• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.11-23
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• 1990

Systemic chemotherapy is usually regarded as the standard treatment for palliation in patients with recurrent or metastatic cancer who have failed the definite local treatment with surgery and/or radiotherapy. Recently, with the introduction of more active chemotherapeutic agents and combinations, systemic chemotherapy is being increasingly used before or after local therapy in patients with previously untreated locally advanced head and neck cancer. The most active agents for the head and neck caner are methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), cisplatin and bleomycin. The overall response rates to each of these four drugs are 15-30% expecially when used as first line therapy. But most of these responses are partial with a mean duration of 3-5 months. Various combinations with methotrexate, 5-FU, cisplatin, and bleomycin have been tried with overall response rates of 50-90%, and 10-20% of complete responses. The introduction of chemotherapy prior to local therapy, induction chemotherapy, has been investigated with improved survivals in patients with complete response, especially pathologic, though improvement in overall survival has not been proved yet after the induction chemotherapy. Other therapeutic modalities, such as 'Sandwich' chemotherapy between surgery and radiotherapy, concomittent chemo-radiotherapy and post local treatment adjuvant chemotherapy have been pursued with some hopeful results but these trials should be compared with prospective randomized Phase III trials. To increase the response rates and enhance the survival, important work still remains; 1. Identification of better prognostic factors, 2. Improvement in staging, 3. Development of more active and safter chemotherapeutic agents, 4. Identification of the proper sequence for the addition of chemotherapy to multimodality treatment, and 5. Testing the value of such chemotherapy in locally advanced cancer patients.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.274-280
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• 1999

A variety of mechanism may generate pain resulting from injury to the central and peripheral nervous system. None of these mechanism is disease-specific, and several different pain mechanism may be simultaneously present in anyone patient, independent of diagnosis. Diagnosis of neuropathic pain is often easily made from information gathered on neurologic examination and from patient history. Although treatment of neuropathic pain may be difficult, optimum treatment can be achieved if the neurologist has a complete understanding of therapeutic options, the mainstay of which is pharmacotherapy. Selection of an appropriate rharmacologic agent is by trial and error since individual responses to different agents, doses, and serum levels are highly variable. An adequate trial for each agent tried is key to pharmacologic treatment of neuropathic pain. Tricyclic antidepressants are first-line agents, although other drugs, including anticonvulsants, local anesthetic antiarrhythmics, clonidine, opiates, and certain topical agents, also offer pain relief in some patient populations. The novel antidepressants venlafaxine and nefazodone are potentially useful new drugs that are better tolerated than tricyclic antidepressants. Also Gabapentine seems an interesting and promising drug for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3057-3062
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• 2013

Background: Selecting chemotherapy regimens guided by chemosensitivity tests can provide individualized therapies for cancer patients. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2Htetrazolium, inner salt (MTS) assay is one in vitro assay which has become widely used to evaluate the sensitivity to anticancer agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical applicability and accuracy of MTS assay for predicting chemotherapeutic response in unresectable NSCLC patients. Methods: Cancer cells were isolated from malignant pleural effusions of patients by density gradient centrifugation, and their sensitivity to eight chemotherapeutic agents was examined by MTS assay and compared with clinical response. Results: A total of 37 patients participated in this study, and MTS assay produced results successfully in 34 patients (91.9%). The sensitivity rates ranged from 8.8% to 88.2%. Twenty-four of 34 patients who received chemotherapy were evaluated for in vitro-in vivo response analysis. The correlation between in vitro chemosensitivity result and in vivo response was highly significant (P=0.003), and the total predictive accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for MTS assay were 87.5%, 94.1%, 71.4%, 88.9%, and 83.3%, respectively. The in vitro sensitivity for CDDP also showed a significant correlation with in vivo response (P=0.018, r=0.522). Conclusion: MTS assay is a preferable in vitro chemosensitivity assay that could be use to predict the response to chemotherapy and select the appropriate chemotherapy regimens for unresectable NSCLC patients, which could greatly improve therapeutic efficacy and reduce unnecessary adverse effects.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.504-509
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• 2001

