• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.159-167
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• 1994

The contraction of rabbit basilar artery was examined as a function of changes in the $Na^+$ electrochemical gradient in order to determine the contribution of $Na^+/Ca^{2+}$ exchange to the modulation of contractility. Ouabain $(10^{-5}\;M)$ or $K^+-free$ Tyrode solution caused an increase in tonic tension even in the presence of a $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker $(10^{-6}\;M\;verapamil)$ and an ${\alpha}-receptor$ blocker $(10^{-5}\;M\;phentolamine)$. After treatment with ouabain $(10^{-5}\;M)$, contractions were augmented by reduction of external $Na^+$ concentration. The longer the treatment with ouabain $(10^{-5}\;M)$ was, the larger the amplitude of $Na^+-free$ contracture was. $Na^+-free$ contracture wag induced by either substitution of equimolar Tris for $Na^+$ or substitution of equimolar $Li^+\;for\;Na^+$. The competition between $Na^+\;and\;Ca^{2+}$ for the $Na^+/Ca^{2+}$ exchange carrier would exist, because it was observed that contractility was dependent on the $Na^+$ electrochemical gradient or the extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration (2 mM, 4 mM). Ryanodine $(10^{-7}\;M)$, the blocker of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, did not suppress the development of $Na^+-free$ contracture. The contractile response to norepinephrine $(10^{-6}\;M)$ was augmented by reducing the extracellular $Na^+$ concentration. The relaxation rate from caffeine-induced contraction was dependent on the extracellular $Na^+$ concentration (0 mM, 140 mM). From the above results, it could be suggested that $Na^+/Ca^{2+}$ exchange can move $Ca^{2+}$ either into or out of rabbit basilar arterial smooth muscle. $Ca^{2+}$ entry or extrusion is dependent upon the $Na^+$ electrochemical gradient. $Na^+/Ca^{2+}$ exchange plays a significant role in the regulation of contractility in rabbit basilar arterial smooth muscle.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 1998

Nitric oxide (NO)-mediated relaxation in vascular smooth muscle involves not only activation of guanylate cyclase but also hyperpolarization of the membrane. It has been shown that depolarization decreases the [$Ca^{2+}$] sensitivity of myosin light chain kinase in arterial smooth muscle, and nitric oxide (NO)-mediated relaxation was attenuated in this situation. However, why potassium inhibits or attenuates the action of EDRF/NO is not clear. Therefore, we investigated the magnitude of relaxation and cGMP contents using measures known to release NO, such as photorelaxation, photo activated NO-mediated relaxation, and NO-donor (SNP)-mediated relaxation in porcine coronary arterial rings in which contractile conditions were made by different degree of depolarization, i.e., contraction in response to U46619 or U46619 plus KCl. In all cases, the magnitude of relaxation was significantly greater (P＜0.05) in U46619-contracted rings than in U46619+KCl-contracted ones. Although accumulation of cGMP was evident with three measures employed in the present study, no difference was found in cGMP contents between U46619 and U46619+KCl conditions, indicating that the diminished relaxation in KCl containing solution is cGMP-independent mechanism(s). To understand this further, cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ changes due to NO were compared in rat thoracic aorta by exploiting photoactivated NO using streptozotocin (STZ) that was contracted with either NE or KCl. Fura-3 $[Ca]_{cyt}$ signal caused by NO was small and transient in high $K^+$-, but large and sustained in NE-contracted aorta. The inhibitory potency of STZ expressed in terms of $IC_{50}$ was 5.14 and 3.88 ${\mu}M$ in NE and in high $K^+$, respectively. These results suggest that modification of the cellular mobilization of $Ca^{2+}$ rather than cGMP levels may be an important mechanism for the NO-mediated relaxation when vascular membrane is depolarized, such as atherosclerosis and hypertension.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 1995

The extract of Ginkgo bibloba (EGb) is a complex mixture of natural products from the Ginkgo leaves and clinically used for the treatment of cerebral and peripheral circulatory disturbances due to its combined activity of several vasoactive principles. In this study we investigated the action of EGb and its mechanism in isolated rabbit corporal smooth muscle to evaluate the possibility of using this material as a pharmacoerecting agent. Strips of rabbit corpus cavernosum were mounted in organ chambers to measure isometric tension. EGb began to exert an relaxing effect at 1 mg/ml in the submaximally precontracted muscle strips with phenylephrine $(PHE,\;5{\times}10^{-6}\;M)$; causing concentration-dependent relaxation with maximal effect at $3{\sim}5\;mg/ml$. That relaxation was partially inhibited by removal of the smooth muscle endothelium or by pretreatment with a NO scavenger, pyrogallol $(10^{-4}\;M)$ or the guanylate cyclase inhibitor, methylene blue $(10^{-4}\;M)$. Pretreatment with EGb (3 mg/ml) inhibited PHE- $(5{\times}10^{-6}\;M)$ or KCI- (20 and 40 mM) induced contraction of muscle strip. In calcium-free high potassium solution EGb depressed the basal tone of the depolarized muscle strip and inhibited calcium-induced contraction when $CaCl_2$ $(10^{-4}\;M)$ was added. These results suggest that EGb relaxes rabbit corpus cavernosal smooth muscle through multiple action mechanisms that include increasing the release of nitric oxide from the corporal sinusoidal endothelium, sequestration of intracytosolic calcium, and maybe a hyperpolarizing action.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2009

