• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.157-164
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• 2022

Disulfiram (DSF) is an aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor. DSF has potent anti-cancer activity for solid and hematological malignancies. Although the effects on cancer cells have been proven, there have been few studies on DSF toxicity in bone marrow cells (BMs). DSF reduces the metabolic activity and the mitochondrial membrane potential of BMs. In subset analyses, we confirmed that DSF does not affect the proportion of BMs. In addition, DSF significantly impaired the metabolic activity and differentiation of BMs treated with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor, an essential growth and differentiation factor for BMs. To measure DSF toxicity in BMs in vivo, mice were injected with 50 mg/kg, a dose used for anti-cancer effects. DSF did not significantly induce BM toxicity in mice and may be tolerated by antioxidant defense mechanisms. This is the first study on the effects of DSF on BMs in vitro and in vivo. DSF has been widely studied as an anti-cancer drug candidate, and many anti-cancer drugs lead to myelosuppression. In this regard, this study can provide useful information to basic science and clinical researchers.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2013

Azathioprine is the most common drug used to maintain clinical remission in inflammatory bowel disease. This drug is also important as a steroid-sparing agent in steroid-dependent and chronically active inflammatory bowel disease. Nevertheless, many questions remain concerning the optimal treatment regimens of azathioprine. The dose of azathioprine has to be reduced or the therapy has to be discontinued frequently because of drug-induced toxicity. In this review, we discuss monitoring of thiopurines, adverse events, malignant complications and how to use azathioprine safely and usefully.

• CELLMED
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.12.1-12.4
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• 2013

Identification of target protein is an important procedure in the course of drug discovery. Because of complexity, action mechanisms of herbal medicine are rather obscure, unlike small-molecular drugs. Inverse docking simulation is a reverse use of molecular docking involving multiple target searches for known chemical structure. This methodology can be applied in the field of target fishing and toxicity prediction for herbal compounds as well as known drug molecules. The aim of this review is to introduce a series of in silico works for predicting potential drug targets and side-effects based on inverse docking simulations.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2012

Because the average human life span has recently increased, the number of patients who are diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases has escalated. Recent advances in stem cell research have given us access to unlimited numbers of multi-potent or pluripotent cells for screening for new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases. Neural stem cells (NSCs) are a good model with which to screen effective drugs that increase neurogenesis. Recent technologies for human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can provide human cells that harbour specific neurodegenerative disease. This article discusses the use of NSCs, ESCs and iPSCs for neurodegenerative drug screening and toxicity evaluation. In addition, we introduce drugs or natural products that are recently identified to affect the stem cell fate to generate neurons or glia.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.74-82
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• 2009

Pharmacological investigations were carried out with aqueous methanolic extract (AME) of Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq. (Meliaceae) leaves. Acute toxicity studies revealed that the $LD_{50}$ dose of AME was 600 mg/kg, i.p. AME was found to possess significant anti-inflammatory activity in acute, sub-chronic and chronic models of inflammation. AME selectively inhibited cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 activity, which is involved in arachidonic acid metabolism and biosynthesis of prostaglandins under inflammatory conditions. Treatment with AME significantly enhanced total peritoneal cell count and the number of macrophages in normal mice, which revealed that AME may also alter the immune response along with its anti-inflammatory effect. The saponins or the alkaloids present in AME may be responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 1986

The single treatment of mice with steam distillate, non-volatile ether extract and methanol extract from mace (Arils of Myristica fragrans) caused a significant prolongation of hexobarbital-induced narcosis and increase in strychnine toxicity as well as a significant decrease in hepatic microsomal drug metabolizing enzyme activities. On 7 consecutive daily administrations, however, the duration of hypnosis was markedly shortened and significant increases in the hepatic enzyme activities were shown. With systematic fractionation by $SiO_2$ column chromatography of non-volatile ether fraction monitoring by animal tests a new lignan (mp $70{\sim}72^{\circ}$, MW 328, $[{\alpha}]^{20}_D+5.28$) was isolated as an active principle and its structure was elucidated as (2R, 3S)-1-(3,4-methylendioxyphenyl)-2,3 dimethyl-4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) butane.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.189-194
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• 1986

The single acute treatment of mice with the steam distillate, non-volatile ether extract and methanol extract from mace, arils of Myristica fragrans(Myristicaceae) caused a significant prolongation of hexobarbital-induced narcosis, an increase in strychnine toxicity as well as a significant decrease in hepatic microsomal drug metabolizing enzyme activities. On seven daily consecutive administrations, however, the duration of narcosis was markedly shortened and significant increases in the hepatic enzyme activities were shown. From the non-volatile ether fraction, macelignan, a new lignan, mp $70{\sim}72^{\circ}$ was isolated as an active principle.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.209-223
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• 1996

Chirality is important in the context of biological activity because at a molecular level, asymmetry dominates biological process. While most pharmaceuticals of natural origin are single enantiomers, most of the synthesized chiral drugs are used in the form of racemic mixtures of two or more diastereomers. The enantiomers of a racemic drug generally differ in pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties as a consequence of stereoselective interaction with optically active molecular components of living organism. In pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics enantioselectivity plays an important role. The information on the sum of eutomer and distorter in a racemic drugs is very important in the estimation of therapeutic advantage and/or toxicity of racemates. The choice of preferentially developing a single enantiomer should be based on actual therapeutic advantages and especially improved safety.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.233-239
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• 1991

Phellinus linteus was examined for its anticancer activity using an animal model. Water extract of Phellinus linteus was prepared from artificially cultivated mycelia. Neither toxicity nor abnormal changes of hematological parameters were observed in the rat given orally with high doses of drug extract for 15 days. ICR mice were transplanted with Sarcoma-180 tumor cells intraperitoneally and drug extract was daily given to the mice from 1 day after tumer transplantation for 3 weeks. Administration of drug extract significantly prolonged the survival duration of Sarcoma 180-transplanted mice. For the better understanding of the anticancer activity, we have examined the effect of the drug extract administration on various killer cell functions, such as natural killer(NK) cells, cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) and macrophages which have been known to be main effector cells in immune responses against tumors. The results from the 4 hr $^{51}Cr-release$ assay have shown that the drug extract augments mouse NK cell activity but neither CTL nor macrophages. It is possible, then, that the anticancer activity of the Phellinus linteus may be associated with augmentation of NK cell function in the cancerated hosts.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.229-239
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• 2002

Recent progress in understanding the molecular basis of cancer brought out new materials such as oligonucleotides, genes, peptides and proteins as a source of new anticancer agents. Due to their macromolecular properties, however, new strategies of delivery for them are required to achieve their full therapeutic efficacy in clinical setting. Development of improved dosage forms of currently marketed anticancer drugs can also enhance their therapeutic values. Currently developed delivery systems for anticancer agents include colloidal systems (liposomes, emulsions, nanoparticles and micelles), polymer implants and polymer conjugates. These delivery systems have been able to provide enhanced therapeutic activity and reduced toxicity of anticancer agents mainly by altering their pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. Furthermore, the identification of cell-specific receptor/antigens on cancer cells have brought the development of ligand- or antibody-bearing delivery systems which can be targeted to cancer cells by specific binding to receptors or antigens. They have exhibited specific and selective delivery of anticancer agents to cancer. As a consequence of extensive research, clinical development of anticancer agents utilizing various delivery systems is undergoing worldwide. New technologies and multidisciplinary expertise to develop advanced drug delivery systems, applicable to a wide range of anticancer agents, may eventually lead to an effective cancer therapy in the future.