• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.127-135
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• 1987

In vitro sensitivity testing was performed for 21 kinds putative anticancer drugs selected from references and information. Cellular damage of P815 mastocytoma cells following exposure to water extracts of drugs was evaluated by colony formation assay. Highly effective drugs with more than 50% inhibition of colony formation were seven (Houttuyniae Herba, Sanguisorbae Radix, Nepetae Herba, Manitis Squama, Lonicerae Flos, Amomi Semen, Polyporus), though not more effective than BCNU. According to the results of $^3H-thymidine$ incorporation assay for determination of selective cytotoxicity, 3 of these drugs (Houttuyniae Herba, Polyporus, Manitis Squama) were found to be low cytotoxic to normal mouse lymphoid cells. These findings suggest that the above 3 drugs may be used for effective anticancer drugs in vivo.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.9
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• pp.646-660
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• 2019

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone essential for seed development and seedling growth under unfavorable environmental conditions. The signaling pathway leading to ABA response has been established, but relatively little is known about the functional regulation of the constituent signaling components. Here, we present several lines of evidence that Arabidopsis Raf-like kinase Raf10 modulates the core ABA signaling downstream of signal perception step. In particular, Raf10 phosphorylates subclass III SnRK2s (SnRK2.2, SnRK2.3, and SnRK2.6), which are key positive regulators, and our study focused on SnRK2.3 indicates that Raf10 enhances its kinase activity and may facilitate its release from negative regulators. Raf10 also phosphorylates transcription factors (ABI5, ABF2, and ABI3) critical for ABA-regulted gene expression. Furthermore, Raf10 was found to be essential for the in vivo functions of SnRK2s and ABI5. Collectively, our data demonstrate that Raf10 is a novel regulatory component of core ABA signaling.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2023

Liposomes as drug delivery system have proved useful carrier for various disease, including cancer. In addition, perfluorocarbon cored microbubbles are utilized in conjunction with high-intensity focused-ultrasound (HIFU) to enable simultaneous diagnosis and treatment. However, microbubbles generally exhibit lower drug loading efficiency, so the need for the development of a novel liposome-based drug delivery material that can efficiently load and deliver drugs to targeted areas via HIFU. This study aims to develop a liposome-based drug delivery material by introducing a substance that can burst liposomes using ultrasound energy and confirm the ability to target tumors using PET imaging. Liposomes (Lipo-DOX, Lipo-DOX-Au, Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD) were synthesized with gold nanoparticles using an avidin-biotin bond, and doxorubicin was mounted inside by pH gradient method. The size distribution was measured by DLS, and encapsulation efficiency of doxorubicin was analyzed by UV-vis spectrometer. The target specificity and cytotoxicity of liposomes were assessed in vitro by glioblastoma U87mg cells to HIFU treatment and analyzed using CCK-8 assay, and fluorescence microscopy at 6-hour intervals for up to 24 hours. For the in vivo study, U87mg model mouse were injected intravenously with 1.48 MBq of ⁶⁴Cu-labeled Lipo-DOX-Au and Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD, and PET images were taken at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 24 hours. As a result, the size of liposomes was 108.3 ± 5.0 nm at Lipo-DOX-Au and 94.1 ± 12.2 nm at Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD, and it was observed that doxorubicin was mounted inside the liposome up to 52%. After 6 hours of HIFU treatment, the viability of U87mg cells treated with Lipo-DOX-Au decreased by around 20% compared to Lipo-DOX, and Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD had a higher uptake rate than Lipo-DOX. In vivo study using PET images, it was confirmed that ⁶⁴Cu-Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD was taken up into the tumor immediately after injection and maintained for up to 4 hours. In this study, drugs released from liposomes-gold nanoparticles via ultrasound and RGD targeting were confirmed by non-invasive imaging. In cell-level experiments, HIFU treatment of gold nanoparticle-coupled liposomes significantly decreased tumor survival, while RGD-liposomes exhibited high tumor targeting and rapid release in vivo imaging. It is expected that the combination of these models with ultrasound is served as an effective drug delivery material with therapeutic outcomes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.167-175
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• 2005

