Omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor, was given intravenously (iv), orally (po), intraperitoneally (ip), hepatoportalvenously (pv), and intrarectally (ir) to rats at a dose of 72mg/kg in order to investigate the bioavailability of the drug, The extent of bioavailabilities of omeprazole administered through pv, ip, po, and ir routes were 88.5, 79.4, 40,8, and 38.7%, respectively. Pharmacokinetic analysis in this study and literatures (Regardh et al., 1985 : Watanabe et al., 1994) implied significant dose-dependency in hepatic first-pass metabolism, clearance and distribution, and acidic degradation in gastric fluid. The high bioavailability from the pv administration (88.5%) means that only 11.5% of dose was extracted by the first-pass metabolism through the liver at this dose (72 mg/kg). The low bioavailability from the oral administration (40.8%) in spite of minor hepatic first-pass extraction indicates low transport of the drug from GI lumen to portal vein. From the literature (Pilbrant and Cederberg, 1985), acidic degradation in gastric fluid was considered to be the major cause of the low transport. Thus, enteric coating of oral preparations would enhance the oral bioavailability substantially. The bioavailability of the drug from the rectal route, in which acidic degradation and hepatic first-pass metabolism may not occur, was low (38.7%) but comparable to that from the oral route (40.8 %) indicating poor transport across the rectal membrane. In this case, addition of an appropriate absorption enhancer would improve the bioavailability. Rectal route seems to be an possible alternative to the conventional oral route for omeprazole administration.

To achieve a better understanding of the effects on behavioral safety caused by possible neuroprotective doses (50 mg/kg, p.o.) of dextromethorphan HBr (DM), several motor activity measures were monitored in two generations of mice through a long-term period of ten months. Adult male mice (G1), in the presence of DM, developed behavioral tolerance after an initial suppression period. Prenatally exposed, second generation (G2) mice formed two groups, prenatal exposure alone (G2C) and prenatally exposed with additional postnatal exposure (G2T). In the presence of DM, group G2T was characterized by significant behavioral impairment; while G2C exhibited behavioral activation. These results suggest that more attention should be given to the prenatal effects of DM on a developing organism.

The levels of extracellualr glutamate, intracellular $Ca^{2+}\;([Ca2+]_i)$ and cGMP were determined for 1 h with the excitatory amino acids, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) or kainate in cultured cerebellar granule cells. Both NMDA and kainate produced a time-dependent release of glutamate, and kainate was more potent than NMDA in glutamate elevation. The elevation of extracellular glutamate was not purely governed by intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. However, in opposite to the time-dependent elevation of glutamate, the elevation of cGMP by NMDA and kainate were at maximum level in short-time (1 min) incubation then remarkably decreased with longer incubation times. Post-applications (30 min after agonist) of EAA antagonist did not block EAAs-induced glutamate elevation. However, NMDA antagonist, phencyclidine (PCP), blocked NMDA-induced cGMP elevation at pre- or post-application, but kainate antagonist, 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), paradoxically augmented kainate-induced cGMP elevation for 1 h incubation. These results show that NMDA or kainate induces time-dependent elevations of extracellular glutamate, while the elevations of cGMP by these EAAs are remarkably decreased with longer incubation times. However, NMDA- arid kainate-indcued glutamate release was blocked by pre-application of each receptor antagonist but not by post-application while EAA-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ was blocked by post-application of antagonist. These observations suggest that EAA-induced elevation of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ is not parallel with elevation of glutamate release or cGMP.

Previously, we have reported that methylene blue (MB) induces cytotoxicity in human brain tumor cells through the generation of free radicals. In this study the effect of deferoxamine (DFO), an iron chelator, on MB-induced cytotoxicity was investigated using SK-N-MC human neuroblastoma and U-373 MG human astrocytoma cells as model cellular systems. The cytotoxic effect of MB was potentiated by DFO. The potentiation effect of DFO was significantly blocked by either stoichiometric amounts of ferric ion, various antioxidants, hydroxyl radical scavengers or intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release blockers. These results suggest that hydroxyl radical and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ may act as important mediators of the enhanced cytotoxicity by MB and DFO. These results further suggest that the combined treatment with MB and DFO may be useful for the therapeutical applications of human brain tumors.

