• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2019

A major predictor of the efficacy of natural or synthetic cannabinoids is their binding affinity to the cannabinoid type I receptor ($CB_1$) in the central nervous system, as the main psychological effects of cannabinoids are achieved via binding to this receptor. Conventionally, receptor binding assays have been performed using isotopes, which are inconvenient owing to the effects of radioactivity. In the present study, the binding affinities of five cannabinoids for purified $CB_1$ were measured using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique as a putative non-isotopic receptor binding assay. Results were compared with those of a radio-isotope-labeled receptor binding assay. The representative natural cannabinoid ${\Delta}^9$-tetrahydrocannabinol and four synthetic cannabinoids, JWH-015, JWH-210, RCS-4, and JWH-250, were assessed using both the SPR biosensor assay and the conventional isotopic receptor binding assay. The binding affinities of the test substances to $CB_1$ were determined to be (from highest to lowest) $9.52{\times}10^{-3}M$ (JWH-210), $6.54{\times}10^{-12}M$ (JWH-250), $1.56{\times}10^{-11}M$ (${\Delta}^9$-tetrahydrocannabinol), $2.75{\times}10^{-11}M$ (RCS-4), and $6.80{\times}10^{-11}M$ (JWH-015) using the non-isotopic method. Using the conventional isotopic receptor binding assay, the same order of affinities was observed. In conclusion, our results support the use of kinetic analysis via SPR in place of the isotopic receptor binding assay. To replace the receptor binding affinity assay with SPR techniques in routine assays, further studies for method validation will be needed in the future.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute an important class of drug targets and are involved in every aspect of human physiology including sleep regulation, blood pressure, mood, food intake, perception of pain, control of cancer growth, and immune response. Radiometric assays have been the classic method used during the search for potential therapeutics acting at various GPCRs for most GPCR-based drug discovery research programs. An increasing number of diverse small molecules, together with novel GPCR targets identified from genomics efforts, necessitates the use of high-throughput assays with a good sensitivity and specificity. Currently, a wide array of high-throughput tools for research on GPCRs is available and can be used to study receptor-ligand interaction, receptor driven functional response, receptor-receptor interaction,and receptor internalization. Many of the assay technologies are based on luminescence or fluorescence and can be easily applied in cell based models to reduce gaps between in vitro and in vivo studies for drug discovery processes. Especially, cell based models for GPCR can be efficiently employed to deconvolute the integrated information concerning the ligand-receptor-function axis obtained from label-free detection technology. This review covers various platform technologies used for the research of GPCRs, concentrating on the principal, non-radiometric homogeneous assay technologies. As current technology is rapidly advancing, the combination of probe chemistry, optical instruments, and GPCR biology will provide us with many new technologies to apply in the future.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2012

Chemokine receptor antagonists have potential applications in field of drug discovery. Although the chemokine receptors are G-protein-coupled receptors, their cognate ligands are small proteins (8 to 12 kDa), and so inhibiting the ligand/receptor interaction has been challenging. The application of structure-based in-silico methods to drug discovery is still considered a major challenge, especially when the x-ray structure of the target protein is unknown. Such is the case with human CCR2 and CCR5, the most important members of the chemokine receptor family and also a potential drug target. Herein, we review the success stories of combined receptor modeling/mutagenesis approach to probe the allosteric nature of chemokine receptor binding by small molecule antagonists for CCR2 and CCR5 using Rhodopsin as template. We also urged the importance of recently available ${\beta}2$-andrenergic receptor as an alternate template to guide mutagenesis. The results demonstrate the usefulness and robustness of in-silico 3D models. These models could also be useful for the design of novel and potent CCR2 and CCR5 antagonists using structure based drug design.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 2013

G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily is the largest known receptor family, characterized by seven transmembrane domains and considered to be an important drug target. In this study we focused on an orphan GPCR termed as GPR18. As there is no X-ray crystal structure has been reported for this receptor, we report on a homology model of GPR18. Template structure with high homology was used for modeling and ten models were developed. A model was selected and refined by energy minimization. The selected model was further validated using various parameters. Our results could be a starting point for further structure based drug design.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.350.1-350.1
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• 2002

A series of diaralkylthiourea derivatives was prepared and tested for its antagonistic activity against vanilloid receptor. In this study we explored the possibility of selected compound type (Ⅰ) with tetrahydronaphthyl group as rigid pendant moiety. Our premise for antagonistic activity of molecules was modeled on the capsazepine. the first antagonist for vanilloid receptor. These compounds (Ⅰ) showed less potent antagonistic activity than that of capsazepine. but they were devoid of agonistic activity. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.167-167
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• 2001

