• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.558-562
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• 2014

Tramadol is an opioid analgesic agent that has been the subject of a series of case reports suggesting potential for misuse or abuse. However, it is not a controlled substance and is not generally considered addictive in Korea. In this study, we examined the dependence potential and abuse liability of tramadol as well as its effect on the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems in rodents. In animal behavioral tests, tramadol did not show any positive effects on the experimental animals in climbing, jumping, and head twitch tests. However, in the conditioned place preference and self-administration tests, the experimental animals showed significant positive responses. Taken together, tramadol affected the neurological systems related to abuse liability and has the potential to lead psychological dependence.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.89-108
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• 1997

The purpose of this study is to investigate drug information sources which influence physician's prescriptions, and to compare the differences of drugh information sources between private practitioners and hospital physicians. In addition, the ultimate goal of this study is to provide better quality of drug information for both groups of physicians through the professional drug information system. 264 physicians, including general practitioners and all types of specialists who were working in hospitals and private clinics in Taejon and Chungnam area, participated in this study which was conducted by mail. The results are summarized as follows ; 1. Both physician groups received drug informations mainly from medical journals, but there were differences in secondary sources of drug information. Namely, hospital physicians got drug information from annual meetings and textbooks, and private practitioners got it from detail men and colleagues. 2. Drug effect was the first consideration for drug selection in both physician groups. But, in the 2nd consideration, private practitioners concerned about the price, insurance and rebates, but hospital physicians were not. 3. Only 9.2% of the private practitioners satisfied with the sufficiency of drug information, whereas 22.0% of hospital physicians satisfied with it. The most insufficient area of information was drug interaction in both groups and 91.9% of the physicians suggested that a professional drug information system should be introduced. 4. Both physician groups had contacted with detail men frequently. However, it was rare for them to contact with a pharmacist. This phenomenon was more severe in the case of private practitioners. 5. Neither physician groups knew very much about drug informatio centers. However, they would be willig to participate if a professional drug information system were established. Also, they indicated that the information most required was drug interaction.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2014

This study was performed to evaluate antimicrobial resistance of food-borne pathogens isolated from retail meat in Korea. A total of 157 samples of beef, pork, and chicken were collected and analyzed for E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter. Resistances to tetracycline were declined in accord with reduced usage of tetracycline in live stock production. E. coli stains from chicken meat had higher multi-drug resistance ratio than strains from other meat. One extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) producing E. coli and two ESBL producing Salmonella were identified in this study. ESBL producing Salmonella strains were confirmed to carry CTX-M-1 type genes.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.235.2-236
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.320.2-321
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.270.2-270.2
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• 2000

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.285.1-285.1
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.302.1-302.1
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• 2001

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.386-389
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• 2015

Sibutramine is an anorectic that has been banned since 2010 due to cardiovascular safety issues. However, counterfeit drugs or slimming products that include sibutramine are still available in the market. It has been reported that illegal sibutramine-contained pharmaceutical products induce cardiovascular crisis. However, the mechanism underlying sibutramine-induced cardiovascular adverse effect has not been fully evaluated yet. In this study, we performed cardiovascular safety pharmacology studies of sibutramine systemically using by hERG channel inhibition, action potential duration, and telemetry assays. Sibutramine inhibited hERG channel current of HEK293 cells with an $IC_{50}$ of $3.92{\mu}M$ in patch clamp assay and increased the heart rate and blood pressure ($76{\Delta}bpm$ in heart rate and $51{\Delta}mmHg$ in blood pressure) in beagle dogs at a dose of 30 mg/kg (per oral), while it shortened action potential duration (at $10{\mu}M$ and $30{\mu}M$, resulted in 15% and 29% decreases in $APD_{50}$, and 9% and 17% decreases in $APD_{90}$, respectively) in the Purkinje fibers of rabbits and had no effects on the QTc interval in beagle dogs. These results suggest that sibutramine has a considerable adverse effect on the cardiovascular system and may contribute to accurate drug safety regulation.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.49-66
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• 1999

Polypharmacotherapy, both psychotropic and nonpsychotropic, is widespread in various situations including psychiatric hospitals and general hospitals. As the clinical practice of using more than one drug at a time increase, the clinician is faced with ever-increasing number of potential drug interactions. Although many interactions have little clinical significances, some may interfere with treatment or even be life-threatening. The objective of this review is evaluation for drug-drug interactions often encountered in psychiatric consultation. Drug interactions can be grouped into two principal subdivisions : pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic. These subgroups serve to focus attention on possible sites of interaction as a drug moves from the site of administration and absorption to its site of action. Pharmacokinetic processes are those that include transport to and from the receptor site and consist of absorption, distribution on body tissue, plasma protein binding, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacodynamic interactions occur at biologically active sites. In psychiatric consultation, these two subdivisions of drug interactions between psychotropic drugs and other drugs are likely to happen. We gathered informations of the drugs used in physically ill patients who are consulted to psychiatric department in Korea University Hospital. And we reviewed the related literatures about the drug-drug interactions between psychotropic drugs and other drugs.