In order to enhance the functionality of a cotton fabric actually used as a clothing material for patients, the fabrics were treated with a chitosan/nanosilver mixed solution. The nanosilver had excellent biocompatibility, provided expectation of an additional performance, did not harm human beings, and supplements chitosan, which was disadvantaged if used alone for fabric treatment. The nanosilver was mixed thereto and a treatment effect due to a mixing ratio was considered. This study was observed through mechanical properties and hand value which were the important function. The treatment of chitosan/nanosilver mixed solution gave a smoother surface than the treatment of chitosan alone. As a result of evaluation of the forms according to KES-FB system, Koshi was deduced, and both Numeri and Fukurami were increased. Thereby, the cotton fabric was a little smooth to provide elasticity, due to the treatment of chitosan/nanosilver mixed solution. THV of the treated fabrics calculated from this basis increased at all mixing ratio as compared with the untreated fabric. The fabrics treated with chitosan/nanosilver mixed solution were shown a better THV than the fabric treated with chitosan alone.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.452-464
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• 1990

It is well known that extracellular Calcium plays a very important role in several steps of smooth muscle excitability and contractility, and there have been many concerns about factors influencing the distribution of extracellular Ca++ and the Ca++ flux through the cell membrane of the smooth muscle. Based on the assumption that Mg++ may also play an important role in the excitation and contraction processes of the smooth muscle by taking part in affecting Ca++ distribution and flux, many researches are being performed about the exact role of Mg++, especially in the vascular smooth muscle. But yet the effect of Mg++ in the smooth muscle activity is not clarified, and moreover the mechanism of Mg++ action is almost completely unknown. Present study attempted to clarify the effect of Mg++ on the excitability and contractility in the multiunit and unitary smooth muscle, and the mechanism concerned in it. The preparations used were the guinea-pig aortic strip as the experimental material of the multiunit smooth muscle and the rat uterine strip as the one of the unitary smooth muscle. The tissues were isolated from the sacrificed animal and were prepared for recording the isometric contraction. The effects of Mg++ and Ca++ were examined on the electrically driven or spontaneous contraction of the preparations. And the effects of these ions were also studied on the K+ or norepinephrine contracture. All experiments were performed in tris-buffered Tyrode solution which was aerated with 100% 02 and kept at 35oC. The results obtained were as follows: 1] Mg++ suppressed the phasic contraction induced by electrical field stimulation dose-dependently in the guinea-pig aortic strip, while the high concentration of Ca++ never recovered the decreased tension. These phenomena were not changed by the a - or b - adrenergic blocker. 2]Mg++ played the suppressing effect on the low concentration [20 and 40 mM] of K+-contracture in the aortic muscle, but the effect was not shown in the case of 100mM K+-contracture. 3] Mg++ also suppressed the contracture induced by norepinephrine in the aortic preparation. And the effect of Mg++ was most prominent in the contracture by the lowest [10 mM] concentration of norepinephrine. 4] In both the spontaneous and electrically driven contractions of the uterine strip, Mg++ decreased the amplitude of peak tension, and by the high concentration of Ca++ the amplitude of tension was recovered unlike the aortic muscle. 5] The frequency of the uterine spontaneous contraction increased as the [Ca++] / [Mg++] ratio increased up to 2, but the frequency decreased above this level. 6] Mg++ decreased the tension of the low[20 and 40mM] K+-contracture in the uterine smooth muscle, but the effect did not appear in the 100mM K+-contracture. From the above results, the following conclusion could be made. 1] Mg++ seems to suppress the contractility directly by acting on the smooth muscle itself, besides through the indirect action on the nerve terminal, in both the aortic and uterine smooth muscles. 2] The fact that the depressant effect of Mg++ on the K+-contracture is in inverse proportion to an increase of K+ concentration appears resulted from the extent of the opening state of the Ca++ channel. 3] Mg++ may play a depressant role on both the potential dependent and the receptor-operated Ca++ channels. 4] The relationship between the actions of Mg++ and Ca++ seems to be competitive in uterine muscle and non-competitive in aortic strip.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.182-192
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• 2006

