• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) are a group of ${\beta}$-phenethylamine derivatives that produce central nervous system stimulants effects. The representative ATS are methamphetamine and 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and abuse of ATS has become a global problem. Methamphetamine is abused in North America and Asia, while amphetamine and 3, 4-methyle nedioxym ethamphetamine (Ecstasy) are abused in Europe and Australia. Methamphetamine is also the most abused drug in Korea. In addition to the conventional ATS, new psychoactive substances (NPS) including phenethylamines and synthetic cathinones, which have similar effects and chemical structure to ATS, continue to spread to the global market since 2009, and more than 739 NPS have been identified. For the analysis of ATS, two tests that have different theoretical principles have to be conducted, and screening tests by immunoassay and confirmatory tests using GC/MS or LC/MS are the global standard methods. As most ATS have a chiral center, enantiomer separation is an important point in forensic analysis, and it can be conducted using chiral derivatization reagents or chiral columns. In order to respond to the growing drug crime, it is necessary to develop a fast and efficient analytical method.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.258-269
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• 2022

Background and Objectives: Currently, safety pharmacological tests for the central nervous system depend on animal behavioral analysis. However, due to the subjectivity of behavioral analysis and differences between species, there is a limit to appropriate nervous system toxicity assessment, therefore a new neurotoxicity assessment that can simulate the human central nervous system is required. Methods and Results: In our study, we developed an in vitro neurotoxicity assessment focusing on neuronal function. To minimize the differences between species and fast screening, hiPSC-derived neurons and a microelectrode array (MEA) that could simultaneously measure the action potentials of the neuronal networks were used. After analyzing the molecular and electrophysiological characters of our neuronal network, we conducted a neurotoxicity assessment on neurotransmitters, neurotoxicants, illicit drugs, and new psychoactive substances (NPS). We found that most substances used in our experiments responded more sensitively to our MEA-based neurotoxicity assessment than to the conventional neurotoxicity assessment. Also, this is the first paper that evaluates various illicit drugs and NPS using MEA-based neurotoxicity assessment using hiPSC-derived neurons. Conclusions: Our study expanded the scope of application of neurotoxicity assessment using hiPSC-derived neurons to NPS, and accumulated evaluation data of various toxic substances for hiPSC-derived neurons.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.578-585
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• 2017

Recently, there has been a rise in the number of amphetamine derivatives that serve as substitutes for controlled substances (e.g. amphetamine and methamphetamine) on the global illegal drug market. These substances are capable of producing rewarding effects similar to their parent drug. In anticipation of the future rise of new and similar psychoactive substances, we designed and synthesized four novel amphetamine derivatives with N-benzyl, N-benzylamphetamine HCl (NBNA) substituent on the amine region, 1,4-dioxane ring, ethylenedioxy-amphetamine HCl (EDA), methyl, para-methylamphetamine HCl (PMEA), and naphthalene, 2-(aminopropyl) naphthalene HCl (2-APN) substituents on the phenyl site. Then, we evaluated their abuse potential in the conditioned place preference (CPP) test in mice and self-administration (SA) test in rats. We also investigated the psychostimulant properties of the novel drugs using the locomotor sensitization test in mice. Moreover, we performed qRT-PCR analyses to explore the effects of the novel drugs on the expression of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor genes in the striatum. NBNA, but not EDA, PMEA, and 2-APN, induced CPP and SA in rodents. None of the test drugs have produced locomotor sensitization. qRT-PCR analyses demonstrated that NBNA increased the expression of striatal D1 dopamine receptor genes. These data indicate that NBNA yields rewarding effects, suggesting potential for abuse. Continual observation for the rise of related substances is thus strongly encouraged.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.79 -94
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• 2024

Over the past few decades, new psychoactive substances (NPS) have become prevailing. With the widespread emergence of NPS, phenethylamines (PEAs) have become one of the groups abused most which PEAs, along with other stimulants, make up the majority of stimulants. When determining the NPS, the methods for screening and confirmation are crucial which assesses the reliability of testimony. In this study, a set of GC/MS methods employing two derivatizing agents for determining 76 target PEAs in urine was established and further applied for authentic sample analysis. Five PEAs (N,N-DMA, PMMA, 4-CA, amphetamine, and methamphetamine) with contents over their LLOQs were detected in thirteen of the twenty tested samples. In order to compare the result from the GC/MS methods with the previously established LC-MS/MS method, Cohen's kappa coefficient and McNemar's test were applied for statistical analysis. Perfect agreement between GC/MS and LC-MS/MS techniques for determining target PEAs is demonstrated by the Kappa coefficient for each of the five detected targets.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2016