Houttuynia cordata THNUB (He; Uh-Sung-Cho) is a medicinal plant which has been widely used as a component of blood-building decoctions. This study was performed to investigate the immunomodulative effect of He in mice. In vitro experiment, the mice splenocytes proliferation and three kinds of cytokines (IL-1$\beta$, IL-6, TNF- $\alpha$) production by mice peritoneal macrophages cultured with six (methanol, hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, butanol and water) fractions of He were used to indicate the immunomodulative effect. Ex vivo experiment, the different concentrations of He water extract was orally administrated every other day for two weeks. The production of cytokines IL-1$\beta$, IL-6, TNF- $\alpha$) secreted by activated macrophages and the mice splenocytes proliferation were used as an index for the immunocompetence. The supplementation of all six fractions of He enhanced the splenocytes proliferation at the level of 6.58$\pm$1.23∼47.82$\pm$5.48 compared to that of control in the range of 1∼50 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL. IL-1$\beta$ production was significantly increased with the supplementation of chloroform and water extract of He. Higher level of IL-6 production was detected by the supplementation of ethylacetate, butanol and water extract. TNF - $\alpha$ production was enhanced by the supplementation of all six fractions of He. From the ex vivo study, the highest proliferation of splenocytes was seen from the mice orally administrated with the He water extract at the concentration of 500 mg/kg bw In case of cytokines production, IL-1$\beta$, IL-6, and TNF- $\alpha$ release by activated peritoneal macrophages were augmented by the oral administration of He water extract. These results indicated that He may enhance the immune function by regulating the splenocytes proliferation and cytokines production capacity in mice.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.1118-1126
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the anti allergic effect in vivo and in vitro, and to observe single and four weeks repeated toxicity in mice of Bangpung-galgeun-tang (BGT). We investigated anti DNP IgE-mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in rodents and compound 48/80-induced active systemic anaphylatic shock in mice after oral administration with BGT of 0.4 g/kg and 0.8 g/kg for 8 days, and also examined MTT assay, ${\beta}-hexosaminidase$ activity, IL-4 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ from RBL-2H3 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ from Raw264.7 after pre-treatment with BGT of 0.25 mg/ml, 0.5 mg/ml, 1 mg/ml and 2 mg/ml. To ascertain safety and toxicity of BGT, we divided into single and four weeks repeated administration test. In single test, three groups were administrated different dosages and routes (2 g/kg/i.p., 4 g/kg/i.p. and 15 g/kg /p.o.) of BGT, and in four weeks repeated test, 0.8 g/kg BGT was administrated. Control groups were administrated with only saline according to on Korean Food and Drug Administration, respectively. We observed attentively motality, abnormal clinical sign, body weight change, organ weight, AST and ALT of mice after BGT administration. BGT inhibited passive cutaneous anaphylaxis and active systemic anaphylatic shock by oral administration. All the concentrations of BGT from 0.25 to 2 mg/ml didn't have an effect on cell viability and cytotoxicity. In RBL-2H3, ${\beta}-hexosaminidase$ release, IL-4 and $TNF-{\alpha}$, and in Raw264.7, $TNF-{\alpha}$ were significantly reduced by treated all concentrations of BGT. During toxicity experiment period, there was no difference in body weight change, organ weight, AST and ALT among different dose groups. Death were found 3 mice from day 2 to day 3 in single test i.p. group. (2 g/kg, 4 g/kg). Several individuals of single test i.p. group were observed that decreased locomotor activity, exophthalmos, bloodshot eyes, loss of eyesight and so on in early period after administration. But there was no difference in clinical signs among p.o. group. These results indicate that BGT have inhibition effects on allergy and suggest that no observable effect level of the test orally administration was considered to be more than 2 g/kg in mice under the conditions employed in this study.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.245-252
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• 2012

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of IFN-${\tau}$ on prostaglandin synthesis, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expression in vitro and concentration of progesterone (P4) in endometrial cells. Epithelial and stromal cells cultured in vitro were isolated from bovine endometrium and stimulated with increasing doses of IFN-${\tau}$ (0, 0.02, 0.2 and 2 ug/ml). Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG, 1.5 IU/ml) was used as a positive control. Prostaglandin $E_2$ and $F_{2{\alpha}}$ levels in the culture media were analyzed by enzyme immunoassays and total RNA was extracted from the cells for RT-PCR. P4 concentrations of blood samples were assayed by chemiluminescent immuno assays system. In epithelial cells, COX-2 gene expression was increased in the presence of IFN-${\tau}$ (p<0.05), but it was not significantly different in all groups of stromal cells except for 2 ug/ml IFN-${\tau}$ group (p<0.05). Although IFN-${\tau}$ did not affect $PGE_2$ and $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ production in epithelial cells, it decreased $PGE_2$ and $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ production significantly in stromal cells (p<0.05). In vivo experiment, blood concentration of P4 was significantly increased after addition of IFN-${\tau}$ (1 ug/ml). The results indicate that PG production was mediated by COX-2 expression in stromal cells but it was not affected in epithelial cells and this suggest that treatment of IFN-${\tau}$ could improve the implantation environment of uterine by maintenance of high P4 concentration.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.1281-1291
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• 2005