In order to elucidate the cytotoxicity-structure correlation of ginseng-derived components, several prosapogenins and sapogenins were prepared from Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng) saponins by acid hydrolysis or alkaline cleveage, and their chemical structures were identified by a combination of spectral and physical methods. Some of these degradation products showed the cytotoxic activities against various cancer cell lines, A549, SK-OV-3, SK-Mel-2, P388, L1210 and K562. The significant difference in cytotoxicity between stereoisomers was not found and the activity was inversely proportional to the number of sugars linked to sapogenins. Diol-type prosapogenins and sapogenins showed higher cytotoxicity than triol-type ones.

The changes in blood pressure may relate to the alterations of the responsiveness to vasoconstrictors and vasodilators, and these alterations can arise the modifications in the properties of angiotensin II (AII) receptor. In order to examine the changes of AII receptor in the hypertensive mechanism of renin-dependent hypertensive rats (RHRs; two-kidney, one-ligated type), we compared the equilibrium binding characteristics of $[^3H]$All in adrenal cortex and medulla from RHRs and normotensive rats. The dissociation constants of AII binding in both tissues of RHRs were very similar to those in the respective tissue of normotensive rats. However, the maximum binding was increased from 805 to 1050 fmole/mg protein in the adrenal cortex of RHRs, and decreased from 172 to 126 fmole/mg protein in the adrenal medulla of RHRs. These results imply that the up- and down-regulation of the All receptor population on the cell surface of adrenal glands from RHRs are consorted with the elevation of blood pressure and the activation of renin-angiotensin system.

Ciprofloxacin resistance mechanisms were studied by investigating the inhibitory effect of ciprofloxacin on the gyrase-mediated DNA supercoiling and the intracellular accumulation of ciprofloxacin in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A higher amount of ciprofloxacin was required to inhibit the gyrases purified from the ciprofloxacin-resistant strains than that from the sensitive strain. Reconstitution of heterologous gyrase subunits from different strains revealed alterations in the A and/or the B subunits of gyrase in these strains. In addition, the resistant strains accumulated approximately a half amount of ciprofloxacin inside the cells, compared to the sensitive strain. However, when the active efflux was blocked by carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone treatment, intracellular concentration of ciprofloxacin was elevated about 4-7 fold in these strains, while the sensitive strain was not significantly affected by this treatment, indicating that the ciprofloxacin-resistant strains developed a drug efflux system. Interestingly, these resistant strains expressed an envelope protein of approximately 51 kD. These studies suggest that alterations in the gyrase as well as the active drug-efflux system conferred dual ciprofloxacin resistance mechanisms to these clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa.

Previous study showed that $CCl_4$ administration evoked a rapid decrease in cytochrome $P_{450}$ 2E1 protein soon after the exposure due to posttranslational inhibition(Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 179:449-454, 1991). In this report, aniline hydroxylase and the amounts of immunoreactive $P_{450}$ 2E1 were rapidly decreased during day 1 to 2 and recovered during day 3 to 4 after a single dose of $CCl_4$. The activity of pentoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase was also suppressed at day 1 and began to repair from day 2. However, the decrease in immunoreactive $P_{450}$ 2C content was not observed. The decreases in $P_{450}$ 2E1 enzyme activity and immunoreactive protein by acute $CCl_4$ treatment were accompanied by a decline in $P_{450}$ 2E1 mRNA level. The data thus suggested a pretranslational reduction of $P_{450}$ 2E1 during day 1 to 2 after acute $CCl_4$ treatment.

