The effects of exogenous sodium nitroprusside (SNP, nitric oxide donor) on the growth, yield, photosynthetic characteristics, and antioxidant enzyme activity of kimchi cabbage (Brassica rapa L. subsp. pekinensis (Lour.) Hanelt) was studied under the low temperature conditions. Kimchi cabbages were treated with SNP of three concentrations (7.5, 15, 30 mg·L-1) for three times at four-day intervals and exposed to low temperature (16/7°C) stress for seven days. SNP treatment induced increases of net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), intracellular CO2 concentration (Ci) and transpiration rate (Tr) under the stress condition with the highest level after the third treatment. The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 were significantly lower in the treatment of SNP compared to the non-treated control. The activity of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), increased in treated plants by up to 38, 187, 24 and 175%, respectively compared to the non-treated control. SNP-treated and untreated plants had similar growth characteristics. Compared to the control group, SNP-treatment increased fresh weight and leaf area by 5%. Overall, our findings suggest that the application of sodium nitroprusside to the leaves contributes to reducing physiological damage and enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, thereby improving low temperature stress tolerance in kimchi cabbage.

This study was carried out to investigate the protective effect of prednisolone in rabbit primary cultured articular chondrocytes treated with sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide donor. After a cell phenotype was determined, the MTT assay and Western blot analysis of type II collagen, cylooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and phosphorylated extracellular regulated kinase (pERK) were performed in the control, SNP (298 μg/ml) alone or SNP plus prednisolone (0.05-50 μg/ml)-treated rabbit articular chondrocytes. Immunofluorescence staining of type II collagen was also performed. Cell morphology indicated that SNP treatment induced cytotoxicity, and that the SNP-induced cytotoxicity was inhibited by prednisolone treatment. MTT assay showed that the SNP treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the level of cell viability compared with that of control (p<0.01), and that the prednisolone treatment resulted in a decrease in the SNP-induced cytotoxicity. SNP treatment resulted in a decrease in the level of type II collagen, compared with the control chondrocytes. The prednisolone treatment recovered the down-regulated expression of type II collagen induced by SNP, showing a significant level in 5 μg/ml of the prednisolone treatment group compared to the SNP treatment group (p<0.05). A significant increase in COX-2 was significantly induced by the SNP treatment compared to control chondrocytes (p<0.01). The COX-2 expression was decreased by the prednisolone treatment, showing a significant level in 50 μg/ml of the prednisolone treatment group compared to the SNP treatment group (p<0.05). These phenomena was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining. Furthermore, the SNP treatment significantly induced a decrease of pERK expression compared to the control chondrocytes (p<0.01). The prednisolone treatment recovered its expression, showing a significant level in 0.5 μg/ml of the prednisolone treatment group compared to the SNP treatment group (p<0.05). Taken the above results together, prednisolone is considered to inhibit SNP-induced cell death and dedifferentiation, and modulated expression of COX-2 and pERK in rabbit articular chondrocytes.

These study was carried out to investigate the effects of the supplementation with sodium nitroprusside (SN) and nitric oxide (NO) of canine oocytes on IVM rates. Oocytes were incubated in TCM-199 supplement with at 0.03～0.10 mM SN and 0.3～1.0 mM NO for 48 hrs. Oocytes were transferred to 50 ul drops of maturation medium covered mineral oil and cultured in a CO2 incubator (5% CO2, 95% air, 38℃). The in vitro maturation rate of oocytes cultured for 48 hrs in TCM-199 medium supplement with 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, 0.10 mM SN were 25.9±3.5%, 36.4±3.2%, 33.3±3.5%, 28.8±3.2%, respectively. The in vitro maturation rate of oocytes cultured for 48 hrs in TCM-199 medium supplement with 0.03～0.07 mM SN were significantly increased compare to the control (26.0±2.2%). The in vitro maturation rates of oocytes cultured for 48 hrs in TCM-199 medium supplement with 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0 mM NO were 28.0±4.2%, 36.5± 3.6%, 30.0±3.8%, 19.2±3.5%, respectively. The in vitro maturation rate of oocytes in TCM-199 medium supplemented with 0.3 and 0.5 mM NO were significantly increased compare to the control (26.0±2.2%). The in vitro maturation rates of oocytes cultured for 12～48 hrs in TCM-199 medium supplement with 0.05 mM SN were 26.0±3.2%, 28.0±3.4%, 38.0±3.2%, respectively. The in vitro maturation rate of oocytes cultured for 12～48 hrs in TCM-199 medium supplement with 0.5 mM NO were 22.0±3.0%, 30.0±3.8%, 36.0±4.2%, respectively. These result was significantly increased compare to the control.

본 연구는 돼지의 난포란을 체외에서 성숙, 수정시킨 체외수정란의 체외배양 체계를 확립하고 그 기작을 규명하기 위하여 체외배양액에 항산화제인 melatonin의 첨가 및 melatonin과 sodium nitroprusside(SNP)의 첨가배양이 체외수정란의 체외발육에 미치는 영향을 검토하고자 실시하였다. NCSU 23 배양액에 melatonin을 0, 1, 5 및 10nM을 첨가하여 체외배양을 실시한 결과, 배반포기까지 발육율은 17.8%, 26.1%, 20.0% 및 16.3%로서 melatonin 1nM 첨가구가 여타구에 비해 통계적으로 유의하게 높은 성적을 나타냈으며(P<0.05), 상실배기 이상 발육 성적에서도 melatonin 1 nM 첨가구가 39.1%로서 대조구 33.3%, 5 nM 첨가구의 33.3% 및 10 nM 첨가구의 27.9%보다 높은 발육율을 나타냈다(P<0.05). NCSU 23 배양액에 SNP를 0, 50 및 100 μM을 첨가하여 체외 배양한 결과, 상실배 이상 발육성적은 각각 41.9%, 25.6% 및 28.4%로서 SNP 첨가구가 대조구보다 유의적으로 낮은 성적을 나타내었다(P<0.05). NCSU 23 배양액에 대조구, SNP 50 μM, SNP 50 μM에 melatonin 1, 5 및 10nM을 혼합첨가하여 체외 발육율을 조사한 결과, 배반포기 발육율은 각각 2.5%, 1.2%, 9.9％, 5.1% 및 3.7%로서 SNP 50μM + Mel. 1nM 첨가구가 여타구 보다 높은 성적을 나타냈으며, 상실배기 이상 체외 발육율은 31.3%, 34.1%, 39.5%, 29.4% 및 39.5%로서 SNP 50μM + Mel. 1 nM 첨가구와 SNP 50 μM + Mel. 10 nM 첨가구가 여타구보다 높은 발육율을 나타냈다. 모든 처리구에서 배반포까지 발육된 체외수정란의 세포수는 커다란 차이가 인정되지 않았다.