Chungpae-tang is suggested to have the antitumor activity on lung cancer. This study was peformed to investigate apoptotic effect in vitro and antitumor effect and immune response after injection of B16-F10 melanoma cells and Chungpae-tang into a tail vein of C57BL/6 mice and administratition of Chungpae-tang in A549 human lung cancer cell line in vivo, respectively. Experimental studies were obtained by measuring the median survival time and cytokine expression through RT-PCR, and ELISA assay. The results were summarized as follows: 5 mg/ml of Chungpae-tang causing DNA fragmentation, caspase-3 enzyme activation, PARP fragmentation, and cytochrome c release, suggested that Chungpae-tang has in vitro apoptotic effect in A549 human lung cancer cell line in the apoptosis-induced experiment. The median survival time of the Chungpae-tang treated group was 21 days and that of control group was 22 days, suggesting that the median survival time between the Chungpae-tang treated group and the control group was not significant. Cytokine expression between the Chungpae-fang treated group and the control group was noticeable, but was not significant in the RT-PCR. In the ELISA assay, IL-2 productivity in the Chungpae-tang treated group was to increase more than that in the normal group (p<0.05) and was no significant between the Chungpae-tang treated group and the control group. $INF-\gamma$ productivity of the control group decreased more than that of the normal group (p<0.05) and that of the Chungpae-tang-treated group increased more than that of the control group (p<0.05). IL-12 productivity of the control group increased more than that of the normal group (p<0.05) and that of the Chungpae-tang-treated group decreased more than that of the control group (p<0.05) and the normal group. IL-4 productivity of the Chungpae-tang-treated group increased more than that of the normal group and the control group (p<0.05). IL-10 productivity of the Chungpae-tang-treated group increased more than that of the normal group and the control group (p<0.05). Accordingly the results show Chungpae-tang could induce apoptosis in A549 human lung cancer cell line and bring to antitumor effect and immune response against injection of B16-F10 melanoma cells into a tail vein of C57BL/6 mice but it needs more research on the precise mechanism of such effects.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.6
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• pp.749-758
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• 1997

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury is known to be mediated by reactive oxygen species. The myocardial cell is equipped with endogenous antioxidant defensive system which can be adaptively stimulated by various oxidative stress. It is postulated that an increased oxygen partial pressure induced by hyperbaric oxygenation impose an oxidative stress on the cells, resulting alterations in the endogenous antioxidant system. In this study we investigated the effect of hyperbaric oxygenation on the activities of myocardial antioxidant enzymes and observed whether the hyperbaric oxygenation could protect the ischemia-reperfusion injury of heart. Rats or rabbits were pretreated with hyperbaric $oxygenation(2{\sim}3\;atm\;O_2/1{\sim}3\;hrs/1{\sim}10\;days)$. The changes in activities of major antioxidant enzymes(superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glucose-6-phasphate dehydrogenase), functional recovery and infarct size were observed in the experimentally induced ischemia-reperfused hearts. In the hearts isolated from rats pretreated with $2\;atm\;O_2/1{\sim}2\;hrs$ for 5 days, the functional recovery after reperfusion(20 min) following global ischemia(25 min) was significantly increased without any observable oxygen toxicity. Lactate dehydrogenase release was also significantly reduced in this hyperbaric oxygenated rat hearts. In in vivo regional ischemia(30 min) model of rabbit hearts, pretreatrment with $2\;atm\;O_2/1\;hr$ for 5 days significantly limited the infarct size. Among the myocardial antioxidant enzymes of rat hearts pretreated with the hyperbaric oxygenation, the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase and glucose-6-phosphatase dehydrogenase were increased, while those of glutathione peroxidase and reductase were not changed. There were lethal cases in the groups of rats exposed to 3 atm $3\;atm\;O_2/2{\sim}3\;hrs$ for 5 days. A lipid-peroxidation product, rnnlondialdehyde was increased in brains and livers of the rats exposed to$2\;atm\;O_2/2{\sim}3\;hrs/5\;days\;and\;3\;atm\;O_2/1\;hr/5days$. The present results suggest that the pretreatment of hyperbaric oxygenation can protect the post-ischemic rererfused hearts in association with a stimulation of the activities of myocardial antioxidant defensive enzymes, and that the hyperbaric oxygenation of $2\;atm\;O_2/1\;hr$for 5 days would be a safe condition which does not produce any oxygen toxicity.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.9
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• pp.796-805
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• 2015

