• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.545-553
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• 2021

Fixed-dose combinations development requires pharmacokinetic drugdrug interaction (DDI) studies between active ingredients. For some drugs, pharmacokinetic properties such as long half-life or delayed distribution, make it difficult to conduct such clinical trials and to estimate the exact magnitude of DDI. In this study, the conventional (non-compartmental analysis and bioequivalence [BE]) and model-based analyses were compared for their performance to evaluate DDI using amlodipine as an example. Raw data without DDI or simulated data using pharmacokinetic models were compared to the data obtained after concomitant administration. Regardless of the methodology, all the results fell within the classical BE limit. It was shown that the model-based approach may be valid as the conventional approach and reduce the possibility of DDI overestimation. Several advantages (i.e., quantitative changes in parameters and precision of confidence interval) of the model-based approach were demonstrated, and possible application methods were proposed. Therefore, it is expected that the model-based analysis is appropriately utilized according to the situation and purpose.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.21-31
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• 2014

As the protein drug industry is growing, protein informations are indispensable for the protein drug development. NCBI and PDB in the U.S., the EMBL in Europe and the DDBJ in Japan are the representative centers for bio information and each center provides specific data for protein information. To obtain specific protein information, users are to be collect them from the service sites of each center and then combine or analyze for their purpose. To facilitate the accessibility to bio data, various R&D activities are running for development of diverse web services relevant to bio data in major data centers or small-scale projects. With the recognition of protein information as pivotal for the protein drug development, DrugBank in Canada, GDSC in the U.S. start to provide integrated informations between drugs and proteins. However, those service does not meet users' demands due to lack of diversity. In Korea, infra structures for bioinformatics are limited and the current services for protein drug information are providing only basic information of the drug including distribution data. This is a pilot study to construct a specialized service for protein drug information in Korean style breaking through the limitations of current services. This study proposed new fields for protein characterization information which had not been provided by current services and evaluated their effectiveness and usability by comparing them to the existing fields with expert survey. As a result, the newly proposed fields for protein characterization have been proven to be useful data fields for the service of protein drug information.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.86-95
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• 2020

Background: Ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1), one of the most abundant protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides, exerts excellent neuroprotective effects even though it has low intracephalic exposure. Purpose: The present study aimed to elucidate the apparent contradiction between the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Rb1 by studying the mechanisms underlying neuroprotective effects of Rb1 based on regulation of microflora. Methods: A pseudo germ-free (PGF) rat model was established, and neuroprotective effects of Rb1 were compared between conventional and PGF rats. The relative abundances of common probiotics were quantified to reveal the authentic probiotics that dominate in the neuroprotection of Rb1. The expressions of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, including GABAA receptors (α2, β2, and γ2) and GABAB receptors (1b and 2), in the normal, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), and I/R+Rb1 rat hippocampus and striatum were assessed to reveal the neuroprotective mechanism of Rb1. Results: The results showed that microbiota plays a key role in neuroprotection of Rb1. The relative abundance of Lactobacillus helveticus (Lac.H) increased 15.26 fold after pretreatment with Rb1. I/R surgery induced effects on infarct size, neurological deficit score, and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) were prevented by colonizing the rat gastrointestinal tract with Lac.H (1 × 10⁹ CFU) by gavage 15 d before I/R surgery. Both Rb1 and Lac.H upregulated expression of GABA receptors in I/R rats. Coadministration of a GABA_A receptor antagonist significantly attenuated neuroprotective effects of Rb1 and Lac.H. Conclusion: In sum, Rb1 exerts neuroprotective effects by regulating Lac.H and GABA receptors rather than through direct distribution to the target sites.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2014

Drug delivery in human upper airway was studied by the numerical simulation of oral airflow. We created an anatomically accurate upper airway model from CT scan data by using a medical image processing software (Mimics). The upper airway was composed of oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and second generations of branches. Thin sliced CT data and meticulous refinement of model surface under the ENT doctor's advice provided more sophisticated nasal cavity models. With this 3D upper airway models, numerical simulation was conducted by ANSYS/FLUENT. The steady inspiratory airflows in that model was solved numerically for the case of flow rate of 250 mL/s with drug-laden spray(Q= 20, 40, 60 mL/s). Optimal parameters for mechanical drug aerosol targeting of predetermined areas was to be computed, for a given representative upper airways. From numerical flow visualization results, as flow-rate of drug-laden spray increases, the drag spray residue in oral cavity was increased and the distribution of drug spray in trachea and branches became more homogeneous.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2010

To investigate acute drug intoxication trends in the elderly visited Emergency Medical Centers, Data was collected from the records of poisoning patients visited Five different Hospitals from January 1. 2007 to December 31. 2007. The analysis was conducted by using 135 cases of 624 cases. When considering only the elderly and making comparisons between the urban areas and the rural areas the following data was produced. In regard to patients with acute drug intoxication, the main substance of choice was pesticides. Cases of acute drug intoxication are definitely higher for those categorized as the rural elderly (75.0%) when compared with those categorized as the urban elderly (44.1%). The male to female ratio, those living together as a family, past suicide attempts, mental state and sobriety condition when they came, monthly distribution etc. between the two groups did not demonstrate a difference between them. In regard to reasons given for acute drug intoxication, suicide was the highest at 60.7% of the cases. When comparing accidental reasons for poisoning, the urban elderly, at 34.2% of their cases, were higher than in the rural elderly, at 23.7%. After first aid was administered, the admission rate was higher for the rural elderly (47.4%) than for the urban elderly (33.9%). This shows that the rural elderly have a more severe acute drug intoxication poisoning problem than the urban elderly do.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.262-267
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• 2006