NMR spectrometer has been regarded as essential tool for structure elucidation in variable scientific field as like organic synthesis, natural product and macro protein research. Also NMR can be applied for defining dynamic behavior like ligand and receptor binding. One of advantage of research with NMR is that to be great confident to confirm structure and the measured sample could be recovered. Nevertheless NMR also has a weak points than other spectroscopic methods that require a lot of time for interpreting acquired spectrum and running time due to low sensitivity. For last two decade Bruker has developed hardware and software solution for overcome those weak points. In order to overcome low sensitivity Bruker introduced Cryo and Micro diameter probe head technology. And researcher can reduce the time for routine spectrum processing and interpretation works due to lots of introductions in software solutions for quantification, identification and statistics analysis. With four examples, this article describing those new hardware and software solutions in field of recent pharmaceutical research as follows. - New Horizons for NMR in the Biopharmaceutical Industry - The development and application of solid-state NMR spectroscopy (SSNMR) in pharmaceutical analysis - Assisted NMR Data Interpretation in Synthetic Chemistry - Complete Analysis of New Psychoactive Substances Using NMR.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.266-271
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• 2017

Synthetic cannabinoids are one of most abused new psychoactive substances. The recreational use of abused drug has aroused serious concerns about the consequences of these drugs on infection. However, the effects of synthetic cannabinoid on resistance to tetanus toxin are not fully understood yet. In the present study, we aimed to determine if the administration of synthetic cannabinoids increase the susceptibility to tetanus toxin-induced motor behavioral deficit and functional changes in cerebellar neurons in mice. Furthermore, we measured T lymphocytes marker levels, such as CD8 and CD4 which against tetanus toxin. JWH-210 administration decreased expression levels of T cell activators including cluster of differentiation (CD) $3{\varepsilon}$, $CD3{\gamma}$, CD74p31, and CD74p41. In addition, we demonstrated that JWH-210 induced motor impairment and decrement of vesicle-associated membrane proteins 2 levels in the cerebellum of mice treated with tetanus toxin. Furthermore, cerebellar glutamatergic neuronal homeostasis was hampered by JWH-210 administration, as evidenced by increased glutamate concentration levels in the cerebellum. These results suggest that JWH-210 may increase the vulnerability to tetanus toxin via the regulation of immune function.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.659-664
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• 2017

Although lisdexamfetamine is used as a recreational drug, little research exists regarding its potential for dependence or its precise mechanisms of action. This study aims to evaluate the psychoactivity and dependence profile of lisdexamfetamine using conditioned place preference and self-administration paradigms in rodents. Additionally, biochemical techniques are used to assess alterations in the dopamine levels in striatal synaptosomes following administration of lisdexamfetamine. Lisdexamfetamine increased both conditioned place preference and self-administration. Moreover, after administration of the lisdexamfetamine, dopamine levels in the striatal synaptosomes were significantly increased. Although some modifications should be made to the analytical methods, performing high performance liquid chromatography studies on synaptosomes can aid in predicting dependence liability when studying new psychoactive substances in the future. Collectively, lisdexamfetamine has potential for dependence possible via dopaminergic pathway.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2019

We developed a bioanalytical method for simultaneous determination of nine NBOMe derivatives (25H-NBOMe, 25B-NBOMe, 25E-NBOMe, 25N-NBOMe, 25C-NBOH, 25I-NBOH, 25B-NBF, 25C-NBF, and 25I-NBF) in human plasma using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Human plasma samples were pre-treated using solid-phase extraction. Separation was achieved on a C18 column under gradient elution using a mobile phase containing 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. Mass detection was performed in the positive ion mode using multiple reaction monitoring. The calibration range was 1-100 ng/mL for all quantitative analytes, with a correlation coefficient greater than 0.99. The intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy varied from 0.85 to 6.92% and from 90.19 to 108.69%, respectively. The recovery ranged from 86.36 to 118.52%, and the matrix effects ranged from 27.09 to 99.72%. The stability was acceptable in various conditions. The LC-MS/MS method was validated for linearity, accuracy, precision, matrix effects, recovery and stability in accordance with the FDA guidance. The proposed method is suitable for reliable and robust routine screening and analysis of nine NBOMe derivatives in forensic field.