• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.691-699
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• 2000

We investigated the effects of nitric oxide (NO) donors, S-nitroso-L-cysteine (Cys-NO) and 3-morpholinosydnonimine hydrochloride (SIN-1), on the contractile and electrical activity of the circular muscle of guinea pig gastric antrum by using intracellular microelectrode technique. The gastric antral circular muscle showed spontaneous phasic contraction and slow wave of membrane potential. Cys-NO ($0.001{\sim}10{\mu}M$) and SIN-1 ($0.001{\sim}100{\mu}M$) reduced not only the tonic and phasic contraction but also the amplitude of slow wave in a concentration dependent manner. NO donors were more potent to inhibit phasic contraction than to do slow wave. These inhibitory effects of NO donors were mimicked by the membrane permeable guanosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) analogue, 8-bromo-cyclic GMP (8-br-cGMP, $10{\sim}300{\mu}M$). The inhibitory effects of SIN-1 and Cys-NO were antagonized by the guanylate cyclase inhibitor, 1H[ [1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, $10{\mu}M$). These results suggest that the inhibitory effects of NO donors on the mechanical and electrical activity is mainly mediated by cGMP pathway.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.6
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• pp.673-679
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• 1997

It has been generally accepted that glutamate mediates the ischemic brain damage, excitotoxicity, and induces release of neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine(NE), in ischemic milieu. In the present study, the role of nitric oxide(NO) in the ischemia-induced $[^3H]norepinephrine([^3H]NE)$ release from cortex slices of the rat was examined. Ischemia, deprivation of oxygen and glucose from $Mg^{2+}-free$ artificial cerebrospinal fluid, induced significant release of $[^3H]NE$ from cortex slices. This ischemia-induced $[^3H]NE$ release was significantly attenuated by glutamatergic neurotransmission modifiers. $N^G-nitro-L-arginine$ methyl ester(L-NAME), $N^G-monomethyl-L-arginine$ (L-NMMA) or 7-nitroindazole, nitric oxide synthase inhibitors attenuated the ischemia-evoked $[^3H]NE$ release. Hemoglobin, a NO chelator, and 5, 5- dimethyl-L-pyrroline-N-oxide(DMPO), an electron spin trap, inhibited $[^3H]NE$ release dose-dependently. Ischemia-evoked $[^3H]NE$ release was inhibited by methylene blue, a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, and potentiated by 8-bromo-cGMP, a cell permeable cGMP analog, zaprinast, a cGMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), a nitric oxide generator. These results suggest that the ischemia-evoked $[^3H]NE$ release is mediated by NMDA receptors, and activation of NO system is involved.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2004

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) has been accepted as a heart protection phenomenon against ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury. The activation of ATP-sensitive potassium $(K_{ATP})$ channels and the release of myocardial nitric oxide (NO) induced by IPC were demonstrated as the triggers or mediators of IPC. A common action mechanism of NO is a direct or indirect increase in tissue cGMP content. Furthermore, cGMP has also been shown to contribute cardiac protective effect to reduce heart I/R-induced infarction. The present investigation tested the hypothesis that $K_{ATP}$ channels attenuate DNA strand breaks and oxidative damage in an in vitro model of I/R utilizing rat ventricular myocytes. We estimated DNA strand breaks and oxidative damage by mean of single cell gel electrophoresis with endonuclease III cutting sites (comet assay). In the I/R model, the level of DNA damage increased massively. Preconditioning with a single 5-min anoxia, diazoxide $(100\;{\mu}M)$, SNAP $(300\;{\mu}M)$ and 8-(4-Chlorophenylthio)-guanosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-pCPT-cGMP) $(100\;{\mu}M)$ followed by 15 min reoxygenation reduced DNA damage level against subsequent 30 min anoxia and 60 min reoxygenation. These protective effects were blocked by the concomitant presence of glibenclamide $(50\;{\mu}M)$, 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD) $(100\;{\mu}M)$ and 8-(4-Chlorophenylthio)-guanosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate, Rp-isomer (Rp-8-pCPT-cGMP) $(100\;{\mu}M)$. These results suggest that NO-cGMP-protein kinase G (PKG) pathway contributes to cardioprotective effect of $K_{ATP}$ channels in rat ventricular myocytes.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.58-62
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• 1995

