• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.2 no.6
• /
• pp.661-670
• /
• 1998

Dopamine has been generally known to exert antinociceptive action in behavioral pain test, such as tail flick and hot plate test, but there appears to be a great variance in the reports on the antinociceptive effect of dopamine depending on the dosage and route of drug administration and type of animal preparation. In the present study, the effects of dopamine on the responses of wide dynamic range (WDR) cells to mechanical, thermal and graded electrical stimuli were investigated, and the dopamine-induced changes in WDR cell responses were compared between animals with an intact spinal cord and the spinal animals. Spinal application of dopamine (1.3 & 2.6 mM) produced a dose-dependent inhibiton of WDR cell responses to afferent inputs, the pinch-induced or the C-fiber evoked responses being more strongly depressed than the brush-induced or the A-fiber evoked responses. The dopamine-induced inhibition was more pronounced in the spinal cat than in the cat with intact spinal cord. The responses of WDR cell to thermal stimulation were also strongly inhibited. Dopamine $D_2$ receptor antagonist, sulpiride, but not $D_1$ receptor antagonist, significantly blocked the inhibitory action of dopamine on the C-fiber and thermal responses of dorsal horn cells. These findings suggest that dopamine strongly suppresses the responses of WDR cells to afferent signals mainly through spinal dopamine $D_2$ receptors and that spinal dopaminergic processes are under the tonic inhibitory action of the descending supraspinal pathways.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.235-242
• /
• 1999

We investigated the growth-inhibitory mechanism of Helicobacter pylori by omeprazole (OMP) and its activated sulfenamide (OAS). Using dithiothreitol (DTT) and 5,5'-dithio-bis[2-nitrobenzoic acid] (DTNB; Ellman's reagent), we first determined the relationship between the binding capacity of these compounds to H. pylori membrane and its significance to membrane P-type ATPase activity. After incubation of the intact H. pylori cells with either OMP or OAS, the residual quantity of free SH-groups on the cell membrane was measured, and, the resulting values were plotted as a function of time. From this experiment, we found that there was a considerable difference in the membrane-binding rates between OMP and OAS. At neutral pH, the disulfide bond formation on H. pylori membrane was completed within 2 min of incubation of the intact cells with OAS. By OMP, however, it was gradually formed, exceeding 10 min of incubation for completion, whereby, the extent of P-type ATPase inhibition appeared to be proportional to the disulfide forming rate. From this data, it was suggested that the disulfide formation might directly affect enzyme activity. Since OMP per se cannot yield a disulfide bond with cysteine, it is predicted that the enzyme inactivation must be caused by the OAS form. Accordingly, we postulated that, under the neutral pH, OMP could be converted to OAS in the course of transport. By extrapolating the inhibitory slopes, we could evaluate K₁ values, relating to their minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for H. pylori growth. In these MIC ranges, H. pylori uptake or vesicular export of nutrients such as peptides were totally prohibited, but their effect in Escherichia coli were negligible. From these observations, we strongly suggest that the P-type ATPase activity is essential for the survival of H. pylori cells in particular.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.159-166
• /
• 2009

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury is a medical problem occurring as damage to the myocardium following blood flow restoration after a critical period of coronary occlusion. Oxygen free radicals (OFR) are implicated in reperfusion injury after myocardial ischemia. The antioxidant enzyme, Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu, Zn-SOD, also called SOD1) is one of the major means by which cells counteract the deleterious effects of OFR after ischemia. Recently, we reported that a PEP-1-SOD1 fusion protein was efficiently delivered into cultured cells and isolated rat hearts with ischemia-reperfusion injury. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of the PEP-1-SOD1 fusion protein after ischemic insult. Immunofluorescecnce analysis revealed that the expressed and purified PEP-1-SOD1 fusion protein injected into rat tail veins was efficiently transduced into the myocardium with its native protein structure intact. When injected into Sprague-Dawley rat tail veins, the PEP-1-SOD1 fusion protein significantly attenuated myocardial ischemia-reperfusion damage; characterized by improving cardiac function of the left ventricle, decreasing infarct size, reducing the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), decreasing the release of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and relieving cardiomyocyte apoptosis. These results suggest that the biologically active intact forms of PEP-1-SOD1 fusion protein will provide an efficient strategy for therapeutic delivery in various diseases related to SOD1 or to OFR.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.339-348
• /
• 2020

We aimed to characterize the participation of rapid non-genomic and delayed non-genomic/genomic or genomic mechanisms in vasoactive effects to triiodothyronine (T3), emphasizing functional analysis of the involvement of these mechanisms in the genesis of nitric oxide (NO) of endothelial or muscular origin. Influences of in vitro and in vivo T3 treatments on contractile and relaxant responsiveness of isolated rat aortas were studied. In vivo T3-treatment was 500 ㎍·kg^-1·d^-1, subcutaneous injection, for 1 (T3_1d) and 3 (T3_3d) days. In experiments with endothelium-intact aortic rings contracted with phenylephrine, increasing concentrations of T3 did not alter contractility. Likewise, in vitro T3 did not modify relaxant responses induced by acetylcholine or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) nor contractile responses elicited by phenylephrine or angiotensin II in endothelium-intact aortas. Concentration-response curves (CRCs) to acetylcholine and SNP in endothelium-intact aortic rings from T3_1d and T3_3d rats were unmodified. T3_3d, but not T3_1d, treatment diminished CRCs to phenylephrine in endothelium-intact aortic rings. CRCs to phenylephrine remained significantly depressed in both endothelium-denuded and endothelium-intact, nitric oxide synthase inhibitor-treated, aortas of T3_3d rats. In endothelium-denuded aortas of T3_3d rats, CRCs to angiotensin II, and high K⁺ contractures, were decreased. Thus, in vitro T3 neither modified phenylephrine-induced active tonus nor CRCs to relaxant and contractile agonists in endothelium-intact aortas, discarding rapid non-genomic actions of this hormone in smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Otherwise, T3_3d-treatment inhibited aortic smooth muscle capacity to contract, but not to relax, in an endothelium- and NO-independent manner. This effect may be mediated by delayed non-genomic/genomic or genomic mechanisms.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.539-544
• /
• 2007