Gintonin is a novel ginseng-derived lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor ligand. Oral administration of gintonin ameliorates learning and memory dysfunctions in Alzheimer's disease (AD) animal models. The brain cholinergic system plays a key role in cognitive functions. The brains of AD patients show a reduction in acetylcholine concentration caused by cholinergic system impairments. However, little is known about the role of LPA in the cholinergic system. In this study, we used gintonin to investigate the effect of LPA receptor activation on the cholinergic system in vitro and in vivo using wild-type and AD animal models. Gintonin induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i $ transient in cultured mouse hippocampal neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Gintonin-mediated $[Ca^{2+}]_i $ transients were linked to stimulation of acetylcholine release through LPA receptor activation. Oral administration of gintonin-enriched fraction (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg, 3 weeks) significantly attenuated scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Oral administration of gintonin (25 or 50 mg/kg, 1 2 weeks) also significantly attenuated amyloid-${\beta}$ protein ($A{\beta}$)-induced cholinergic dysfunctions, such as decreased acetylcholine concentration, decreased choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and immunoreactivity, and increased acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity. In a transgenic AD mouse model, long-term oral administration of gintonin (25 or 50 mg/kg, 3 months) also attenuated AD-related cholinergic impairments. In this study, we showed that activation of G protein-coupled LPA receptors by gintonin is coupled to the regulation of cholinergic functions. Furthermore, this study showed that gintonin could be a novel agent for the restoration of cholinergic system damages due to $A{\beta}$ and could be utilized for AD prevention or therapy.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.58-69
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• 1976

It is well established that dissolution is freruently the rate limiting step in the gastrointestinal absorpton of a drug from a solid dosage from. The relationship between the dissolution rate and absorption is particularly distinct when considering drugs of low solubility. Consequently, numerous attempts have been made to modify the dissolution characteristics of poorly water soluble drugs. Since dissolution rate is directly proportional to surface area, one may increase the rate by decreasing the particle size of the drug. Levy has considered a number of methods by which a drug may be presented to the GI fludids in finely divided from. The direct method is the utilization of microcrystalline or micronized particles. A second method involves the administration of solutions from which, upon dilution with gastric fluids, the dissolved drug will precipitate in the form of very fine particles. A more unique way of obtaining microcrystalline dispersions of a drug has been ercently suggested by Sekiguchi et al. They have first proposed the formation of a eutectic mixture of a poorly water soruble drug with a physiologically inert, easily soluble carrier. When such systems are exposed to water or GI fluids, the soluble carrier will dissolve rapidly and the finely dispersed drug particles will then be released. It has been suggested by Shefter and Higuchi that the formation of crystalline solvate could be a powerful tool in affecting rapid disslution of highly insoluble substances. Goldberg et al. have noted that the formation of solid solution could reduce the particle size to a minimum and increase the dissolution rate as well as the solubility of the durgs. It has also been shown that the rates of solution of drugs were appreciably increased by coprectipitating the drug with soluble polymers. The increase was found to be sensitive to the method of preparation, the molecular weight of polymer and the particular ratio of drugs to polymer. Although several investigations have demontrated that the solubility and/or dissolution rates of drugs can be increased in this manner, little information is available in the literature related to the in vivo absorption pattern of drugs orally administered as PVP coprecipitates. Recently, however, it was demonstrated that both the rate and extent of absorption of the insoluble drug could be markedly enhanced when orally administered to rats in the form of a coprecipitate with PVP. The purpose of the present investigation was to ascertain the general appility of soluble polymer coprectation technique as a method for enhancing the in vitro dissolution rate of hydrophobic indomethacin. To accomplish this aim, the dissolution characteristics of pure indomethacin, indomethcin-polymer physical mixtures and indomethacin-polymer coprecipitates were quantitatively studied by comparing their relative dissolution rates. The solubility and dissolution behavior of these systems were also examined.