We investigated whether nitric oxide (NO) may serve a role in bladder function by immunohistochemical analysis of the distribution of intrinsic NADPH-diaphorase and functional study of isometric tension recordings via a photo-induced adequate nitric oxide (PIANO) generating system using rat bladder. Results suggest that a small number of NADPH-diaphorase-positive perikarya are present within the bladder wall and within adjacent small ganglia. Furthermore, NADPH-diaphorase-positive nerve fibers were observed in the adventitial and muscular layers, subjacent to the urothelium and perivascular fibers. Rat bladder strips precontracted with 3$\mu$M carbachol were reversibly relaxed upon NO generation by UV irradiation. PIANO-mediated relaxation was sensitive to oxygen free radicals. In addition, tissue cGMP levels were increased by the PIANO generating system and elevated cGMP levels were decreased by pretreatment of guanylate cyclase inhibitor, methylene blue. These results indicate that NO may serve a role in modulating bladder tone in the rat.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.434-439
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• 1995

In pancreatic cells, NO formation is associated with increased levels of cGMP and endocrine/exocrine secretion. In the present study, the role of NO in the regulation of exocrine secretion was investigated in rat pancreatic tissues. Treatment of rat pancreatic tissue with sholecystokinin-pancreozymin (CCK-PZ) resulted in an significant increase in arginine conversion to citruline, the amount of nitrite/nitrate, the release of amylase, and the level of cGMP. Furthermore, CCK-PZ stimulated increase of amylase release and conversion of arginine to citrulline transformation were counteracted by the inhibitor of NO synthase, $N^G-nitro-L-arginine$ methyl ester. The results on the time course of CCK-PZ-induced citrulline formation within the first seconds of simulation. The kinetics of citrulline accumulation correlate well with those of cGMP rise, which further confirms the conclusion that NO mediates the response to CCK-PZ by cGMP.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.305-313
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• 2019

Men's climactic syndrome, andropause, or testosterone deficit syndrome, is one of the new problems with the health of older men in the age of aging. This phenomenon is a natural phenomenon occurring in men as they age, clinically characterized by a decrease in blood testosterone levels and a marked decrease in physical and mental activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of hydrothermal extract of Taraxacum coreanum by comparing the levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the cavernosum and the levels of male hormone in the blood. Taraxacum coreanum extract increased NO production in vitro and in vivo in a dose-dependent manner. Levels of dihydrotestosterone and 17-hydroxyysteroid dehydrogenases, as well as levels of neurogenic nitric oxide synthase and cGMP, increased significantly in elderly rats (22 weeks) after 4 weeks of daily intake of Taraxacum coreanum extract. However, prostaglandin $E_2$, testosterone, and sexually-hormone-binding globulin levels were not different among all groups. Furthermore, total sperm and motile sperm counts were also no significant difference. Overall, these results suggest the possibility of Taraxacum coreanum extract as a safe and effective natural substance for enhancing NO, cGMP and free testosterone.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 1999

These studies were designed to examine the differential effect of nitric oxide (NO) and cGMP on glutamate neurotransmission. In primary cultures of rat cerebellar granule cells, the glutamate receptor agonist N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) stimulates the elevation of intracellular calcium concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$), the release of glutamate, the synthesis of NO and an increase of cGMP. Although NO has been shown to stimulate guanylyl cyclase, it is unclear yet whether NO alters the NMDA-induced glutamate release and ${[Ca^{2+}]}_i$ elevation. We showed that the NO synthase inhibitor, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA), partially prevented the NMDA-induced release of glutamate and elevation of ${[Ca^{2+}]}_i$ and completely blocked the elevation of cGMP. These effects of NO on glutamate release and [Ca2+]i elevation were unlikely to be secondary to cGMP as the cGMP analogue, dibutyryl cGMP (dBcGMP), did not suppress the effects of NMDA. Rather, dBcGMP slightly augmented the NMDA-induced elevation of ${[Ca^{2+}]}_i$ with no change in the basal level of glutamate or ${[Ca^{2+}]}_i$. The extracellular NO scavenger hydroxocobalamine prevented the NMDA-induced release of glutamate providing indirect evidence that the effect of NO may act on the NMDA receptor. These results suggest that low concentration of NO has a role in maintaining the NMDA receptor activation in a cGMP-independent manner.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.337-341
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• 2006