There are numerous agents with potential toxic effects on the lung. In particular, cytotoxic drugs constitute the largest and most important group of agents associated with lung toxicity. Bleomycin is commonly used, either alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents, in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma(head and neck, esophagus, and genitourinary tract), lymphoma, and germ cell tumor. One of the therapeutic advantages of bleomycin is its minimal bone marrow toxicity. However, pulmonary toxicity is one of the most serious adverse side effects. Classically, pulmonary toxicity manifests as a diffuse interstitial process or less commonly as a hypersensitivity reaction. This pulmonary toxicity is generally considered to be dose related and can progress to a fatal fibrosis. It is also possible that bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia(BOOP) is another manifestation of bleomycin induced toxicity. Bleomycin induced BOOP is less common and has a favorable response to steroid therapy. Here we present a case that demonstrates a BOOP, secondary to a relatively small cumulative dose of bleomycin($225mg/m^2$), may be reversible.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.430-435
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• 2013

Multidrug resistance, especially multidrug efflux mechanisms that extrude structurally unrelated cytotoxic compounds from the cell by multidrug transporters, is a serious problem and one of the main reasons for the failure of therapeutic treatment of infections by pathogenic microorganisms as well as of cancer cells. Streptococcus mutans is considered one of the primary causative agents of dental caries and periodontal disease, which comprise the most common oral diseases. A fragment of chromosomal DNA from S. mutans KCTC3065 was cloned using Escherichia coli KAM32 as host cells lacking major multidrug efflux pumps. Although E. coli KAM32 cells were very sensitive to many antimicrobial agents, the transformed cells harboring a recombinant plasmid became resistant to several structurally unrelated antimicrobial agents such as tetracycline, kanamycin, rhodamin 6G, ampicillin, acriflavine, ethidium bromide, and tetraphenylphosphonium chloride. This suggested that the cloned DNA fragment carries a gene encoding a multidrug efflux pump. Among 49 of the multidrug-resistant transformants, we report the functional gene cloning and characterization of the function of one multidrug efflux pump, namely MdeA from S. mutans, which was expressed in E. coli KAM32. Judging from the structural and biochemical properties, we concluded that MdeA is the first cloned and characterized multidrug efflux pump using the proton motive force as the energy for efflux drugs.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2010

Background: Clostridium difficile is the primary reason of the nosocomial diarrhea. The antimicrobial therapy plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD). Although nearly all classes of antimicrobial agents have been associated with CDAD, clindamycin and the third-generation cephalosporins have traditionally been considered to the greatest risk factor. Recent studies have also implicated fluoroquinolones as high-risk agents due to increasing use of the agents. This study was to determine the incidence and the risk factors of CDAD related to the administered antibiotics and to assess the therapeutic regimen of metronidazole or vancomycin based on the C. difficile toxin assay Methods: A retrospective study was performed in patients with Clostridium difficile toxin assay at I Hospital (Incheon, South Korea) during the period from January 2007 through December 2007. Administrative, laboratory, and pharmacy data were collected from Electronic Medical Databases. Results: The analysis included 129 reported C.difficile toxin assay results, with 42 positive cases and 87 negative cases. Significant antibiotic risk factors for CDAD included the use of the fourth-generation cephalosporinse (OR=5.97, 95% CI 1.37-25.98, P=0.017). Administration of metronidazole was protective against CDAD (OR=0.30, 95% CI 0.12-0.74, P=0.009). Prolonged antimicrobial therapy has been associated with an increased risk of CDAD. The third-generation cephalosporins (OR=3.81, 95% CI 1.08-13.41, P=0.037) and aminoglycoside (OR=5.50, 95% CI 1.43-21.10, P=0.013) demonstrated greater risk for CDAD over 15 days than 8days or less days of treatment duration. Conclusions: The fourth and third generation cephalosporin, aminglycoside were the significant risk factors compared with other antibiotics, whereas metronidazole appears to be protective. The longer duration of antiobiotic use increased CDAD.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.111-117
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• 2021

The study was aimed at developing an alternative therapeutic agent against acne vulgaris, one of the most common skin diseases, to meet the continuing demand for new therapies. Acne vulgaris is often associated with the acne-causing bacteria such as Cutibacterium acnes. To investigate the safety of agents against acne vulgaris, we evaluated the potential antibacterial activities of edible seaweeds against C. acnes in Korea. Forty-one edible seaweeds, including the brown, green, and red varieties, were selected for the antibacterial test. In comparison with other seaweeds, 70% ethanolic extracts of brown seaweeds, such as Cladophora wrightiana var. minor, Eisenia bicyclis, Ecklonia cava, Ishige foliacea, Ishige okamurae, Sargassum filicinum, and Sargassum miyabei Yendo, exhibited potential antibacterial activity against C. acnes with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging between 64 and 128 ㎍/mL. To investigate the active anti-acne agents and to enhance our understanding of the antibacterial activities against C. acnes, further solvent-fractionation experiments are warranted. The findings imply that brown seaweeds can be a potential source of natural agents against acne vulgaris.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.20-27
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• 2011