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors(PPARs) are member of the neuclear hormone receptor superfamiliy of ligand-dependent transcription factors that heterodimerizes with the retinoid X receptor to function as a transcriptional regulator. They are divided into three subtypes(PPAR-$\alpha$, $\beta$ and ${\gamma}$).(omitted)

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.357-362
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• 2019

Limonene is a cyclic terpene found in citrus essential oils and inhibits methamphetamine- induced locomotor activity. Drug dependence is a severe neuropsychiatric condition that depends in part on changes in neurotransmission and neuroadaptation, induced by exposure to recreational drugs such as morphine and methamphetamine. In this study, we investigated the effects of limonene on the psychological dependence induced by drug abuse. The development of sensitization, dopamine receptor supersensitivity, and conditioned place preferences in rats was measured following administration of limonene (10 or 20 mg/kg) and methamphetamine (1 mg/kg) for 4 days. Limonene inhibits methamphetamine- induced sensitization to locomotor activity. Expression of dopamine receptor supersensitivity induced by apomorphine, a dopamine receptor agonist, was significantly reduced in limonenepretreated rats. However, there was no significant difference in methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preferences between the limonene and control groups. These results suggest that limonene may ameliorate drug addiction-related behaviors by regulating postsynaptic dopamine receptor supersensitivity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1994.11a
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• pp.93-98
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• 1994

Most drug discovery has focused in recent years on the development of molecules that either interact with or block receptors, proteins that act as on-off switches for genetic activity, on the surfaces of human cells. Now, we have developed a technology that targets “receptors inside the cell” (intracellular receptors), opening a new and compelling avenue for drug discovery. Our receptor-based small molecule drugs can be catagorized in two ways: 1) receptor agonists, or molecules that activate a receptor; and 2) receptor antagonists, or drugs that inactivate a receptor.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.99-103
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• 1996

Effects of glycerin and PEG 400 in donor and receptor solutions upon skin permeation of drug were investigated. Deoxycortisone was used as a model compound. In vitro skin permeation study with freshly excised hairless mouse skin was performed and the steady-state skin permeation rates of the drug were determined in different fractions of glycerin or PEG 400 in donor and receptor solutions. Glycerin in donor solution didn't show any effect on the skin permeation rate of deoxycortisone. However glycerin in receptor solution showed significant effect on the skin permeation rate of the drug. In glycerin, there's a critical concentration for balancing hydration and dehydration of skin. At low concentration, less than 20 %, glycerin showed the enhancement of the flux due to the hydration effect of skin. At high concentration, more than 30 %, glycerin retard the permeation rate which might be due to the dehydration effect on the dermis layer. Since dermis has more water content than the stratum corneum, the steady state skin permeation rates were more influenced when glycerin was in receptor solution than that of in donor solution. PEG 400 aqueous solutions doesn't affect the steady state permeation rate of deoxycortisone significantly.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2017

Lamotrigine is an antiepileptic drug widely used to treat epileptic seizures. Using whole-cell voltage clamp recordings in combination with a fast drug application approach, we investigated the effects of lamotrigine on 5-hydroxytryptamine $(5-HT)_3$ receptors in NCB-20 neuroblastoma cells. Co-application of lamotrigine ($1{\sim}300{\mu}M$) resulted in a concentration-dependent reduction in peak amplitude of currents induced by $3{\mu}m$ of 5-HT for an $IC_{50}$ value of $28.2{\pm}3.6{\mu}M$ with a Hill coefficient of $1.2{\pm}0.1$. These peak amplitude decreases were accompanied by the rise slope reduction. In addition, $5-HT_3$-mediated currents evoked by 1 mM dopamine, a partial $5-HT_3$ receptor agonist, were inhibited by lamotrigine co-application. The $EC_{50}$ of 5-HT for $5-HT_3$ receptor currents were shifted to the right by co-application of lamotrigine without a significant change of maximal effect. Currents activated by 5-HT and lamotrigine co-application in the presence of 1 min pretreatment of lamotrigine were similar to those activated by 5-HT and lamotrigine co-application alone. Moreover, subsequent application of lamotrigine in the presence of 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindole, known to attenuate $5-HT_3$ receptor desensitization, inhibited $5-HT_3$ receptor currents in a concentration-dependent manner. The deactivation of $5-HT_3$ receptor was delayed by washing with an external solution containing lamotrigine. Lamotrigine accelerated the desensitization process of $5-HT_3$ receptors. There was no voltage-dependency in the inhibitory effects of lamotrigine on the $5-HT_3$ receptor currents. These results indicate that lamotrigine inhibits $5-HT_3$-activated currents in a competitive manner by binding to the open state of the channels and blocking channel activation or accelerating receptor desensitization.