• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.203-207
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• 2005

Electrical rhythmicity in the gastrointestinal (GI) muscles is generated by pacemaker cells, known as interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). In the present study, we investigated the effect of external divalent cations on pacemaking activity in cultured ICC from murine small intestine by using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. ICC generated pacemaker currents under a voltage clamp or electrical pacemaker potentials under a current clamp, and showed a mean amplitude of $-500{\pm}50$ pA or $30{\pm}1$ mV and the frequency of $18{\pm}2$ cycles/min. Treatments of the cells with external 0 mM $Ca^{2+}$ stopped pacemaking activity of ICC. In the presence of 2 mM $Ca^{2+}$, 0 mM external $Mg^{2+}$ depolarized the resting membrane potential, and there was no change in the frequency of pacemaking activity. However, 10 mM external $Mg^{2+}$ decreased the frequency of pacemaking activity ($6.75{\pm}1$ cycles/min, n=5). We replaced external 2 mM $Ca^{2+}$ with equimolar $Ba^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$ and $Sr^{2+}$, and they all developed inward current in the sequence of $Ba^{2+}$>$Mn^{2+}$>$Sr^{2+}$. Also the frequency of the pacemaking activity was stopped or irregulated. We investigated the effect of 10 mM $Ba^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$ and $Sr^{2+}$ on pacemaking activity of ICC in the presence of external 0 mM $Mg^{2+}$, and found that 10 mM $Ba^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$ induced large inward current and stopped the pacemaking activity of ICC (n=5). Interestingly, 10 mM $Sr^{2+}$ induced small inward current and potentiated the amplitude of pacemaking activity of ICC (n=5). These results indicate that extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mg^{2+}$ are requisite for the pacemaking activity of ICC.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.301-307
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• 2009

Inflammatory processes of vascular endothelial cells play a key role in the development ofatherosclerosis. We determined the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on LPS-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to evaluate their cardioproteerive potential. Cells were pretreated with DHA, EPA, or troglitazone prior to activation with LPS. Expression of COX-2, prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) and IL-6 production, and $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity were measured by Western blot, ELISA, and luciferase activity, respectively. Results showed that EPA, DHA, or troglitazone significantly reduced COX-2 expression, $NF-{\kappa}B$ luciferase activity, and $PGE_2$ and IL-6 production in a dose-dependent fashion. Interestingly, low doses (10 ${\mu}$M) of DHA and EPA, but not troglitozone, significantly increased the activity of $NF-{\kappa}B$ in resting HUVECs. Our study suggests that while DHA, EPA, and troglitazone may be protective on HUVECs under inflammatory conditions in a dose-dependent manner. However there may be some negative effects when the concentrations are abnormally low, even in normal endothelium.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 2013

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are the pacemaker cells in the gastrointestinal tract, and histamine is known to regulate neuronal activity, control vascular tone, alter endothelial permeability, and modulate gastric acid secretion. However, the action mechanisms of histamine in mouse small intestinal ICCs have not been previously investigated, and thus, in the present study, we investigated the effects of histamine on mouse small intestinal ICCs, and sought to identify the receptors involved. Enzymatic digestions were used to dissociate ICCs from small intestines, and the whole-cell patch-clamp configuration was used to record potentials (in current clamp mode) from cultured ICCs. Histamine was found to depolarize resting membrane potentials concentration dependently, and whereas 2-PEA (a selective H1 receptor agonist) induced membrane depolarizations, Dimaprit (a selective H2-agonist), R-alpha-methylhistamine (R-alpha-MeHa; a selective H3-agonist), and 4-methylhistamine (4-MH; a selective H4-agonist) did not. Pretreatment with $Ca^{2+}$-free solution or thapsigargin (a $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase inhibitor in endoplasmic reticulum) abolished the generation of pacemaker potentials and suppressed histamine-induced membrane depolarization. Furthermore, treatments with U-73122 (a phospholipase C inhibitor) or 5-fluoro-2-indolyl des-chlorohalopemide (FIPI; a phospholipase D inhibitor) blocked histamine-induced membrane depolarizations in ICCs. On the other hand, KT5720 (a protein kinase A inhibitor) did not block histamine-induced membrane depolarization. These results suggest that histamine modulates pacemaker potentials through H1 receptor-mediated pathways via external $Ca^{2+}$ influx and $Ca^{2+}$ release from internal stores in a PLC and PLD dependent manner.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.603-607
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Carthami Flos on interstitial cells of Cajal in the gastrointestinal tract. Many regions of the tunica muscularis of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract display spontaneous contraction. These spontaneous contractions are mediated by periodic generation of electrical slow waves. Recent studies have shown that the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) act as pacemakers and conductors of electrical slow waves in gastrointestinal smooth muscles. We investigated the cytotoxicity activity, antioxidant activity, and pacemaking activity. The cytotoxicity activity was measured by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. Antioxidant activities were determined by DPPH (1.1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging capacity assay and DCFH-DA (2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate) method. The effects of Carthami Flos on the pacemaker potentials in cultured ICCs from murine small intestine were investigated by using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques at $30^{\circ}C$. The addition of Carthami Flos (5, 10, $30{\mu}g$/ml) depolarized the resting membrane potentials in a concentration dependent manner. These results suggest that the GI tract can be targets for Carthami Flos, and their interaction can affect intestinal motility.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2006

