basal states.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.1 no.3
• /
• pp.225-231
• /
• 1997

As it has been reported that the depolarization-induced norepinephrine (NE) release is modulated by activation of presynaptic $A_1-adenosine$ heteroreceptor and various lines of evidence indicate the involvement of adenylate cyclase system in $A_1-adenosine$ post-receptor mechanism in hippocampus, it was attempted to delineate the role of adenylate cyclase system in the $A_1-receptor-mediated$ control of NE release in this study. Slices from rat hippocampus were equilibrated with $[^3H]-NE$ and the release of the labelled products was evoked by electrical stimulation.(3 Hz, $5Vcm^{-1}$, 2 ms, rectangular pulses). The influence of various agents on the evoked tritium-outflow was investigated. $N^6-Cyclopentyladenosine$ (CPA), a specific $A_1-adenosine$ receptor agonist, in concentrations Tanging from 0.1 to $10{\mu}M$ decreased the $[^3H]-NE$ release in a dose-dependent mauler without any change of basal rate of release. 8-Cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX, $2{\mu}M$), a selective $A_1-receptor$ antagonist, inhibited the CPA effect. The responses to N-ethylmaleimide $(3&10{\mu}M)$, a SH-alkylating agent of G-protein, were characterized by increments of the evoked NE-release and the CPA effects were completely abolished by NEM pretreatment. Forskolin, a specific adenylate cyclase activator, in concentrations ranging from 0.1 to $30{\mu}M$ increased the evoked and basal rate of NE release in a dose-dependent manner and the CPA effects were inhibited by forskolin pretreatment. Rolipram $(1&10{\mu}M)$, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, did not affect the evoked NE release but reduced the CPA effect. And 8-bromo-cAMP $(100&300{\mu}M)$, a membrane permeable cAMP analogue inhibited the CPA effect significantly. These results suggest that the $A_1-adenosine$ heteroreceptor plays an important role in NE-release via nucleotide-binding protein $G_i$ in the rat hippocampus and that the adenylate cyclase system might be participated in this process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
• /
• 1997.07a
• /
• pp.32-32
• /
• 1997

The regulatory role of A$\sub$2A/ adenosine receptors in P$_2$ purinoceptor-mediated calcium signaling was investigated in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. When PC12 cells were treated with 2-p-(2-carboxyethyl)phenethylamino-5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (CGS21680), a specific agonist of the A$\sub$2A/ adenosine receptor, extracellular ATP-evoked [(CA$\^$2+/)]$\sub$i/ rise was inhibited by 20%.(omitted)

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.302.1-302.1
• /
• 2002

Adenosine has been associated with protection of neurons from noxious stimuli both by receplor- and non receptor-mediated mechanisms. Previously we have reported that immunostimulated astrocytes were highly vulnerable to glucose deprivation. In the present study we investigated the effect of adenosine and related nucleotides on the susceptibility of immunostimulated astrocytes to glucose deprivation. (omitted)