Rebamipide, 2-(4-chlorobenzoylamino)-3-[2(1H)-quinolinone-4-yl]-propionic acid, a novel antipeptic ulcer agent, has been reported to prevent various acute experimental gastric mucosal lesions and to accelerate the healing of chronic ulcers. Therapeutic effect of rebamipide was investigated with regard to the inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase activity and type conversion of the enzyme which play a profound role in oxygen radicals generation system. Intraperitoneal administration of rebamipide at 60 mg/kg body weight reduced the xanthine oxidase activity, lipid peroxide content in ammonia induced hemorrhagic lesion. These results suggest that the therapeutic effect of rebamipide on gastric mucosal lesion may be in part due to the inhibitory activity of xanthine oxidase and type conversion rate of the enzyme.

The activities of two types of antiulcer agents against 9 strains of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) were determined by the agar dilution method. The antiulcer agents were YJA20379, a newly synthesized proton pump inhibitor developed by Yung-jin Pharmaceutical company, and omeprazole. Both compounds were found to have significant activities against this organism. The MIC values of YJA20379 and omeprazole were 11.7 and $31.25{\mu.g/ml}$ respectively. In addition, the inhibitory potency of both compounds was investigated on H. pylori urease which is believed to be an important colonization and virulence factor in the pathogenesis of gastritis and peptic ulcers. These compounds dose-dependently inhibited urease extracted with distilled water and their $IC_50$ values were $16.4{\times}10^{-5} M and 14.3{\times}10^{-5}M,$ respectively. In addition, a pH-dependent study to determine whether inhibitory potency would be activated by acid condition was performed. It was found that unlike omeprazole, YJA20379 was not affected by acid condition. To determine the inhibition pattern and optimal concentration of substrate, kinetics were evaluated at various pH levels (pH 5.0, 7.0, and 8.5). The data show that YJA20379 noncompetitively inhibited H. pylori urease and $K_M/K_i$values were 0.96 $mM/60{\mu}M (pH 5.0), 0.56 mM/141.5 {\mu}M (pH 7.0)$, and $1.94mM/34{\mu}M (pH 8.5)$, respectively. Based on data obtained, it is concluded that YJA20379 is a significant inhibitor of H. pylori growth and urease and therefore, taking these results into consideration, YJA20379 might be a beneficial therapy for gastritis and peptic ulcers induced by H. pylori.

The inhibitory effect of 10 lignan constituents isolated from the rhizomes of Coptis japonica var. dissects on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophage cell line (RAW264.7 cells) has been studied. Among them, pinoresinol, woorenoside-V and lariciresinol glycoside showed significant inhibitory activities in the range from 37% to 55% at the concentration of $25{\mu}g/ml.$ The results are first report that the lignans isolated from Coptis japonica inhibit TNF- ${\alpha}$${\alpha}$

Flavonoid glycosides were metabolized to phenolic acids via aglycones by human intestinal microflora producing ${\alpha}$-rhamnosidase, exo-${\beta}$-glucosidase, endo- ${\beta}$-glucosidase and/or ${\beta}$-glucuronidase. Rutin, hesperidin, naringin and poncirin were transformed to their aglycones by the bacteria producing ${\alpha}$-rhamnosidase and ${\beta}$-glucosidase or endo- ${\beta}$-glucosidase, and baicatin, puerarin and daidzin were transformed to their aglycones by the bacteria producing ${\beta}$glucuronidase, C-glycosidase and ${\beta}$-glycosidase, respectively. Anti-platelet activity and cytotoxicity of the metabolites of flavonoid glycosides by human intestinal bacteria were more effective than those of the parental compounds. 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and 4-hydroxyl-phenylacetic acid were more effective than rutin and quercetin on anti-platelet aggregation activity. 2,4,6-Trihydroxybenzaidehyde, quercetin and ponciretin were more effective than rutin and ponciretin on the cytotoxicity for tumor cell lines. We insist that these flavonoid glycosides should be natural prodrugs.

To search for the anti-diabetic principle from the stem bark of Kalopanax pictus, seven kinds of chemical constituents including hederagenin glycosides and phenolic glycosides wre isolated. The anti-diabetic evaluation of these isoltes in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats exhibited that kalopanaxsaponin A has a potent anti-diabetic activity in contrast to a mild activity of hederagenin. In addition, significant hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidemic activities of kalopanaxsaponin A and hederagenin were observed. The structure-activity relationship of kalopanaxsaponin A was also investigated in the present work.

The ethanol extracts of Opuntia ficus-indica fructus (EEOF) and Opuntia ficus-indica stem (EEOS) were prepared and used to evaluate the pharmacological effects of cactus. Both the extracts inhibited the writhing syndrome induced by acetic acid, indicating that they contains analgesic effect. The oral administrations of EEOF and EEOS suppressed carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and also showed potent inhibition in the leukocyte migration of CMC-pouch model in rats. Moreover, the extracts suppressed the release of $\beta$-glucuronidase, a lysosomal enzyme in rat neutrophils. It was also noted that the extracts showed the protective effect on gastric mucosal layers. From the results it is suggested that the cactus extracts contain anti-inflammatory action having protective effect against gastric lesions.

Human cytochrome P450 4F2 shows high regioselectivity in hydroxylation of stearic acid and leukotriene $ B_4.$ As a first step of its regulation study, human cytochrome P450 4F2 genomic DNA was isolated from liver of a person who was administered clofibrate for 10 years. From Southern hybridization, restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing experiments, isolated genomic DNA fragment was found to contain around 32 Kb DNA and more than 20 Kb of $5^I$ end regulatory region. Sequences of the structural gene region revealed exon 1 and exon 2. Further regulation studies would elucidate the feedback mechanisms of the oxidative degradation of fatty acids, inflammatory response and the clearance of leukotriene B4 in the liver. Furthermore, regulation study of this gene could explain the species difference in responses to peroxisome proliferator and help in the safety evaluation of peroxisome proliferating chemicals to human being.

