• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.141.1-141.1
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• 2001

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.16-26
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• 2012

Ginseng is one of the most widely used herbal medicines and is reported to have a wide range of therapeutic and pharmacological applications. Ginseng may also be potentially valuable in treating cardiovascular diseases. Research concerning cardiovascular disease is focusing on purified individual ginsenoside constituents of ginseng to reveal specific mechanisms instead of using whole ginseng extracts. The most commonly studied ginsenosides are $Rb_1$, $Rg_1$, $Rg_3$, $Rh_1$, Re, and Rd. The molecular mechanisms and medical applications of ginsenosides in the treatment of cardiovascular disease have attracted much attention and been the subject of numerous publications. Here, we review the current literature on the myriad pharmacological functions and the potential benefits of ginseng in this area. In vitro investigations using cell cultures and in vivo animal models have indicated ginseng's potential cardiovascular benefits through diverse mechanisms that include antioxidation, modifying vasomotor function, reducing platelet adhesion, influencing ion channels, altering autonomic neurotransmitters release, and improving lipid profiles. Some 40 ginsenosides have been identified. Each may have different effects in pharmacology and mechanisms due to their different chemical structures. This review also summarizes results of relevant clinical trials regarding the cardiovascular effects of ginseng, particularly in the management of hypertension and improving cardiovascular function.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.72-78
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• 2000

The general pharmacological properties of YJA20379-1 2-dimethylamino-4,5-dihydrothiazolo[4,5:3,4]pyridol[1,2-a]benzoimidazole, a novel proton pump inhibitor with antiulcer activities were investigated in mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits. YJA20379-2 at oral doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg did not affect the general behaviour, hexobarbital hypnosis and motor coordination in mice. The drug did not have analgesic or anticonvulsant action at 200 mg/kg. Locomotor activity and body temperature were not influenced at 100 mg/kg. At a concentration up to 2{\times}10^{-4} g/ml$, YJA20379-2 did not produce any contraction or relaxation of isolated preparations, such as the rat fundus, the guinea pig ileum and the rat uterus, and did not antagonize the contractile response to several spasmogens, such as histamine, acetylcholine, serotonin and oxytocin. At dosages up to 200 mg/kg p.o. YJA20379-2 did not affect the pupil size of mice. Intestinal propulsion of mice was not affected up to 200 mg/kg p.o. and the drug did not affect urinary excretion at 100 mg/kg p.o. These results indicate that at dosages up to 100 gm/kg p.o. YJA20379-2 was found not to affect this pharmacological profile. However, at 200 mg/kg the drug lowered body temperature and showed decreased in locomotor activity and urine volume.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.211-219
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• 1993

The general and some pharmacological actions of DWP 302 were investigated in animals and the following results were obtained. In central nervous system, DWP 302 had no effects on the pentobarbital induced anaesthesia, locomotor activity, rotarod test, traction test, analgesic action in the mice and body temperature in the rat. DWP 302 showed no depressive action on the convulsion induced by strychnine and electronic shock. From these results, DWP 302 was considered to have no or little pharmacological effect on the central nervous system. Furthermore, DWP 302 had no influences on the normal blood pressure and heart rate. In the isolated ileum of guinea pig, DWP 302 showed neither contractive nor relaxing effects against the acetylcholine ($10^{-6}g/mι$), histamine ($10^{-6}g/mι$) and $BaCl_2$ ($10^{-4}g/mι$) at a concentration of $1.9{\times}10^{-4}g/mι$ in bath. But it caused a slight increase in basal tone at a concentration of $6.3{\times}10^{-4}g/mι$ and this effect was inhibited by atropine $10^{-7}g/mι.$ In the isolated trachea and vas deference, DWP 302 showed no effect on the contractions produced by histamine and norepinephrine, respectively. And DWP 302 showed no effect on the contractions produced by acetylcholine and oxytocin in the isolated nonpregnant rat uterus. DWP 302 had no effect on bile excretion, urine volume, pH and gastrointestinal motility, But, DWP 302 showed a significant inhibitory effect on gastric secretion in the rat.

• CELLMED
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1.1-1.13
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• 2019

Background: Contents of bioactive substances extractable from different parts of terrestrial plants vary enormously. Aim: To ascertain that parts of Withania somnifera other than its roots can also be used for prevention and cure of unavoidable stress triggered central hypersensitivity to pain. Material and Methods: Groups of male or female mice treated either with Withania somnifera extracts or with metformin, aspirin, imipramine, diazepam and niacin for 11 consecutive days were subjected to "foot-shock stress-induced hyperthermia" and "hot plate" tests on the 1st, 5th, 7th, and 10th days of the experiments. On the 11th day, they were subjected to tail suspension test and on 12th day pentobarbital hypnosis test. Results: Except for diazepam and imipramine, protective effects of all other tested drugs as well as of the Withania somnifera extracts against stress-induced central hypersensitivity to pain were accompanied by their preventive effects against foot-shock stress-induced body weight losses. All observed stress response suppressing effects of all test agents increased with increasing numbers of treatment days. However, mean duration of pentobarbital-induced sleep was shorter in the extracts treated groups and longer in the diazepam treated ones only. Conclusions: Reported observations reveal that pharmacological activity profile of Withania somnifera extracts in male and female mice are almost identical, and are not like those of several drugs currently often prescribed for the treatment of diabetes-associated comorbidities. Withanolides are not the only extractable bioactive constituents of Withania somnifera. The described bioassay system is well suited for pharmacological standardization of diverse types of Withania somnifera extracts.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.267-275
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• 2023