Background: Atherosclerosis has emerged as the leading cause of death in developed countries. At present, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) are most commonly used for the investigation of Endothelial cells (EC). However, HUVEC are not found in arteries but only in veins. Currently there are many reports on methods used to isolate EC;, most of these methods require special equipment to remove contaminating smooth muscle cells (SMC). Materials and Methods: The method described here may be used to isolate not only ECs but also SMCs;,the approach presented here did not require special equipment. Rat aorta was treated with 2 mg/ml of type II collagenase solution for 45 minutes. The isolated cells from the aorta were incubated in medium G for a week;, only ECs could be separated. After the collagenase treatment, the rest of aorta was cut lengthwise, and left undisturbed to obtain SMCs in the culture dish for 10 days. To verify the purity of the isolated cells, we performed immunofluorescence and evaluated the results with transmission electron microscopy analysis. Results: The immunofluorescence study demonstrated specific expression of CD31 and ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin in the isolated ECs and SMCs, respectively. Cultured ECs and SMCs showed their own fine structure characteristics. Conclusion: These results suggest that this method for isolating ECs and SMCs may be especially useful for the study of atherosclerosis.

• Journal of applied mathematics & informatics
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• v.36 no.3_4
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• pp.173-179
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• 2018

In this paper, we investigate the stability of positive weak solution for the singular p-Laplacian nonlinear system $-div[{\mid}x{\mid}^{-ap}{\mid}{\nabla}u{\mid}^{p-2}{\nabla}u]+m(x){\mid}u{\mid}^{p-2}u={\lambda}{\mid}x{\mid}^{-(a+1)p+c}b(x)f(u)$ in ${\Omega}$, Bu = 0 on ${\partial}{\Omega}$, where ${\Omega}{\subset}R^n$ is a bounded domain with smooth boundary $Bu={\delta}h(x)u+(1-{\delta})\frac{{\partial}u}{{\partial}n}$ where ${\delta}{\in}[0,1]$, $h:{\partial}{\Omega}{\rightarrow}R^+$ with h = 1 when ${\delta}=1$, $0{\in}{\Omega}$, 1 < p < n, 0 ${\leq}$ a < ${\frac{n-p}{p}}$, m(x) is a weight function, the continuous function $b(x):{\Omega}{\rightarrow}R$ satisfies either b(x) > 0 or b(x) < 0 for all $x{\in}{\Omega}$, ${\lambda}$ is a positive parameter and $f:[0,{\infty}){\rightarrow}R$ is a continuous function. We provide a simple proof to establish that every positive solution is unstable under certain conditions.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.63-67
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• 2006

The characteristics of the wet-etching of ZnO thin films were investigated using hydrochloric and phosphoric acid solutions as etchants. The etch rate of ZnO films, using highly diluted hydrochloric acid solutions at a concentration of 0.25% in deionized water, was determined to be about 120 nm/min, and linearly increased with increasing the acid concentration, resulting in $1.17{\mu}m/min$ when a 2% HCl solution was used. The surface of ZnO etched by an HCl solution, observed by scanning electron microscopy, showed a rough morphology with a high density of hexagonal pyramids or cones with sidewall angles of about ${\sim}45^{\circ}C$. Moreover, the sidewall angles of the masked area were similar to those of the pyramids on the surface. In comparison, the surface of ZnO etched by a phosphoric acid had a smooth surface morphology. The origin of this difference is from the very initial stage of etching, indicating that the etch-mechanism is different for each solution. Furthermore, when $H_3PO_4$ was added to the HCl aqueous solution, the morphology of the etched surface was greatly enhanced and the sidewall angle was also increased to about $65^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.215-220
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• 2014

Electrodeposition behaviors of Pd-Ni alloys were investigated from the polarization curves in a solution containing ethylenediamine as complexing agent. The microstructure and hardness of electrodeposited Pd-Ni alloys were also characterized. Codeposition of Pd-Ni alloys was successfully performed in the wide current density ranging from 2 to $5000A{\cdot}m^{-2}$ because the deposition potential of Pd became close to that of Ni in the ethylenediamine-contained solution. It was also found from X-ray diffraction patterns that the solid solution between Pd and Ni was formed with variation of the composition of alloys. The measured hardness of Pd-Ni alloys increased with increasing the contents of Ni due to solid solution strengthening and grain refinement. The electrodeposited Pd-Ni alloys also exhibited a crack free smooth surface morphology from the SEM observation.

• Korean Journal of Mathematics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.619-630
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• 2015

This paper is devoted to investigate the multiple solutions for a class of the cooperative elliptic system involving subcritical Sobolev exponents on the bounded domain with smooth boundary. We first show the uniqueness and the negativity of the solution for the linear system of the problem via the direct calculation. We next use the variational method and the mountain pass theorem in the critical point theory.