Objectives : Deer antler Water Extract(DAE), prepared from the pilose antler of Cervus korean TEMMINCK var. mantchuricus Swinhoe (Nokyong), a traditional immuno-suppressive and immuno-activating Korean herbal-acupuncture, is thought to play an important role in human bone remodeling. Methods : To determine whether DAE can induce the differentiation of resting zone chondrocytes(RC) or not, confluent cell cultures were pretreated for 24, 36, 48, 72, and 120hrs with DAE. At the end of pretreatment, the media were replaced with new media containing $10^{-10}{\sim}10^{-8}M\;1,25-(OH)_2D_3$ and the cells incubated for an additional 24hrs. Results : This second treatment was chosen because prior studies had shown that only the more mature growth zone chondrocytes(GC) respond to this vitamin $D_3$ metabolite. The effect of DAE pretreatment on cell maturation was confirmed by measuring alkaline phosphatase (ALPase)-specific activity. Changes in matrix protein synthesis were examined by measuring collagen synthesis, as well as $^{35}SO_4$ incorporation into proteoglycans. When RC cells were pretreated for 120h with DAE, treatment with $1,25-(OH)_2D_3$ caused a dose-dependent increase in ALPase-specific activity and collagen synthesis, however, the proteoglycan production was not affected. RC cells pretreated with $1,25-(OH)_2D_3$ responded like RC cells that had not received any pretreatment. Conclusion : These results indicate that DAE directly regulates the maturation of RC chondrocytes into GC chondrocytes. Therefore it was indicated that DAE may play a significant role in regulating chondrocyte maturation during endochondral ossification.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.17-31
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• 1996

The venomous apparatus of the black widow spider, Latrodectus mactans, is composed of chelicera and paired venom glands in the cephalothorax. Each glands is surrounded by a thin adventitia and striated muscular bundles resting on a basal membrane. Along the musculature neuromuscular synaptic contacts are formed by a motor axon and the muscle fibers. The secretory epithelium, which made up of simple and long columnar cells with extensive finger-like processes, creates a simple acinar gland. The secretory surfac is increased by a sort of fringes extended from the basal membrane into the gland lumen, and the luminal surface of the epithelium is marked by the presence of closely spaced microvilli. The venoms of the black widow spider are produced from two types of secretory granules within the epithelial cells. During the secretory phase, these granules are transformed into droplets and suffering a condensation. Finally the secretory products are released by the apocrine secretion. After the gland is emptied, the basal epithelial cells present a high proliferative process and regenerate the columnar epithlial cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.77-83
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• 1996

