• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.3.1-3.7
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• 2013

Recently, the productivity of drug discovery has gradually decreased as the limitations of single-target-based drugs for various and complex diseases become exposed. To overcome these limitations, drug combinations have been proposed, and great efforts have been made to predict efficacious drug combinations by statistical methods using drug databases. However, previous methods which did not take into account biological networks are insufficient for elaborate predictions. Also, increased evidences to support the fact that drug effects are closely related to metabolic enzymes suggested the possibility for a new approach to the study drug combinations. Therefore, in this paper we suggest a novel approach for analyzing drug combinations using a metabolic network in a systematic manner. The influence of a drug on the metabolic network is described using the distance between the drug target and an enzyme. Target-enzyme distances are converted into influence scores, and from these scores we calculated the correlations between drugs. The result shows that the influence score derived from the targetenzyme distance reflects the mechanism of drug action onto the metabolic network properly. In an analysis of the correlation score distribution, efficacious drug combinations tended to have low correlation scores, and this tendency corresponded to the known properties of the drug combinations. These facts suggest that our approach is useful for prediction drug combinations with an advanced understanding of drug mechanisms.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.278-280
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• 2010

This study was aimed to develop a novel qualitative multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for simultaneous detection of genetically modified (GM) soy and maize within a single reaction. The specific primers designed to detect four respective GM events (A2704-12, MON88017, Bt11, and MON863) were included in the tetraplex PCR system. Each of PCR products for four GM events could be distinguished by agarose gel based on their different lengths. The specificity and reproducibility of this multiplex PCR were evaluated. This multiplex PCR consistently amplified only a fragment corresponding to a specific inserted gene in each of the four GM events and also amplified all four of the PCR products in the simulated GM mixture. These results indicate that this multiplex PCR method could be an effective qualitative detection method for screening GM soy and maize in a single reaction.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.1131-1136
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• 2013

Parabens, the esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, have been widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetic products, drugs, and processed foods and beverages. However, some parabens have been shown to have weak estrogenic effects through in vivo and in vitro studies. Because such widespread use has raised concerns about the potential human health risks associated with exposure to parabens, we developed a simultaneous analytical method to quantify 4 parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl) in human urine, by using solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. This method showed good specificity, linearity ($R^2$ > 0.999), accuracy (92.2-112.4%), precision (0.9-9.6%, CV), and recovery (95.7-102.0%). The LOQs for the 4 parabens were 1.0, 0.5, 0.2, and 0.5 ng/mL, respectively. This method could be used for quick and accurate analysis of a large number of human samples in epidemiological studies to assess the prevalence of human exposure to parabens.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.43-49
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• 2019

The aim of this study was conducted to develop an analytical method to determine the concentration of ceftiofur residue in eel, flatfish, and shrimp. For derivatization and extraction, the sample was hydrolyzed with dithioerythritol to produce desfuroylceftiofur, which was then derivatized by iodoacetamide to obtain desfuroylceftiofur acetamide. For purification, the process of solid phase extraction (Oasis HLB) was used. The target analytes were confirmed and quantified in $C_{18}$ column using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with 0.1% formic acid in water (A) and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile (B) as the mobile phase. The linearity of the standard calibration curve was confirmed by a correlation coefficient, $r^2>0.99$. The limit of quantification for ceftiofur was 0.002 mg/kg; the accuracy (expressed as the average recoveries) was 80.6-105%; the precision (expressed as the coefficient of variation) was below 6.3% at 0.015, 0.03, and 0.06 mg/kg. The validated method demonstrated high accuracy and acceptable sensitivity to meet the Codex guideline requirements. The developed method was tested using market samples. As a results, ceftiofur was detected in one sample. Therefore, it can be applied to the analysis of ceftiofur residues in fishery products.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.795-805
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the recently rising number of foreign drug offenders in Korea and suggest improvement measures for the Korean drug policy. Method: This paper analyzed the preceding research, statistical data, etc., on related fields and referred to overseas cases to suggest improvement measures. Result: The foreign population living in Korea increased in 2000s, and the foreign drug offender cases are increasing accordingly. The survey on foreign drug offenses showed that the case of foreign drug offender is higher than the case of Korean drug offenders by 1.2 to 3.3 times. In 2021, the foreign drug offender cases increased by 6.5 times compared to 2012. Especially, the number of psychoactive drug-related drug offenses increased dramatically. The drug smuggling also remarkably increased starting from 2016 as some people earned a lot of money from smuggling the drugs Conclusion: To cope with the foreign drug offenders effectively, this paper suggested intensive monitoring of the foreign drug offenders and weighting on the drug offenders depending on their home country to intensify the entry standards on foreigners who are likely to smuggle drugs.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.331-337
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• 2002