Hypericin, a photosensitizing plant pigment, was found to be a potent inducer of differentiation of human myeloid leukemia U-937 cells. At a concentration of $0.2{\mu}M$, hypericin exhibited 50% growth inhibition. An effect on cell differentiation by hypericin was assessed by its ability to induce phagocytosis of latex particles, and to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT). Approximately 51% of $0.2{\mu}M$ hypericin-treated cells were stained with NBT and 63% showed phagocytic activity. In order to establish whether hypericin induces differentiation of U-937 cells to macrophage or granulocyte, esterase activities and cell sizes were measured. When U-937 cells were treated with $0.2{\mu}M$ and $0.15{\mu}M$ of hypericin, the .alpha.-naphthyl acetate esterase activity was increased by 38.4% and 48.1%, respectively, but naphthol AS-D chloroacetate esterase activity was not influenced. The size of hypericin-treated cells in terms of cell mass was larger than that observed in untreated cells as determined by flow cytometry. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, NA-382, decreased the NBT reducing activity of hypericin, whereas a cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, H-89, did not show any influence on the differentiations. These results indicate that hypericin triggers differentiation toward monocyte/macrophage lineage by PKC stimulation.

When NIH3T3 cells were exposed to mild heat and recovered at $37^{\circ}C$ for various time intervals, they were thermotolerant and resistant to subsequent stresses including heat, oxidative stresses, and antitumor drug methotrexate which are apoptotic inducers. The induction kinetics of apoptosis by stresses were determined by DNA fragmentation and protein synthesis using $[35^S]$methionine pulse labeling. We investigated the hypothesis that thermotolerant cells were resistant to apoptotic cell death compared to control cells when both cells were exposed to various stresses inducing apoptosis. The cellular changes in thermotolerant cells were examined to determine which components are involved in this resistance. At first, the degree of resistance correlates with the extent of heat shock protein synthesis which were varied depending on the heating times at $45^{\circ}C$ and recovery times at $37^{\circ}C$after heat shock. Secondly, membrane permeability change was observed in thermotolerant cells. When cells prelabeled with $[^{3}H]$thymidine were exposed to various amounts of heat and recovered at $37^{\circ}C$ for 1/2 to 24 h, the permeability of cytosolic $[^{3}H]$thymidine in thermotolerant cells was 4 fold higher than that in control cells. Thirdly, the protein synthesis rates in thermotolerant and control cells were measured after exposing the cells to the same extent of stress. It turned out that thermotolerant cells were less damaged to same amount of stress than control cells, although the recovery rates are very similar to each other. These results demonstrate that an increase of heat shock proteins and membrane changes in thermotolerant cells may protect the cells from the stresses and increase the resistance to apoptotic cell death, even though the exact mechanism should be further studied.

Five hundreds of bifidobacteria were isolated from a healthy Korean and the inhibitory effects of these isloated bacteria on harmful enzymes of human intestinal microflora were examined by cocultivation of the isolated bifidobacteria with E. coli or total human intestinal microflora. In comparison with the results of E. coli or intestinal microflora cultivation, Bifidobacterium breve K-110, B. breve K-111 and B. infantis K-525 effectively inhibited harmful enzymes ($\beta$-glucuronidase and tryptophanase) of E. coli and lowered the pH of the culture media. Also they inhibited the harmful enzymes ($\beta$-glucosidase, $\beta$-glucuronidase, tryptophanase and urease) and ammonia production of intestinal microflora, and lowered pH of the culture media by increasing lactic acid bacteria of intestinal microflora. When these isolated bifidobacteria were administered on mice, fecal harmful enzymes were also inhibited. Among tested bifidobacteria, B. breve K-110 had the highest inhibitory effect of fecal harmful enzymes.

The resistance inhibitory activities of 54 odorant mixtures (essential oil) from 41 Korean aromatic herbs were tested against multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus SA2, which has resistances to 10 usual antibiotics including chloramphenicol. As results, combinations of 28 kinds of samples from 21 herbs and chloramphenicol have resistance inhibitory activities in dose dependent manner.

Three TNF-$\alpha$inhibitory lignans were isolated from the flower buds of Magnolia fargesii through bioassay-guided isolation. They were identified as eudesmin, magnolin and lirioresinol-B dimethylether on the basis of their spectroscopic data. All three lignans showed inhibitory effects on TNF-$\alpha$ production in LPS-stimulated murine macrophage cell line, RAW264.7 and eudesmin showed the strongest activity ($IC_{50}=51{\mu}M)$.

Fentanyl of a potent anilidopiperidine analgesic has been synthesized from a simple phenyle-thylamine by four step sequence. The key part of this synthesis involves an efficient construc-tion of phenylethylpiperidone skeleton via aminomethano desilyation-cyclization followed by Swern oxidation.

In summary, six 4-substituted-1-azzanthraquinones were designed and synthesized using hetero Diels-Alder reaction as a key step. Although a great number of reaction conditions for benzylic bromination were examined, this step need to be improved for the efficient synthesis of the related analogues. 4-Bromomethyl-1-azzanthraquinone 6 may have potential for the treatment of tumors resistant to the doxorubicin. The compounds 9 and 10 containing the latent alkylating functionality may need further in depth biological evaluation. Work is in progress to design, synthesize, and evaluate additional compounds in this and related systems.