Hovenia dulcis Thunb (HDT) has been known folk medicine and has been used as therapeutic drug in the treatment of liver disease. Also it has been used as a detoxifying agents for alcoholic poisoning and promoting diuresis. However, there has not been any study on therapeutic effect of Hovenia dulcis extract on $CCl_4$ induced liver and kidney damage in rats. In this study, we report on therapeutic effects of Hovenia dulcis extract on $CCl_4$ induced liver and kidney damage in rats. Rats were divided into four groups of eighteen animals. Control group (DW) was administrated with distilled water 2.5 mL/kg per peritonial administration and then $CCl_4$ group (CCl) was administrated $CCl_4$ 2.5 mL/kg per peritonial administration, $CCl_4$+HDT extract group ($CCl_4$+HDT) was administrated HDT extrat (100 mg/kg) after $CCl_4$ 2.5 mL/kg administration, $CCl_4$+Silymarin group ($CCl_4$+Sily) was administrated Silymarin (50 mg/kg) after $CCl_4$ 2.5 mL/kg administration. The complete blood cell (CBC) count of RBC, WBC, PCV, Hb, MCH, MCV, MCHC and blood chemistry profile of AST, ALT, GGT, ALP, Total choloesterol, Tryglyceride, Total bilirubin, Amylase, Glucose, BUN, Creatinine, Lipase and pathologic changes were observed for 7 days after administration of D.W., $CCl_4$, $CCl_4$+HDT extract, $CCl_4$+Silymarin. The results are as follows : 1. RBC and PCV were significantly (p < 0.01) increased in all groups compared to D.W. but hemoglobin, MCH, MCV and MCHC were not showed significant difference during experimental periods. 2. AST, ALT, T-cholesterol, T-bilirubin, TG were significantly (p < 0.05) increased in all groups on day 3 compared to D.W. and were normal on day 7. 3. ALP was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in $CCl_4$+HDT group on day 3 but Amylase was not showed significant difference during experimental periods. 4. BUN was significantly (p < 0.05) increased in $CCl_4$ group on day 7, but $CCl_4$+HDT group and $CCl_4$+Sily group were normal. Creatninie was significantly (p < 0.05) increased in $CCl_4$ group on day 3 and normal on day 7 but $CCl_4$+HDT group and $CCl_4$+Sily group were not showed significant difference during experimental periods.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.313-318
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• 2012

Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic pathogen known to cause granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and amebic keratitis. Acanthamoeba exhibits life cycle consisting of trophozoite and cyst, and the cyst is highly resistant to variable antibiotics and therapeutic agents. To understand the encystation mechanism of Acanthamoeba, the expression profiles of trophozoite and cyst were compared by gene ontology (GO) analysis. Ribosomal proteins and cytoskeletal proteins were highly expressed in trophozoite. In cyst, various protease, and signal transduction - and protein turnover - related proteins were highly expressed. These results correlated with eukaryotic orthologous groups (KOG) assignment and microarray analysis of Acanthamoeba trophozoite and cyst ESTs. The information of differential expression profiles of trophozoite and cyst would provide important clues for research on encystation mechanism of cyst forming protozoa including Acanthamoeba.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.7261-7266
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• 2015

Breast cancer, the most common cancer in the women, is the leading cause of death. Necrotic signaling pathways will enable targeted therapeutic agents to eliminate apoptosis-resistant cancer cells. In the present study, the effect of shikonin on the induction of cell necroptosis or apoptosis was evaluated using the T-47D breast cancer cell line. The cell death modes, caspase-3 and 8 activities and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were assessed. Cell death mainly occurred through necroptosis. In the presence of Nec-1, caspase-3 mediated apoptosis was apparent in the shikonin treated cells. Shikonin stimulates ROS generation in the mitochondria of T-47D cells, which causes necroptosis or apoptosis. Induction of necroptosis, as a backup-programmed cell death pathway via ROS stimulation, offers a new strategy for the treatment of breast cancer.