• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.303-313
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• 1997

The role of the lower esophageal sphincter(LES) is characterized by the ability to maintain tone and to relax allowing the passage of a bolus. It is known that LES relaxation during swallowing may be induced by the cessation of the tonic neural excitation and the activation of non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic(NANC) inhibitory neurons. Furthermore, it is generally accepted that the relaxation of the smooth muscle is mediated primarily by the elaboration of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate(cyclic AMP) and guanosine 3',5'-cyclic mono-phosphate(cyclic GMP) via activation of adenylate cyclase and guanylate cyclase, respectively. It is thus possible that cyclic nucleotides might be a second messenger involved in neural stimulation-induced relaxation of LES, although a relationship between relaxation and changes in cyclic nucleotides after neural stimulation has not been established. The present study was performed to define the participation of cyclic nucleotides in the relaxation of LES of dog in response to neural stimulation. Electrical field stimulation(EFS) caused relaxation of the canine isolated LES strips in a frequency-dependent manner, which was eliminated by pretreatment with tetrodotoxin$(1{\mu}M)$, but not by atropine$(100{\mu}M)$, guanethidine$(100{\mu}M)$ and indomethacin$(10{\mu}M)$. The nitric oxide synthase inhibitors, $N^G-nitro-L-arginine$, $N^G-nitro-L-arginine$ methyl ester and $N^G-monomethyl-L-arginine$ inhibited EFS-induced relaxation. Additions of sodium nitroprusside, a nitrovasodilator and forskolin, a direct adenylate cyclase stimulant, caused a dose-dependent relaxation of LES smooth muscle. Effects of sodium nitroprusside and forskolin were selectively blocked by the corresponding inhibitors, methylene blue for guanylate cyclase and N-ethylmaleimide(NEM) for adenylate cyclase, respectively. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP and dibutyryl cyclic GMP caused a concentration-dependent relaxation of the LES smooth muscle tone, which was not blocked by NEM or methylene blue, respectively. However, both NEM and methylene blue caused significant antagonism of the relaxation in LES tone in response to EFS. EFS increased the tissue cyclic GMP content by 124%, whereas it did not affect the tissue level of cyclic AMP. Based on these results, it is suggested that one of the components of canine LES smooth muscle relaxation in response to neural stimulation is mediated by an increase of cyclic GMP via the activation of guanylate cyclase. Additionally, an activation of cyclic AMP generation system was, in part, involved in the EFS-induced relaxation.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.389-399
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• 2018

Background: The antioxidant effects of Panax ginseng have been reported in several articles; however, little is known about the antimelanogenesis effect, skin-protective effect, and cellular mechanism of Panax ginseng, especially of P. ginseng calyx. To understand how an ethanol extract of P. ginseng berry calyx (Pg-C-EE) exerts skin-protective effects, we studied its activities in activated melanocytes and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced keratinocytes. Methods: To confirm the antimelanogenesis effect of Pg-C-EE, we analyzed melanin synthesis and secretion and messenger RNA and protein expression levels of related genes. Ultraviolet B (UVB) and hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) were used to induce cell damage by ROS generation. To examine whether this damage is inhibited by Pg-C-EE, we performed cell viability assays and gene expression and transcriptional activation analyses. Results: Pg-C-EE inhibited melanin synthesis and secretion by blocking activator protein 1 regulatory enzymes such as p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), and cyclic adenosine mono-phosphate response element-binding protein. Pg-C-EE also suppressed ROS generation induced by $H_2O_2$ and UVB. Treatment with Pg-C-EE decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinases, mitogen-activated protein kinases, and hyaluronidases and increased the cell survival rate. Conclusion: These results suggest that Pg-C-EE may have antimelanogenesis properties and skin-protective properties through regulation of activator protein 1 and cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein signaling. Pg-C-EE may be used as a skin-improving agent, with moisture retention and whitening effects.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2014

We have developed 8 peptide derivatives as potential MC1R antagonists and their inhibitory effects on ${\alpha}$-MSH induced cell growth in cultured normal human melanocytes (NHM) were investigated. From these experiments, the two most potent peptide derivatives, 5-phenylvaleric acid-(D)His-Arg-Trp-$(Lys)_6NH_2$ (P 6) and 5-phenylvaleric acid-(D)His-Arg-Trp-$(Lys)_9NH_2$ (P 7) were selected for further studies. In ${\alpha}$-MSH depleted NHM cells, we have found that the treatment with 1 ${\mu}M$ of these two peptide derivatives, P 6 and P 7, inhibited the cell proliferation induced by the addition of 1 nM ${\alpha}$- MSH by 70% and 72%, respectively. In NHM cells without previous ${\alpha}$-MSH depletion, 1 ${\mu}M$ treatment in the presence of 10 nM ${\alpha}$-MSH resulted in 70% (P 6) and 80% (P 7) decrease in cell growth and 64% (P 6) and 71% (P 7) reduction in melanin synthesis, respectively. The peptide derivatives P 6 and P 7 were proved to have no apparent cytotoxicity and inhibited the elevation of intracellular cAMP concentration triggered by ${\alpha}$-MSH. In conclusion, our data suggest that the peptide derivatives reported in this study, 5-phenylvaleric acid-(D)His-Arg-Trp-$(Lys)_6NH_2$ (P 6) and 5-phenylvaleric acid-(D)His- Arg-Trp-$(Lys)_9NH_2$ (P 7) strongly antagonize ${\alpha}$-MSH, inhibit cell proliferation and melanin synthesis, and lower the intracellular cAMP concentration, hence have a promising potential as a novel skin lightening agent.