Platelet-activating factor(PAF) is a phospholipid mediator of pulmonary inflammation, and immunologic reaction. In this study, the role of PAF on tumor necrosis factor$(TNF_{-{\alpha}})$ production by rat alveolar macrophages(AM) was examined. When PAF $(10^{-12}{\sim}10{-16}\;M)$ alone was added to AM culture, $(TNF_{-{\alpha}})$ production was not significantly increased above the resting level. In contrast, the combined addition of PAF $(10^{-6}\;M)$ and muramyl dipeptide(MDP) $(1.0\;{\mu}g\ml)$ to AM cultures markedly enhanced $(TNF_{-{\alpha}})$ production with 8.2 fold increase compared with AM culture in resting state. This potentiative effect was 313% above the sum of the separate effects of PAF and MDP. To characterize MDP effects on $(TNF_{-{\alpha}})$ production, the dose-response of AM cultured with various concentrations of MDP was tested. High level of MDP $(10\;{\mu}g\ml)$ could not significantly enhance the potentiation effect on $(TNF_{-{\alpha}})$ production compared with AM cultures with low level of MDP $(0.1\;{\mu}g\ml)$, i.e. 112.5% vs 107.8%, respectively when $10^{-10}$ M of PAF was simultaneously added to the cell culture. These data support that the potentiation of TNF. g production in AM culture is mediated by PAF rather than MDf It was also evaluated whether the similar result was obtained in silica, respirable toxic particle-treated AM culture. $(TNF_{-{\alpha}})$ production was also significantly enhanced in the PAF $(10^{-6}\;M)$ and silica $(50\;{\mu}g\ml)$-added cell cultures with 4.7 fold above the value of silica alone-stimulated cells. These results indicate that PAF can potentiate $(TNF_{-{\alpha}})$ production by MDP-or silica- stimulated AM and suggest that PAF may play a potent role in lung inflammation and disease associated with microbe and occupational dust exposures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.85 no.3
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• pp.289-304
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• 2023

The main objective of this paper is to study the effect of porosity on the buckling behavior of thick functionally graded sandwich plate resting on various boundary conditions under different in-plane loads. The formulation is made for a newly developed sandwich plate using a functional gradient material based on a modified power law function of symmetric and asymmetric configuration. Four different porosity distribution are considered and varied in accordance with material propriety variation in the thickness direction of the face sheets of sandwich plate, metal foam also is considered in this study on the second model of sandwich which containing metal foam core and FGM face sheets. New quasi-3D high shear deformation theory is used here for this investigate; the present kinematic model introduces only six variables with stretching effect by adopting a new indeterminate integral variable in the displacement field. The stability equations are obtained by Hamilton's principle then solved by generalized solution. The effect of Pasternak and Winkler elastic foundations also including here. the present model validated with those found in the open literature, then the impact of different parameters: porosities index, foam cells distribution, boundary conditions, elastic foundation, power law index, ratio aspect, side-to-thickness ratio and different in-plane axial loads on the variation of the buckling behavior are demonstrated.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.49-57
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• 1979

Cadimium ion-resistant microorganism was isolated from the sludge of wastewater. The physiological, morphological and other cultural data showed that this strain belonged to Citrobacter freudii. A clearcut distinction of growth among nutrient broth, typtic soy broth and synthetic medium was demonstrated. The resistant cells showed only slight mutagenic action. During the growth of bacterial population in resting state, the organisms reduced the initial level of resistance to cadmium ions when they were not kept in contact with cadmium ions in bacteral multiplication. And cadmium ion-resistant and cadmium ion-sensitive strain were found to show equal, lower or higher sensitivity to other heave metals.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.69-80
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• 1999

Some trials to alter the structure of extracellular polysaccharides by means of biotransformation and microbial modification have been reported. Seaweed alginate was acetylated by intact and resting cells of Pseudomonas syringae ATCC 19304. Glucose analogs such as 3-O-methyl-D-glucose used as sole carbon sources was directly incorporated into curdlan by agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749. The 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose (glucosamine)and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose (N-acetylglucosamine) were incorporated into microbial cellulose by Acetobacter xylinum ATCC 10245. The changed monomeric composition in pullulan by Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 42023 as well as zooglan by Zoogoea ramigera ATCC 25935 was another effect of glucose analogs used a carbon source. There was no effect of glucose analogs found in polysacharide-7 (PS-7) produced by Beijerinckia indica. ATCC 21423.