Effects of Takju intake and moderate exercise training on brain acetylcholinesterase activity and learning ability in rats

Takju is a Korean alcoholic beverage made from rice, and is brewed with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of exercise training and moderate Takju consumption on learning ability in 6-week old Sprague-Dawley male rats. The rats were treated with exercise and alcohol for 4 weeks in six separate groups as follows: non-exercised control (CC), exercised control (EC), non-exercised consuming ethanol (CA), exercised consuming ethanol (EA), non-exercised consuming Takju (CT), and exercised consuming Takju (ET). An AIN-93M diet was provided ad libitum. Exercise training was performed at a speed of 10 m/min for 15 minutes per day. Ethanol and Takju were administered daily for 6-7 hours to achieve an intake of about 10 ml after 12 hours of deprivation, and, thereafter, the animals were allowed free access to deionized water. A Y-shaped water maze was used from the third week to understand the effects of exercise and alcohol consumption on learning and memory. After sacrifice, brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was analyzed. Total caloric intake and body weight changes during the experiment were not significantly different among the groups. AChE activity was not significantly different among the groups. The number of errors for position reversal training in the maze was significantly smaller in the EA group than that in the CA and ET groups, and latency times were shorter in the EA group than those in the CC, EC, CT, and ET groups. The latency difference from the first to the fifth day was shortest in the ET group. The exercised groups showed more errors and latency than those of the non-exercised groups on the first day, but the data became equivalent from the second day. The results indicate that moderate exercise can increase memory and learning and that the combination of exercise and Takju ingestion may enhance learning ability.

Amyloid Precursor Protein Binding Protein-1 Is Up-regulated in Brains of Tg2576 Mice

Amyloid precursor protein binding protein-1 (APP-BP1) binds to the carboxyl terminus of amyloid precursor protein and serves as a bipartite activation enzyme for the ubiquitin-like protein, NEDD8. Previously, it has been reported that APP-BP1 rescues the cell cycle S-M checkpoint defect in Ts41 hamster cells, that this rescue is dependent on the interaction of APP-BP1 with hUba3. The exogenous expression of APP-BP1 in neurons has been reported to cause DNA synthesis and apoptosis via a signaling pathway that is dependent on APP-BP1 binding to APP. These results suggest that APP-BP1 overexpression contributes to neurodegeneration. In the present study, we explored whether APP-BP1 expression was altered in the brains of Tg2576 mice, which is an animal model of Alzheimer's disease. APP-BP1 was found to be up-regulated in the hippocampus and cortex of 12 month-old Tg2576 mice compared to age-matched wild-type mice. In addition, APP-BP1 knockdown by siRNA treatment reduced cullin-1 neddylation in fetal neural stem cells, suggesting that APP-BP1 plays a role in cell cycle progression in the cells. Collectively, these results suggest that increased expression of APP-BP1, which has a role in cell cycle progression in neuronal cells, contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

Effect of Methylmethacrylate Monomer in Isolated Rat Tracheal Rings / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Methylmethacrylate monomer (MN) bone cement is commonly employed in orthopedic procedures, particularly total hip and knee replacement, to anchor prosthetic devices to bone. Numerous cardiopulmonary complications can occur just after injection of MN. And MN produces direct relaxation of vascular smooth muscle in vitro. The purpose of this study was to determine if MN could have relaxation effect in tracheal smooth muscle too. METHODS: Each ring of rat trachea was suspended on wire supports in a bath with Tris Tyrode solution. Dose response curves of MN were recorded after contraction of tracheal ring with acethylcholine (Ach) 10(-5) M or cabachol (Cch) 10(-8) M. MN was administered in denuded tracheal rings and compared it's effect with intact tracheal rings to see the effect of epithelium for contraction. And MN dose response curves were recorded after pretreatment of nitric oxide synthase inactivator (L-NAME), muscarinic receptor blocker (atropine), beta-adrenaline receptor blocker (propranolol), adenylyl cyclase inhibitor (SQ22536) respectively. The effects of MN on cellular Ca2+ and K+ migration in rat tracheal preparations were studied. RESULTS: MN significantly inhibited acetylcholine or carbachol induced contractions of tracheal rings dose-dependently (P < 0.05). This relaxation effect of MN was not recovered in denuded tracheal rings. And pretreatment with L-NAME, propranolol, atropine, SQ22536 or tetraethylammonium respectively did not recover the relaxation effect of MN. MN inhibited both intracellular calcium release and extracelluar calcium influx. CONCLUSIONS: The relaxation effects of MN on rat tracheal rings are not related with epithelium, nitric oxide, muscarinic, or beta-adrenergic receptor. Methylmethacrylate monomer inhibits both intracellular calcium release and extracelluar calcium influx.

Comparison of Poloxamer-407 to Soybean Oil as an Emulsifying Agent for Propofol: Histamine Release and Plasma Lipid Levels / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: To reduce side effects (hyperlipidemia, pain on injection, etc.) of the present formation of propofol, many attempts to change the emulsifying agent for propofol have been tried. This study was designed to examine the poloxamer-407 as an emulsifying agent for propofol compared to soybean oil regarding histamine release and plasma lipid levels. METHODS: Twelve Beagle dogs weighing 12 - 16 kg were randomly assigned to one of two groups according to the formulation of propofol. Group 1 received Diprivan propofol 1% (AstraZeneca Co. UK), and group 2 received poloxamer-407 formulated propofol by a continuous intravenous infusion at 30 mg/kg/h for 3 hours. Three, 6, 9 and 12 hours after discontinuing the propofol infusion, venous blood samples from the cranial tibial vein were analysed by an ELISA kit for the histamine level. Also, blood lipid levels were checked 3 hours after the infusion and blood propofol concentration were checked every hour during the infusion. RESULTS: Group 2 showed significantly less histamine release than group 1 at 3, 6 and 9 hours after the infusion (P < 0.05). In the plasma lipid study, there was no difference in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) between the two groups, but triglyceride and cholesterol were significantly higher in group 2 (P < 0.05). There was no difference in propofol concentrations between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Poloxamer-407 as an emulsifying agent for propofol showed no advantage compared to a present formulation regarding hyperlipidemia, and even decreased the histamine level.