The present study was designed to investigate the protein expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and guanylyl cyclase (GC) activity in ischemia/perfusion (I/R) renal injury in rats. Renal I/R injury was experimentally induced by clamping the both renal pedicle for 40 min in Sprague-Dawley male rats. The renal expression of NOS isoforms was determined by Western blot analysis, and the activity of guanylyl cyclase was determined by the amount of guanosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) formed in response to sodium nitroprusside (SNP), NO donor. I/R injury resulted in renal failure associated with decreased urine osmolality. The expression of inducible NOS (iNOS) was increased in I/R injury rats compared with controls, while endothelial NOS (eNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS) expression was decreased. The urinary excretion of NO metabolites was decreased in I/R injury rats. The cGMP production provoked by SNP was decreased in the papilla, but not in glomerulus. These results indicate an altered regulation of NOS expression and guanylyl cyclase activity in I/R-induced nephropathy.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 1999

Nitric oxide (NO), a cellular messenger synthesized from L-arginine by NO synthase (NOS, EC.1.14.13.39), is considered to be a regulator of gastric secretion. In the present study, the role of NO in the regulation of exocrine secretion was investigated in rat gastric chief cells. Treatment of chief cells with carba-chol resulted in an increase in the arginine conversion to citrulline, the amount of $NO_{x}$, the release of pepsine-gen, and the level of cGMP Especially, carbachol-stimulated increase of arginine to citrulline transformation, the amount of $NO_{x}$, cGMP level and the release of pepsinogen were partially reduced by the natural NOS inhibitor, $N^{G}$-monomethyl-L-arginine (MMA) and $N^{G}$, $N^{G}$-dimethyl-L-arginine (DMA). Furthermore, MMA- and DMA-induced decrease of pepsinogen secretion showed dose-dependent patters. Activation of NOS is one of the early events in receptor-mediated cascade of reactions in gastric chief cells and NO, not completely, but partially mediates gastric secretion. Agonist-stimulated pepsinogen secretion in chief cells has been considered to be mediated in adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate pathway and/or guanosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) pathway. Taken together, the above results suggest that partial decrease of exocrine secretion following treatment of NOS inhibitor may result from the inactivation of NOS and subsequent guano- late cyclase, and NO/cGMP pathway may play a pivotal role in exocrine secretion.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.279-284
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• 1995

The aim of the present study was to know whether exogenously administered nitric oxide (NO) may differently modulate muscle mechanics between heart and aorta. We used PIANO method to generate NO. In isolated rat atrial tissues, neither heart rate nor contractility was affected by PIANO $(STZ,\;30{\sim}100\;{\mu}M)$. Only high concentration $(100\;{\mu}M)$ of 8-bromo cyclic GMP slightly depressed cardiac contractility. However, the same concentrations of 8-Br cGMP and PIANO significantly relaxed the rat thoracic aorta contracted with phenylephrine $(0.1\;{\mu}M)$. In isolated rabbit cardiac atrial myocytes, the amplitude of calcium currents were decreased in the whole voltage range by the presence of streptozotocin, which was further potentiated by UV light. Calcium currents were also decreased in those preparations treated with bradykinin, nitroprusside and 8-Br cGMP. These findings suggest that exogenous NO may modulate calcium current in cardiac myocyte. However, it remains why this does not affect myocardial contractility and heart rate. We concluded that NO may differently regulate calcium signal between aorta and heart muscle.