• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.223-229
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• 2006

The emerging concept of the 'neurovascular unit' may enable a powerful paradigm shift for neuroscience. Instead of a pure focus on the 'neurobiology' of disease, an opportunity now exists to return to a more integrative approach. The neurovascular unit emphasizes that signaling between vascular and neuronal compartments comprise the basis for both function and dysfunction in brain. Hence, brain disorders are not just due to death of neurons, but instead manifested as cell signaling perturbations at the neurovascular interface. In this mini-review, we will examine 3 examples of this hypothesis: neurovascular mechanisms involved in the thrombolytic therapy of stroke, the crosstalk between neurogenesis and angiogenesis, and the link between vascular dysfunction and amyloid pathology in Alzheimer's disease. An understanding of cell-cell and cell-matrix signaling at the neurovascular interface may yield new approaches for targeting CNS disorders.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2013

Atherosclerotic vascular dysfunction is a chronic inflammatory process that spreads from the fatty streak and foam cells through lesion progression. Therefore, its early diagnosis and prevention is unfeasible. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play important roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic vascular disease. Intracellular redox status is tightly regulated by oxidant and antioxidant systems. Imbalance in these systems causes oxidative or reductive stress which triggers cellular damage or aberrant signaling, and leads to dysregulation. Paradoxically, large clinical trials have shown that non-specific ROS scavenging by antioxidant vitamins is ineffective or sometimes harmful. ROS production can be locally regulated by cellular antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutases, catalase, glutathione peroxidases and peroxiredoxins. Therapeutic approach targeting these antioxidant enzymes might prove beneficial for prevention of ROS-related atherosclerotic vascular disease. Conversely, the development of specific antioxidant enzyme-mimetics could contribute to the clinical effectiveness.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.250.1-250.1
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• 2003

Background Aldosterone has an important role in the pathophysiology of heart failure. Aldosterone promotes the retention of sodium, the loss of magnesium and potassium, sympathetic activation, parasympathetic inhibition, myocardial and vascular fibrosis, baroreceptor dysfunction, and vascular damage and impairs arterial compliance. Objectives We investigated the effects of additional spironolactone to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) / angiotensin-II receptor blocker (ARB) in patients with heart failure. (omitted)

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.49-53
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• 2001

This experiment has investigated the influence of Yamen (Du. 15) point injection on learning and memory dysfunction caused by cerebral ischemia and reprofusion in bilateral cervical general artery combined with bleeding on mouse tail to mimic vascular dementia in human beings. By dividing 40 mice into 4 groups (group1false operation group, group2model group, group3point injection with Cerebrolysin group4point injection with saline.) According to random dividing principles, we observed the influence of Yamen(Du. 15) point injection on the time of swimming the whole course used by model mice which had received treatment for different days in different groups, and the influence of those mice on wrong times they entered blind end. The result showed that point injection with Cerebrolysin and saline could improve learning and memory dysfunction of the mice caused by cerebral ischemia.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 2017

Advanced age is one of the risk factors for vascular diseases that are mainly caused by impaired nitric oxide (NO) production. It has been demonstrated that endothelial arginase constrains the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and limits NO generation. Hence, arginase inhibition is suggested to be vasoprotective in aging. In this study, we examined the effects of intravenous injection of Piceatannol, an arginase inhibitor, on aged mice. Our results show that Piceatannol administration reduced the blood pressure in aged mice by inhibiting arginase activity, which was associated with NO production and reactive oxygen species generation. In addition, Piceatannol administration recovered $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II phosphorylation, eNOS phosphorylation and eNOS dimer stability in the aged mice. The improved NO signaling was shown to be effective in attenuating the phenylephrine-dependent contractile response and in enhancing the acetylcholine-dependent vasorelaxation response in aortic rings from the aged mice. These data suggest Piceatannol as a potential treatment for vascular disease.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.149-154
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• 2008

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major periodontal pathogen, has been implicated in the initiation and progression of periodontal disease. Endothelial dysfunction (Editor note: Aberrant and dysfunction are somewhat redundant. The authors may want to choose one or the other.) contributes to chronic periodontal inflammation. Using cDNA-representational difference analysis, we found that P.gingivalis lipopolysaccharide differentially induces a number of genes in human microvascular endothelial cells. Among these upregulated genes, we focused on intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), which is crucial for leukocyte recruitment during vascular inflammation. P. gingivalis LPS significantly increased the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) as well as ICAM-1. Promoter assays revealed that the transcription of these cell adhesion molecules was mainly regulated by nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) in endothelial cells. Furthermore, P. gingivalis LPS significantly increased leukocyte adhesiveness to microvascular endothelial cells and to aortic endothelium. Taken together, our results demonstrate that P. gingivalis LPS activates microvascular endothelial cells through NF-${\kappa}B$-dependent expression of cell adhesion molecules.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.341-346
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• 1995