Cardiotoxicity, particularly drug-induced Torsades de Pointes (TdP), is a concern in drug safety assessment. The recent establishment of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (human iPSC-CMs) has become an attractive human-based platform for predicting cardiotoxicity. Moreover, electrophysiological assessment of multiple cardiac ion channel blocks is emerging as an important parameter to recapitulate proarrhythmic cardiotoxicity. Therefore, we aimed to establish a novel in vitro multiple cardiac ion channel screening-based method using human iPSC-CMs to predict the drug-induced arrhythmogenic risk. To explain the cellular mechanisms underlying the cardiotoxicity of three representative TdP high- (sotalol), intermediate- (chlorpromazine), and low-risk (mexiletine) drugs, and their effects on the cardiac action potential (AP) waveform and voltage-gated ion channels were explored using human iPSC-CMs. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we investigated the effects of cardioactive channel inhibitors on the electrophysiological profile of human iPSC-CMs before evaluating the cardiotoxicity of these drugs. In human iPSC-CMs, sotalol prolonged the AP duration and reduced the total amplitude (TA) via selective inhibition of I_Kr and I_Na currents, which are associated with an increased risk of ventricular tachycardia TdP. In contrast, chlorpromazine did not affect the TA; however, it slightly increased AP duration via balanced inhibition of I_Kr and I_Ca currents. Moreover, mexiletine did not affect the TA, yet slightly reduced the AP duration via dominant inhibition of I_Ca currents, which are associated with a decreased risk of ventricular tachycardia TdP. Based on these results, we suggest that human iPSC-CMs can be extended to other preclinical protocols and can supplement drug safety assessments.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.13-16
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• 2010

The active components in a plant extract can be represented as mass profiles. We introduce here a new, multi-compound discovery method known as Scaling of Correlations between Activity and Mass Profiles (SCAMP). In this method, a correlation coefficient is used to quantify similarities between the extract activity and mass profiles. The method was evaluated by first measuring the anti-oxidation activity of eleven fractions of an Astragali Radix extract using DPPH assays. Next, 15 T Fouriertransform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) MS was employed to generate mass profiles of the eleven fractions. A comparison of correlation coefficients indicated two compounds at m/z 285.076 and 286.076 that were strong antioxidants. Principal component analyses of these profiles yielded the same result. FT-ICR MS, which offers a mass resolving power of 500,000, was used to discern isotopic fine structures and indicated that the molecular formula corresponding to the peak at m/z 285.076 was $C_{16}H_{13}O_5$. SCAMP in combination with high-resolution MS can be applied to any type of mixture to study pharmacological activity and is a powerful tool for active compound discovery in plant extract studies.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.179-193
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• 2020

Ginseng products on the market show high variability in their composition and overall quality. This becomes a challenge for both consumers and health-care professionals who are in search of high-quality, reliable ginseng products that have a proven safety and efficacy profile. The botanical extract standardization is of crucial importance in this context as it determines the reproducibility of the quality of the product that is essential for the evaluation of effectiveness and safety. This review focuses on the well-characterized and standardized ginseng extract, G115, which represents an excellent example of an herbal drug preparation with constant safety and efficacy within the herbal medicinal products. Over the many decades, extensive preclinical and clinical research has been conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of G115. In vitro and in vivo studies of G115 have shown pharmacological effects on physical performance, cognitive function, metabolism, and the immune system. Furthermore, a significant number of G115 clinical studies, most of them double-blind placebo-controlled, have reinforced the findings of preclinical evidence and proved the efficacy of this extract on blood glucose and lipid regulation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, energy, physical performance, and immune and cognitive functions. Clinical trials and 50 years of presence on the market are proof of a good safety profile of G115.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1997.11a
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• pp.87-91
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• 1997

The range of disorders of old age that are thought potentially amenable to drug therapy is increasing. However, factors such as the growing costs of drug development and prescription, the novel pharmacological profile and enhanced potency of many new compounds, and the concerns that the elderly may have enhanced susceptibility to toxicity all make drug usage in the elderly patient an increasingly specialized topic. This is compounded by the high incidence of multiple disorders in frail elderly patients, and consequently the possibility of the long term use of several drugs, thus, adding the risk of drug interactions. Thus, clinical pharmacology in the elderly requires understanding of pharmacologic characteristic determinants of the physiological changes (Table 1) associated with aging in terms of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.344.3-345
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• 2002

For the development of novel anticancer agent. we have designed. synthesized. and tested novel 4-phenyl-1(N)-arylsulfonylimidazolidinones. As a result. much more potent cytotoxicities of these compounds against the various cancer cell lines than those of doxorubicin were demonstrated. Elaboration on aryl motif on sulfonyl moiety led us to find highly potent 4-phenyl-1-(N-acylindoline-5-sulfonyl)imidazolidinones. Among them, 4-phenyl-l- ［N-(p-aminobenzoyl)indoline-5-sulfonyl］imidazolidinone (PA) was proved to have good pharmacological profile. (omitted)