Polymeric reinforcement and coatings of alginate beads were carried out to control the release rate of drug from alginate beads. A poorly water-soluble ibuprofen (IPF) was selected as a model drug. A commercially available $Eudragit^{\circledR}$ RS100 was also used as a polymer. Effects of polymeric contents, the presence of plasticizers and amount of drug loading on the release rate of drug were investigated. The release rate of drug from alginate beads in the simulated gastric fluid did not occur within 2 h but released immediately when dissolution media were switched to the simulated intestinal fluid. No significant difference of release rate from polymer-reinforced alginate bead without plasticizers was observed when compared to plain (simple) beads. However, the release rate of drug from polymer-reinforced alginate beads was further sustained and retarded when aluminium tristearate (AT) as a plasticizer was added to polymer. However, polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400) did not change the release rate of drug from alginate beads although PEG400 was used to improve dispersion of polymer and sodium alginate, and plasticize $Eudragit^{\circledR}$ RS100 polymer. The presence of plasticizer was crucial to reinforce alginate gel matrices using a polymer. As the amount of drug loading increased, the release rate of drug increased as a result of decreasing effects of polymer contents in matrices. The significantly sustained release of drug from polymer-coated alginate beads occurred as the amount of polymer increased because the thickness of coated membrane increased so that cracks and pores of the outer surface of alginate beads could be reduced. The sustained and retarded action of polymer-reinforced and coated beads may result from the disturbance of swelling and erosion (disintegration) of alginate beads. From these findings, polymeric-reinforcement and coatings of alginate gel beads can provide an advanced delivery system by retarding the release rate of various drugs.

The focus of this study was to investigate the influences of enzymatic scavengers of active oxygen metabolites and phospholipase $A_2$ inhibitor on hepatic secretory and microsomal function during hepatic ischemia/reperfusion. Rats were pretreated with free radical scavengers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, deferoxamine and phospholipase $A_2$ inhibitor such as quinacrine and then subjected to 60 min. no-flow hepatic ischemia in vivo. After 1, 5 hr of reperfusion, bile was collected, blood was obtained from the abdominal aorta, and liver microsomes were isolated. Serum aminotransferase (ALT) level was increased at 1 hr and peaked at 5 hr. The increase in ALT was significantly attenuated by SOD plus catalase, deferoxamine and quinacrine especially at 5 hr of reperfusion. The wet weight-to-dry weight ratio of the liver was significantly increased by ischemia/reperfusion. SOD and catalase treatment minimized the increase in this ratio. Hepatic lipid peroxidiltion was elevated by ischemia/reperfusion, and this elevation was inhibited by free radical scavengers and quina crine. Bile flow and cholate output, but not bilirubin output, were markedly decreased by ischemia/reperfusion and quinacrine restored the secretion. Cytochrome $P_{450}$ content was decreased by ischemia/reperfusion and restored by free radical scavengers and quinacrine to the level of that of the sham operated group. Aminopyrine N-demethylase activity was decreased and aniline p-hydroxylase was increased by ischemia/reperfusion. The changes in the activities of the two enzymes were prevented by free radical scavengers and quinacrine. Our findings suggest that ischemia/reperfusion diminishes hepatic secretory functions as well as microsomal drug metabolizing systems by increasing lipid peroxidation, and in addition to free radicals, other factors such as phospholipase $A_2$ are involved in pathogenes of hepatic dysfunction after ischemia/reperfusion.

The thio, thio acetyl, oxime, and several hydrazone and azine derivatives of the antitumor alkaloid acronycine (1) were prepared. NMR spectroscopy was used to study the configurations around the C=N double bond in these acronycine derivatives. In the hydrazones and azines of acronycine the N-N bond assumes a syn configuration to the $C_6-OCH_3$ group, while the NO bond in the oxime and the N-N bond in noracronycine hydrazone and azines assumes an anti configuration.

A new $4,5,8-trihydroxy-{\alpha}-tetralone-5-O-{\beta}-D-glucoside$ along with 1,4,8-trihydroxynaphthalene1-O-{\beta}-D-glucoside$ and gallic acid were isolated from the roots of Juglans mandshurica. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic studies.

New hypolipaemic agents, in which substituted indazole nucleus is connected to tetrahydro-4-hydroxy-2H-pyran-2-one by a two-carbon bridge, were designed and synthesized to show significant inhibitory activity against microsomal HMG-CoA reductase in rat liver.

Six new indeno[3,2-b]pyridine derivatives were synthesized via reactions of 1-phenylamino-3-indenone with cyano olefins.