Piriformis Syndrome is characterized by pain of the low back, groin, perineum, buttock, hip, posterior thigh, leg and foot. Symptoms are aggravated by sitting, prolonged combination of hip flexion, adduction, the medial rotation, or by activity. In addition, patient may complain of painful swelling of the limb and sexual dysfunction-dyspareunia in female, and impotence in male. It currently appears that three specific conditions may contribute to the piriformis syndrome: (a) myofascial pain; (b) nerve and vascular entrapment; (c) dysfunction of the sacroiliac joint. The important keys of diagnosis are history and physical examination. There is no known objective diagnostic method. We described the clinical features of four cases of piriformis syndrome and reviewed foreign literature.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.271-280
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• 2020

Hypertension has been approved to cause disharmony between the heart and kidney such as cardiac hypertrophy and kidney dysfunction. In traditional oriental medicine Paeo-tang (PET) has been shown to have effects on blood circulation improvement. However, the beneficial effect of PET on hypertension remains unknown. In this study, we investigated that PET attenuates blood pressure and improves cardiovascular and renal function in NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) rat model. Hypertensive rat models were induced by the administration of L-NAME (40 mg/kg/day) and then PET (50 or 100 mg/kg/day) or Olmetec was treated for 2 weeks. PET treatment significantly suppressed the systolic blood pressure and decreased intima-media thickness in the thoracic aorta. PET ameliorated endothelium-dependent and independent vascular relaxation in the L-NAME-induced vascular dysfunction. PET ameliorated the functional decline in the kidney such as albumin and blood urea nitrogen in plasma. These results demonstrated that PET possesses protective effects against L-NAME-induced hypertension.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.794-798
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• 2007

Hepatopulmonary syndrome is a triad that includes: hepatic dysfunction, intrapulmonary vascular dilatation and abnormal arterial oxygenation. The incidence of intrapulmonary vascular dilatations, in adults with end-stage liver disease, has been reported to be 13% to 47%, however the incidence in children is unclear and the cases in Korean children have never been reported. The hepatopulmonary syndrome may occur as a result of chronic liver disease following nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in children with hypothalamic or pituitary dysfunction. We report a case of hepatopulmonary syndrome in a 13-year-old child who had rapidly progressive liver dysfunction secondary to panhypopituitarism after craniopharyngioma resection. Careful monitoring and treatment of endocrine abnormalities and metabolic status, as well as liver function, are required in all children undergoing pituitary tumor resection.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 2021

Excessive salt intake induces hypertension, but several gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) supplements have been shown to reduce blood pressure. GABA-salt, a fermented salt by L. brevis BJ20 containing GABA was prepared through the post-fermentation with refined salt and the fermented GABA extract. We evaluated the effect of GABA-salt on hypertension in a high salt, high cholesterol diet induced mouse model. We analyzed type 1 macrophage (M1) polarization, the expression of M1 related cytokines, GABA receptor expression, endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction, vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, and medial thicknesses in mice model. GABA-salt attenuated diet-induced blood pressure increases, M1 polarization, and TNF-α and inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS) levels in mouse aortas, and in salt treated macrophages in vitro. Furthermore, GABA-salt induced higher GABAB receptor and endothelial NOS (eNOS) and eNOS phosphorylation levels than those observed in salt treated ECs. In addition, GABA-salt attenuated EC dysfunction by decreasing the levels of adhesion molecules (E-selectin, Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 [ICAM-1], vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 [VCAM-1]) and of von Willebrand Factor and reduced EC death. GABA-salt also reduced diet-induced reductions in the levels of eNOS, phosphorylated eNOS, VSMC proliferation and medial thickening in mouse aortic tissues, and attenuated Endothelin-1 levels in salt treated VSMCs. In summary, GABA-salt reduced high salt, high cholesterol diet induced hypertension in our mouse model by reducing M1 polarization, EC dysfunction, and VSMC proliferation.