• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.427-448
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• 2019

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) and its receptor, nociceptin opioid peptide (NOP) receptor, are localized in brain areas implicated in depression including the amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, habenula, and monoaminergic nuclei in the brain stem. N/OFQ inhibits neuronal excitability of monoaminergic neurons and monoamine release from their terminals by activation of G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying $K^+$ channels and inhibition of voltage sensitive calcium channels, respectively. Therefore, NOP receptor antagonists have been proposed as a potential antidepressant. Indeed, mounting evidence shows that NOP receptor antagonists have antidepressant-like effects in various preclinical animal models of depression, and recent clinical studies again confirmed the idea that blockade of NOP receptor signaling could provide a novel strategy for the treatment of depression. In this review, we describe the pharmacological effects of N/OFQ in relation to depression and explore the possible mechanism of NOP receptor antagonists as potential antidepressants.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.27-39
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• 2012

Panax ginseng exhibits pleiotropic beneficial effects on cardiovascular system, central nervous system, and immune system. In the last decade, numerous preclinical findings suggest ginseng as a promising therapeutic agent for diabetes prevention and treatment. The mechanism of ginseng and its active components is complex and is demonstrated to either modulate insulin production/secretion, glucose metabolism and uptake, or inflammatory pathway in both insulin-dependent and insulin-independent manners. However, human studies are remained obscure because of contradictory results. While more studies are warranted to further understand these contradictions, ginseng holds promise as a therapeutic agent for diabetes prevention and treatment. This review summarizes the evidences for the therapeutic potential of ginseng and ginsenosides from in vitro studies, animal studies and human clinical trials with a focus on diverse molecular targets including an AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.123-129
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• 2006

In several experimental models, estrogens protect neurons against ischemic insults. However, the recent clinical studies of hormone replacement showed negative results to prevent stroke. Therefore, optimal models to study estrogen replacement for neuroprotection are needed before its clinical ap-plication. Organotypic hippocampal slice under oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) has been established as a model of cerebral ischemia and has advantages to study drug effects. We investigated whether estrogen protected CAI neurons and affected activation of Akt (pAkt) in CAI region under OGD. Thus, rat hippocampal slices on day 7 of culture were treated with $17-{\beta}$ estradiol (E, 1 nM) for 7 days before 30 min OGD, and cell death of CAI neurons was quantified by propidium iodide (PI) staining and expression of pAkt was studied by Western blot and immunofluorescence. PI intensity in slices treated with E was significantly reduced 72 hour after OGD compared to that of non-treated slices (p < 0.05). E pretreatment also increased the expression of pAkt 72 hour after OGD compared to that of no treatment (p<0.01). These data suggest that estrogen pretreatment may rescue neurons from ischemic insults through the activation of Akt and also indicate that our model would be a useful alternative method to study the mechanisms and effects of estrogen replacement treatment for neuroprotection.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Clinics Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.133-133
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• 2006

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.27-28
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• 2003

Obesity is one of the most serious problems in human life which may cause various diseases, i.e., cancer, hypertension and diabetes. The biochemical and clinical researches on this issue have been widely studied worldwide, and the mechanism and improvement of obesity have been gradually clarified. In this workshop, three distinguished speakers from clinical, biochemical and pharmaceutical development fields have been invited. Professor Yasushi Saito is a high prestigious worldwide in terms of the study of obesity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.29-34
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• 2003

Visceral fat accumulation is known to be an evident clinical index for the insulin resistance related with obesity. Patients with excessive accumulation of visceral fat frequently suffered from metabolic disorder, such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and glucose intolerance. However, molecular mechanism for the pathogenesis of obesity-accompanied metabolic disorders has not been fully elucidated. It has been clarified that adipocytes in visceral fat area have different functions from subcutaneous fat area, and these differences might contribute the pathological significance of excessive accumulation of visceral fat for the accompanied insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 1990