A 7-year-old intact female Golden Retriever was presented for examination. The dog had large irregular subcutaneous masses in the abdomen which were ruptured or encapsulated. Those were removed surgically. Histopathologically, the masses consisted of spindle cells that often formed distinct whorls around a central capillary. Immuno-histochemical analysis revealed that the neoplastic cells were strong diffuse cyto-plasmic immunolabelling for vimentin and focal immunoreactivity for smooth muscle actin, whereas not immunoreactive for cytokeratin, desmin, von Willebrand factor, glial fibrillary acidic protein, or S-100. The neoplastic cells ultrastructurally had processes attached by desmosome-like structures, swollen mitochondria and dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum. Based on the above results, this case was diagnosed as a canine hemangiopericytoma in the abdominal subcutis of a Golden Retriever.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.740-744
• /
• 2005

Bifidobacterium has been previously shown to potentiate immune function, which was mediated through the stimulation of cytokine production by macrophage. This study was performed to further characterize the effective component of Bifidobacterium by measuring the level of interleukin (IL)-6 cytokine using the RAW 264.7 murine cell line as a macrophage model. RAW 264.7 cells were cultured for 24 h in the presence of whole cells (WCs), cell walls (CWs), and cell-free extracts (CFEs) from various strains of Bifidobacterium and other lactic acid bacteria at various concentrations. The most effective component was different depending on the strains and the concentrations used. When tested with each cell fraction from Bifidobacterium sp. BGN4, heat treatment of the cell fractions lowered the production of IL-6. Synergistic effect was obtained, especially when CWs and CFEs were combined. Sonicated WCs stimulated IL-6 production more than intact WCs. The in vitro approaches employed here should be useful in further characterization of the effects of Bifidobacterium on gastrointestinal and systemic immunity.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.89-92
• /
• 2004

The effects of different light quality on the change of membrane potential difference (PD) of the guard cell in the intact leaf have been investigated. The mombrane PD was about -5.5 mV by white light of 600 $\mu$moles $m^{-2}\; s^{-1}$. The mean PD of change caused by red light was about -5.2 mV at the light intensity of 80 $\mu$moles $m^{-2}\; s^{-1}$. Membrane PD of guard cells in response to blue light was saturated at low light intensity. However, red and green light enhanced the change of membrane PD of guard cells with increasing intensity. In green light the biggest change of memrane PD was around -4 mV, whereas, with blue light the change of of memrane PD was around -2 mV. Accordingly, the membrane PD of guard cell showed the different degree of hyper-polarization by each wavelength.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.58 no.7
• /
• pp.239-244
• /
• 2015

The complement system is part of the innate immune response and as such defends against invading pathogens, removes immune complexes and damaged self-cells, aids organ regeneration, confers neuroprotection, and engages with the adaptive immune response via T and B cells. Complement activation can either benefit or harm the host organism; thus, the complement system must maintain a balance between activation on foreign or modified self surfaces and inhibition on intact host cells. Complement regulators are essential for maintaining this balance and are classified as soluble regulators, such as factor H, and membrane-bound regulators. Defective complement regulators can damage the host cell and result in the accumulation of immunological debris. Moreover, defective regulators are associated with several autoimmune diseases such as atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, dense deposit disease, age-related macular degeneration, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms by which the complement system is regulated is important for the development of novel therapies for complement-associated diseases.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.142-148
• /
• 2005

This paper proposes a cell age model for Penicillium chrysogenum fed-batch cultivation to supply a qualitative insight into morphology-associated dynamics. The average ages of the segregated cell populations, such as growing cells, non-growing cells and intact productive cells, were estimated by this model. A combined model was obtained by incorporating the aver-age ages of the cell sub-populations into a known but modified segregated kinetic model from literature. For simulations, no additional effort was needed for parameter identification since the cell age model has no internal parameters. Validation of the combined model was per-formed by 20 charges of industrial-scale penicillin cultivation. Meanwhile, only two charge-dependent parameters were required in the combined model among approximately 20 parameters in total. The model is thus easily transformed into an adaptive model for a further application in on-line state variables prediction and optimal scheduling.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.17-24
• /
• 2022

Preserving intact genetic material and delivering it to the next generation are the most significant tasks of living organisms. The integrity of DNA sequences is under constant threat from endogenous and exogenous factors. The accumulation of damaged or incompletely-repaired DNA can cause serious problems in cells, including cell death or cancer development. Various DNA damage detection systems and repair mechanisms have evolved at the cellular level. Although the mechanisms of these responses have been extensively studied, the global RNA expression profiles associated with genomic instability are not well-known. To detect global gene expression changes under different DNA damage and hypoxic conditions, we performed RNA-seq after treating human cervical cancer cells with ionizing radiation (IR), hydroxyurea, mitomycin C (MMC), or 1% O₂ (hypoxia). Results showed that the expression of 184-1037 genes was altered by each stimulus. We found that the expression of 51 genes changed under IR, MMC, and hypoxia. These findings revealed damage-specific genes that varied differently according to each stimulus and common genes that are universally altered in genetic instability.