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Background Progressed tissue culture techniques have allowed us to easily obtain mass products of tissue-cultured mountain ginseng over 100 yr old (TCMG-100). We investigated the effects of TCMG-100 extract on erectile function using in vitro and in vivo studies. Methods To examine the relaxation effects and mechanisms of action of TCMG-100 on rabbit cavernosal strips evaluated in an organ bath. To investigate the long-term treatment effect of TCMG-100, 8-wk administration was performed. After administration of TCMG-100, intracavernosal pressure, cyclic guanosine monophosphate and nitric oxide (NO) levels of cavernosal tissue, serum testosterone level, histological observation of collagen fiber, endothelium, smooth muscle cell, and transforming growth factor-β1 were investigated. Results TCMG-100 extract displayed dose-dependent relaxation effects on precontracted rabbit corporal smooth muscle. The TCMG-100-induced relaxation was significantly reduced by removing the endothelium, and treatment with an NO synthase inhibitor or NO scavenger. Eight weeks of TCMG-100 administration increased intracavernosal pressure in a rat model. The levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate and NO in the corpus callosum and serum testosterone level were also increased by TCMG-100 treatment. Furthermore, histological evaluation of collagen, smooth muscle, and endothelium showed increases in endothelium and smooth muscle, and a decrease in transforming growth factor-β1 expression. Conclusion These relaxation effects on corporal smooth muscle and increased erectile function suggest that TCMG-100 might be used as an alternative herbal medicine to improve erectile function.

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway is important for the regulation of a number of cellular responses. Serine/threonine kinase Akt (protein kinase B; PKB) is downstream of PI3K and activated by growth factors. This study found that erythropoietin (EPO) induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Akt in a time- and dose-dependent manner in EPO-dependent human leukemia cell line UT-7/EPO. In vitro kinase assay using histone H2B and glucose synthase kinase as substrates demonstrated that Akt was actually activated by EPO. EPO-induced phosphorylation of Akt was completely blocked by a PI3K-specific inhibitor, LY294002, at 10 μmol/L, indicating that activation of Akt by EPO is dependent on PI3K activity. In addition, overexpression of the constitutively active form of Akt on UT-7/EPO cells partially blocked apoptosis induced by withdrawal of EPO from the culture medium. This finding suggested that the PI3K-Akt activation pathway plays some role in the antiapoptotic effect of EPO. EPO induced phosphorylation of a member of the trancription factor Forkhead family, FKHRL1, at threonine 32 and serine 253 in a dose- and time-dependent manner in UT-7/EPO cells. Moreover, results showed that Akt kinase activated by EPO directly phosphorylated FKHRL1 protein and that FKHRL1 phosphorylation was completely dependent on PI3K activity as is the case for Akt. In conjunction with the evidence that FKHRL1 is expressed in normal human erythroid progenitor cells and erythroblasts, the results suggest that FKHRL1 plays an important role in erythropoiesis as one of the downstream target molecules of PI3K-Akt.

A new type of acetylcholine sensor was made with an Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistor (ISFET) and acetylcholine receptor. The acetylcholine receptor was fixed on a polyvinylbutyral membrane which covered the ISFET gate. When acetylcholine was injected into this system, the differential gate output voltage gradually Shifted to the positive side and reached a constant value. This response was due to the positive charge of acetylcholine. A linear relationship was obtained between the initial rate of the differential gate output voltage change and the logarithmic value of the acetylcholine concentration. Acetylcholine was fixed in the range 0.1-10μM. When the acetylcholine receptor was immobilized with the lipid membrane, the response was amplified with both the positive charge of acetylcholine and sodium ion flux through the acetylcholine receptor's channel. Therefore, the difference in the differential voltage between the acetylcholine receptor-ISFET systems with and without the lipid membrane ...

Glucosamine-containing sphingoglycolipids were isolated from sheep erythrocyte membranes, and the presence of glycolipids with long carbohydrate chains was demonstrated. The purification of highly polar glycolipids was achieved by high-performance liquid chromatography of acetylated samples followed by deacetylation with sodium methoxide. Their structures were elucidated by conventional methylation studies, oxidation with chromium trioxide and the direct measurement of permethylated glycolipids by GC-MS. Forssman-active glycolipid2 was a major component of sheep erythrocytes and lacto-N-neotetraosylceramide (LcnOse4Cer) was found to be one of the components. The amount of tetraglycosylceramide was only 5% of that of Forssman-active glycolipid. Three highly polar glycolipid components with ten to twelve carbohydrate residues were also found in sheep erythrocytes.