The effect of cimetidine on theophylline metabolism was examined in dogs. Single dose intravenous theophylline kinetic studies were performed in cross-over manner before and after one week intravenous cimetidine (30 mg/kg/day) treatment. Cimetidine decreased theophylline clearance by an average of 31% (p<0.05) and prolonged theophylline half-li fe by an average of 29% (p<0.01) compared to those in control peirods. However, steady-state volume of distribution and protein binding of theophylline were not changed significantly. Twenty-four hours urinary excretion of 3-methylxanthine, 1-methyluric acid and 1,3-dimethyluric acid, which are the major metabolites of theophylline, were all decreased after cimetidine treatment, whereas the excreted fractions of individual metabolites were unchanged by cimetidine. From the above data, it could be susggested that cimetidine decreases theophylline clearance and prolongs the half-life by non-specific inhibition of the demethylations and 8-hydroxylation pathways.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.119-124
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• 2003

To elucidate the molecular mechanism of pharmacological action of local anesthetics, we studied membrane actions of tetracaine, bupivacaine, lidocaine, prilocaine and procaine. Fluorescence polarization of n-(9-anthroyloxy)stearic acid (n-AS) was used to examine the effects of these local anesthetics on differential rotational mobility of different positions of the number of synaptosomal plasma membrane vesicle (SPMV) phospholipid carbon atoms. The four membrane components differed with respect to 3, 6, 9 and 16-(9-anthroyloxy)stearic acid (3-AS, 6-AS, 9-AS and 16-AP) probes, indicating that differences in the membrane fluidity might be present. Degrees of the rotational mobility of 3-AS, 6-AS, 9-AS and 16-AP were different depending on depth of hydrocarbon interior. In a dose-dependentmanner, tetracaine, bupivacaine, lidocaine, prilocaine and procaine decreased anisotropy of 3-AS, 6-AS, 9-AS and 16-AP in the hydrocarbon interior of the SPMV. These results indicate that local anesthetics have significant disordering effects on hydrocarbon interior of the SPMV, thus affecting the transport of $Na^+$ and $K^+$ in nerve membranes and leading to anesthetic action.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2007

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of cimetidine on theophylline pharmacokinetics in Korean healthy normal subjects. Eight subjects were enrolled and open label, two period cross-over study was conducted without significant drug related adverse reactions. Cimetidine seemed that significantly inhibited the metabolism of theophylline, oral clearance decreased significantly when cimetidine was coadministered. Coadministered cimetidine increased $AUC_t$ and $C_{max}$ of theophylline. All subjects were genotyped using PCR-RFLP methods to evaluate the differences in metabolic capacity in accordance with CYP1A2 genotypes, but no mutant genotype was found. This suggests that metabolic capacities were not significantly affected by CYP1A2 genotypes among subjects. In conclusion, disposition of theophylline was significantly affected by coadministered cimetidine. Further evaluation with well-designed drug interaction study in accordance with various genotype of CYP1A2 is needed.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.13-16
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• 1995

The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of a first-generation cephalosporin derivative, Cefazedone (CZD; $PAZERON^R$ inj.) was determined by the two-fold serial agar dilution method. The in-vitro antibacterial activity of CZD against a wide variety of clinical isolates was compared with those of other first generation cephalosporins such as Methylol Cephalexin (CEX), Cefazolin (CEZ), Cefadroxil (CDX), Cephradine (CED), Ceftezol (CTZ) and one of second generation cephalsporin antibiotics, Cefotaxime (CTX). CZD had the most potent inhibitory effect against Gram-positive strains, when compared to the first-generation cephalosporin antibiotics tested in this study and CTX. The geometric MIC mean of CZD for Gram-positive strains was calculated as 0.386 kg/m{\ell}$, and those of CEX, CEZ, CDX, CTZ, CED, and CTX were 6.073, 0.894, 3.399, 0.748, 7.884 and 1.502 $kg/m{\ell}$, respectively. In addition, the geometric mean of CZD for staphylococclJs aureus strains was obtained as 0.340 $kg/m{\ell}$ and those of CEX, CEZ, CDX, CTZ, CED, and CTX 6.145, 0.534, 4.126, 0.442, 10.51, and 2.500 $kg/m{\ell}$, respectively. Against Gram-negative strains, CZD showed better antibacterial activity than CEZ, CDX, CTZ, and CED.