Nonproprietary name may be used without restriction by the public at large and can be called common name, generic name. Nomenclature agencies exist in US, Great Britain, Japan and so on. The agencies maintain liaison with onε another in an effort to secure the wide adoption of thε most appropriate and universally acceptable designation for each drug. To prevent the confusion which arises when several nonproprietary names are used for a single drug, either in the same country or in several different countries, the WHO has assumed the responsibility of coordination existing nomenclature at the international level. In this study, the nomenclature for new drugs and the terminology to harmonize specifications for revision of Korean Pharmacopoeia (KP) were established.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.282-287
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• 2010

Appropriate drug information is essential in pharmaceutical care practice. In recent years, educating patients with their prescription and drug therapy is becoming an increasingly important aspect of health care. Appropriate drug information has been shown to improve patients' adherence to their medication and the results of pharmacotherapy. The purpose of this study was to study patients' sources of drug information and their preferences in Korea. This study was a 11-questionnaire survey conducted from February 8, 2010 to February 25, 2010. Major sources of drug information used by respondents, proportions of respondents who received drug information on administration, dosage, indication, or warnings and precautions, sources of drug information which patients prefer, and the reasons of their preferences were studied. Of the 303 respondents, the most common sources of drug information were pharmacists (29.7%), doctors (23.8%), and the Internet (17.2%). There were significant differences according to sources of drug information in proportions of respondents who received drug information on administration, dosage, indication, or warnings and precautions. Patients preferred pharmacists as a drug information source the most (38.9%), and the reasons were reliability (72.0%) and easy to use (28.0%). Based on the results of this study, further studies should be conducted to establish the best way to provide appropriate drug information for patients and improve the results of pharmacotherapy.

• Proceedings of the SCSK Conference
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• 2003.09b
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• pp.528-528
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• 2003

The present study was undertaken to develop the in vitro sun protection factor(SPF) test method having good correlation with in vivo method using human. 8% homomentyl salicylate, P3 reference standard and commercially available sunscreen products were measured by the in vitro method using SPF 290S analyzer, and the SPFs were compared with the SPFs measured by in vivo test method. In vitro SPFs of 8% HMS and P3 reference standard were 4.59 $\pm$ 0.12 and 14.94 $\pm$ 0.83. There are good correspondence, correlation coefficients were 0.9506 and 0.9769 respectively, between the in vitro and in vivo SPFs for the sunscreen creams and lotions. Correlation coefficients of makeup base/liquid foundation, lotion labled with "shake before use" and compact powder were 0.8812, 0.8632 and 0.5984 respectively. The optimum mixture ratio of compact powder and cream base represents 1:0.8. These results suggest that the in vitro SPF test method will be able to be used as an alternative method for in vivo SPF in case of lotion and cream.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.127-135
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• 2004

Multiple drug administration is common in elderly, HIV, and cancer patients. Such treatments may result in drug-drug interactions due to interference at the metabolic enzyme level, and due to modulation of transporter protein functions. Both kinds of interference may result in altered drug distribution and toxicity in the human body. In this review, we have dealt with drug-drug interactions related to the most studied human transporter, P-glycoprotein. This transporter is constitutively expressed in several sites in the human body. Its function can be studied in vitro with different cell lines expressing P-glycoprotein in experiments using methods and equipment such as flow cytometry, cell proliferation, cell-free ATP as activity determination and Transwell culture equipment. In vivo experiments can be carried out by mdr1a(-/-) animals and by noninvasive methods such as NMR spectrometry. Some examples are also given for determination of possible drug-drug interactions using the above-mentioned cell lines and methods. Such preclinical studies may influence decisions concerning the fate of new drug candidates and their possible dosages. Some examples of toxicities obtained in clinics and summarized in this review indicate careful consideration in cases of polypharmacy and the requirement of preclinical studies in drug development activities.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.150-159
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• 2013

A study was performed to identify current drug shortages, assess impact of drug shortages on public hospitals and patients, and investigate needs of pharmacists for a drug shortage list. An e-mail survey was sent to the pharmacists of 13 national public hospitals. Total 61.5% of public hospitals has 10 or fewer drugs a year in short supply. Shortages involved mood drugs, anti-tumor drugs, analgesics, antibiotics and etc. in 2012. Among them 75.0% was prescription drugs and the other 25.0% was non-prescription drugs. 79.2% was domestic products and 20.8% was imported drugs. Only 12.5% was injections. Less than 3 pharmacists usually spent within 3 hours managing one drug shortage. Since a single item for a certain medicine may raise risk of drug shortages, it's needed to consider developing manuals, laying up medicine stocks and holding plural medicines for drug shortages in public hospitals. Main information resources of drug shortages are wholesalers or manufacturers. But the information appeared to be not only inadequate but also too late for appropriate activities. A survey of pharmacists revealed that overall 84.6% of respondents were in need of the drug shortage list. They expected it to be conducted to take proper measures for the drug shortage and to improve patient healthcare outcome and convenience. This study will contribute to improving public health by promoting stable supply of drugs and repairing the information delivery system.