The objective of this study was to develop new self-organized nanogels as a means of drug delivery in patients with cancer. Pullulan (PUL) and deoxycholic acid (DOCA) were conjugated through an ester linkage between the hydroxyl group in PUL and the carboxyl group in DOCA. Three types of PUL/DOCA conjugates were obtained, differing in the number of DOCA substitutions (DS; 5, 8, or 11) per 100 PUL anhydroglucose units. The physicochemical properties of the resulting nanogels were characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The mean diameter of DS 11 was the smallest (approx. 100 nm), and the size distribution was unimodal. To determine the organizing behavior of these conjugates, we calculated their critical aggregation concentrations (CACs) in a 0.01-M phosphate buffered saline solution. They were $10.5{\times}10^{-4}mg/mL,\;7.2{\times}10^{-4} mg/mL,\;and\;5.6{\times}10^{-4} mg/mL$ for DS 5, 8, and 11, respectively. This indicates that DOCA can serve as a hydrophobic moiety to create self-organized nanogels. To monitor the drug-releasing behavior of these nanogels, we loaded doxorubicin (DOX) onto the conjugates. The DOX-loading efficiency increased with the degree of DOCA substitution. The release rates of DOX from PUL/DOCA nanogels varied inversely with the DS. We concluded that the PUL/DOCA nanogel has some potential for use as an anticancer drug carrier because of its low CAC and satisfactory drug-loading capacity.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.552-560
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• 2012

Drug delivery technologies are patent protected formulation technologies that modify drug release profile, absorption, distribution, and elimination for the benefit of improving product efficacy and safety, as well as patient convenience and compliance. The most commonly used transdermal system is the skin patch using various types of technologies. Compared with other method of dosage, it is possible to use for a long term. It is also possible to stop the drug dosage are stop if the drug dosage lead to side effect. Polysaccharide, such as karaya gum and locust bean gum(LBG)/water-soluble chitosan oligomer(WSCO) were selected as base materials of TDS. Also, these polymers were characterized in terms of enhancers, tacrine contents. Among these polysaccharide, the permeation rate of karaya gum matrix was fastest in tacrine such as lipophilic drug in vitro. We used glycerin, PEG 400, and PEG 800 as enhancers. Therefore, transdermal absorption of tacrine could be improved by changing vehicle composition or by using penetration enhancers. Especially it would be anticipated that the high permeation efficacy could be obtained by using vehicle that has enhancing effect for itself and by adding enhancers to it.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.213-217
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• 2007

It has been reported that hydrophobic additives generally decrease the release rate of protein drugs from drug delivery systems (DDS) and hydrophilic additives increase the release rate. In many cases, however, the addition of hydrophilic molecule is necessary for improving the stability of protein drugs. In the present work, the effects of hydrophilic additives on the release profiles, and micelle formation of protein drug formulations were investigated to develop a novel method for protein drug delivery. For model protein drug, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was employed and several hydrophilic additives were used in the release experiments. Hydrophilic additive D-sorbitol showed the lower release rates of BSA than other hydrophobic additives due to the gel strengthening ability of the additive and the optimum concentration of D-sorbitol was 3 w/v % for the retarded release rate. In addition, it was found that the addition of D-sorbitol was very effective for obtaining homogeneous and stable DDS. The results were discussed in terms of the micelle formation and the micelle structure, i.e., the differences in gel structure and the distribution of drugs in micelles.

• Proceedings of the Safety Management and Science Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.51-60
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• 2009

To investigate acute drug intoxication trends in the elderly visited Emergency Medical Centers, Data was collected from the records of poisoning patients visited Five different Hospitals from January 1. 2007 to December 31. 2007. The analysis was conducted by using 135 cases of 624 cases. When considering only the elderly and making comparisons between the urban areas and the rural areas the following data was produced. In regard to patients with acute drug intoxication, the main substance of choice was pesticides. Cases of acute drug intoxication are definitely higher for those categorized as the rural elderly (75.0%) when compared with those categorized as the urban elderly (44.1%). The male to female ratio, those living together as a family, past suicide attempts, mental state and sobriety condition when they came, monthly distribution etc. between the two groups did not demonstrate a difference between them. In regard to reasons given for acute drug intoxication, suicide was the highest at 60.7% of the cases. When comparing accidental reasons for poisoning, the urban elderly, at 34.2% of their cases, were higher than in the rural elderly, at 23.7%. After first aid was administered, the admission rate was higher for the rural elderly (47.4%) than for the urban elderly (33.9%). This shows that the rural elderly have a more severe acute drug intoxication poisoning problem than the urban elderly do.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.558-564
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• 2013

A simple and effective method is introduced to synthesize a series of polystyrene-b-poly(oligo(ethylene oxide) monomethyl ether methacrylate)-b-polystyrene (PSt-b-POEOMA-b-PSt) triblock copolymers. The structures of PSt-b-POEOMA-b-PSt copolymers were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance ($^1H$ NMR) spectroscopy. The molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the copolymer were measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Furthermore, the self-assembling and drug-loaded behaviours of three different ratios of PSt-b-POEOMA-b-PSt were studied. These copolymers could readily self-assemble into micelles in aqueous solution. The vitamin E-loaded copolymer micelles were produced by the dialysis method. The micelle size and core-shell structure of the block copolymer micelles and the drug-loaded micelles were confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal properties of the copolymer micelles before and after drug-loaded were investigated by different scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that the micelle size is slightly increased with increasing the content of hydrophobic segments and the micelles are still core-shell spherical structures after drug-loaded. Moreover, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of polystyrene is reduced after the drug loaded. The drug loading content (DLC) of the copolymer micelles is 70%-80% by ultraviolet (UV) photolithography analysis. These properties indicate the micelles self-assembled from PSt-b-POEOMA-b-PSt copolymers would have potential as carriers for the encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs.