• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.168-168
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• 2008

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.222-227
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• 2002

Although there are a few reports concerning the side effects and toxicity of herbal medicines, there has not yet been any report concerning their causes, mechanisms or prevention. We investigated the internal reports concerning the side effects and toxicity of herbal medicines. In the findings, liver disorder (hepatic injury) was found in 7 cases, kidney disorders (nephropathy) were found in 12 cases, heart disorders were found in 4 cases and mineral-caused diseases were found in 2 cases. Besides, we found the major cause of the side effects and toxicity was drug abuse, such as over-dosage and long term medication. So, we hope this report brings more attention to the safety and toxicity of herbal medicines.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2014

Atractylodes macrocepala KOIDZ. (AmK) is a herbal medicine and resources of functional food which has been used for the treatment of indigestion, anorexia, diarrhea and digestive dysfunction. Recently AmK is frequently used as resources of functional food and whitening cosmetics. In this study was carried out to evaluate the acute oral toxicity of Amk in Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats. male and female rats were administered orally with Amk extract of 1,000 mg/kg (low dosage group), 2,000 mg/kg (middle dosage group) and 4,000 mg/kg (high dosage group). We daily observed number of deaths, clinical signs and gross findings for 7 days. No dead SD rats and no clinical signs were found during the experiment period. Also other specific changes were not found between control and treated groups in hematology and serum biochemistry. But we found out feeble histopathological changes in liver fat tissues. In addition no significant changes of gross bady and individual organs weight. These results suggest that water soluble extract of AmK has not acute oral toxicity and oral $LD_{50}$ value was over 4,000 mg/kg in SD rats.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.3-13
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• 2000

There is nothing that is harmless ; the dose alone decides that something is no poison(Paracelsus, 1493-1541). So, in a point of view to maximize the therapeutic efficacy of drug therapy in a way that minimize the drug toxicity, the knowledges of the drug-ineractions as well as the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles of every therapeutic drug used in the medical clinic cannot be emphasized too much. Many drug interactions can be predicted if the pharmacokinetic properties, pharmacodynamic mechanisms of action of the interacting drugs are known, and most adverse interactions can be avoided. In this paper, the clinical importance, classification, and general principles of clinical drug-interactions are presentated with a few explanatory examples.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.128-132
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• 2010

Objectives: This study aimed to review the general features of drug induced liver injury (DILI) and the important factors in consideration of herbal drugs and DILI. Methods: We reviewed general aspects of DILI such as classification, inducible factors, diagnosis methods, prevention, and the status of herbal drug-associated DILI via literature. Results: Besides the drug itself, genetic and environmental factors affect hepatic toxicity. There is a lack of definitive diagnoses of DILI by drugs, including herbal remedies. The possibility of herbal drug-associated DILI is exaggerated, and majority of herbal drug-derived hepatic injury could be easily prevented if Oriental doctors pay attention to this issue. Conclusion: This study can provide Oriental doctors an overview and be helpful in minimizing the episodes of hepatotoxicity in use of herbal drugs.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.427-433
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• 1998

The acute and genetic toxicity of DK1002 was subjected in this study. DK1002 which is a morphine-like new drug candidate synthesized by Dong-Kook Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. is now under developing as a analgesics that have better drug efficacy and least addictive property. In acute toxicity study, the 50% lethal doses ($LD_{50}$) of DK1002 were determined as>2000mg/kg (p.o.), 237.0mg/kg(i.p.), 57.5mg/kg(i.v.), and 1266.9mg/kg (s.c.). And also, to study the genotoxicity of DK1002, we performed bacterial reversion assay with Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535, and TA1537, and in vitro chromosomal aberration assay with Chinese hamster lung cells in the presence and absence of S-9 metabolic activation system. In vivo micronucleus assay using mouse bone marrow cells was also performed. From these results, DK1002 was revealed nonmutagenic potential in S. typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535, and TA537 both in the absence and presecne of metablic activation system. No clastogenicity of DK1002 was observed in chromosomal aberration assay in vitro as well as in micronucleus assay in vivo.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2006

The KFDA (Korea Food & Drug Administration) has performed a collaborative toxico-genomics project since 2003. Its aim is to construct a toxicologenomic database of 12 hepatotoxic compounds from mice livers. Phenylbutazone which is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug was assigned. It was administered at low (0.0238 mg/kg) and at high (0.238 mg/kg) dose (5 mice per group) orally to the postnatal 6 weeks ICR mice, then the serum and liver were collected at the indicated time (6, 24 and 72 h) after administration. Serum biochemical markers for liver toxicity were measured and histopathologic studies also were carried out. The gene expression profiling was carried out by using Applied Biosystems 1700 Full Genome Expression Mouse. The 2-way ANOVA was used to find genes that reflected phenylbutazone-induced acute toxicity or dose-dependant changes. By self-organization maps (SOM), we identified groups with unique gene expression patterns, some of them are supposed to be related to phenylbutazone induced toxicity, including lipid metabolism abnormality, oxidative stress, cell death and cytoskeleton destruction.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.285-292
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• 2013

Ginseng is a well-known traditional medicine used in Asian countries for several thousand years, and it is currently applied to medicine, cosmetics, and nutritional supplements due to its many healing and energygiving properties. It is well demonstrated that ginsenosides, the main ingredient of ginseng, produce a variety of pharmacological and therapeutic effects on central nerve system (CNS) disorders, cardiovascular disease, endocrine secretions, aging, and immune function. Korean red ginseng extract is a dietary supplement containing ginsenoside Rb1 and ginsenoside Rg1 extracted from Panax ginseng. While the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of the extract have been well established, its toxicological properties remain obscure. Thus, four-week oral toxicity studies in rats were conducted to investigate whether Korean red ginseng extract could have a potential toxicity to humans. The test article was administered once daily by oral gavage to four groups of male and female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at dose levels of 0, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg/day for four weeks. Neither deaths nor clinical symptoms were observed in any group during the experiment. Furthermore, no abnormalities in body weight, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross findings, organ weights, or histopathology were revealed related to the administration of the test article in either sex of any dosed group. Therefore, a target organ was not determined in this study, and the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of Korean red ginseng extract was established to be 2,000 mg/kg/day.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.181-189
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• 2019

Local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST) refers to the complication affecting the central nervous system (CNS) and cardiovascular system (CVS) due to the overdose of local anesthesia. Its reported prevalence is 0.27/1000, and the representative symptoms range from dizziness to unconsciousness in the CNS and from arrhythmias to cardiac arrest in the CVS. Predisposing factors of LAST include extremes of age, pregnancy, renal disease, cardiac disease, hepatic dysfunction, and drug-associated factors. To prevent the LAST, it is necessary to recognize the risk factors for each patient, choose a safe drug and dose of local anesthesia, use vasoconstrictor, confirm aspiration and use incremental injection techniques. According to the treatment guidelines for LAST, immediate application of lipid emulsion plays an important role. Although lipid emulsion is commonly used for parenteral nutrition, it has recently been widely used as a non-specific antidote for various types of drug toxicity, such as LAST treatment. According to the recently published guidelines, 20% lipid emulsion is to be intravenously injected at 1.5 mL/kg. After bolus injection, 15 mL/kg/h of lipid emulsion is to be continuously injected for LAST. However, caution must be observed for >1000 mL of injection, which is the maximum dose. We reviewed the incidence, mechanism, prevention, and treatment guidelines, and a serious complication of LAST occurring due to dental anesthesia. Furthermore, we introduced lipid emulsion that has recently been in the spotlight as the therapeutic strategy for LAST.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.290-295
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• 1994

Micelle, liposome and polyethylene glycol(PEG) were employed to reduce the cell mem- brane toxicity of Amphotericin B(Amp. B). Cholesterol-sulfate which can form a mixed micelle with Amp. B molecules was found very effective for the reduction of Amp. B toxicity. 0.01% of cholesterol-sulfate could reduce the toxicity of 5X 10$^{-6}$ M Amp. B by 90%. The required concent- ration of cholesterol-sulfate for the toxicity reduction was proportionally increased with increasing Amp. B concentration. PEG was also effective on the reduction of Amp. B toxicity. 2% PEG was required for the reduction of toxicity by 50%, regardless of Amp. B concentration. The liposome system showed an effective reduction of Amp. B toxicity on RBC, maintaining the antibiotic effect on Candida albicans as free drugs. This seems to be due to the fact that liposome bilayer plays a role of buffer system between ergosterol of fungi cell membrane and cholesterol of red blood cell membrane, which leads the redistribution of Amp. B between them, as the result, the reduction of drug toxicity on cell membrane.