• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.240-243
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• 1988

The hexane extract from Nutmeg, the seed of Myristica fragrans significantly inhibited hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme activity. Through systematic fractionation by $SiO_2$ column and vacuum liquid chromatography monitoring by bioassay, three components, myristicin, (I), licarin-B (II) and dehydrodiisoeugenol (III) were isolated as active principles. Compounds II and III, with a single treatment (200mg/kg, i.p.) showed not only a significant prolongation of hexobarbital-induced sleeping time but also a significant inhibition of aminopyrine N-demethylase and hexobarbital hydroxylase activities in mice. Compounds I and II provoked a sleep episode at a subhypnotic dose of HB, suggesting that they possess CNS-depressant properties.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.2597-2602
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• 2012

Novel 1,4-substituted piperazine derivatives 5, Series A and B were designed by fragment analysis and molecular modification of 4 selected piperazine-containing compounds which possess antidepressant activity. We synthesized new 39 analogues of Series A and 10 compounds of Series B, respectively. The antidepressant screening against DA, NE, and serotonin neurotransmitter uptake inhibition was carried out using the Neurotransmitter Transporter Uptake Assay Kit. The compounds in Series B showed relatively higher reuptake inhibitory activity for SERT, NET, and DAT than those in Series A. The length of spacer between the central piperazine core and the terminal phenyl ring substituted at the piperazine ring in Series B seems to exert an important role in the activity.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.196-200
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• 1989

The methanolic extract of the Rhizome of Curcuma zedoaria exhibited a significant prolongation of hexobarbital (HB)-induced hypnosis. Through liquid chromatography of an ether soluble fraction. monitoring by bioassay, three sequiterpenes, germacrone (A), curzerenone (B) and germacrone epoxide (C) were isolated as active consituents. A single treatment (100-200 mg/kg, i.p.) of each compound showed not only a significant prolongation of HB-induced sleeping time but also a significant inhibition of aminopyrine N-demethylase activity in mice, and further exhibited a typical type I binding spectra with oxidized rat hepatic cytochrome P-450 induced by phenobarbital. All of the compounds provoked a sleep episode at a subhypnotic dose of HB, implying that they possess CNS depressant properties.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.531-544
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• 2002

Ginseng is the best known and most popular herbal medicine used worldwide. Ameliorating effects of ginseng were observed on the models of scopolamine-induced, aged or hippocampal lesioned learning and memory deficits. Further beneficial effects of ginseng were observed on neuronal cell death associated with ischemia or glutamate toxicity. In spite of these beneficial effects of ginseng on the CNS, little scientific evidence shows at the cellular level. In the present study, we have employed cultures of rat hippocampal neurons and examined the direct modulation of ginseng on NMDA receptor-induced changes in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ and -gated currents using fura-2-based digital imaging and perforated whole-cell patch-clamp techniques, respectively. We found that ginseng total saponins inhibited NMDA-induced but less effectively glutamate-induced increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ Ginseng total saponins also modulated $Ca^{2+}$ transients evoked by depolarization with 50 mM KCI along with its own effects on $[Ca^{2+}]_i$. Among ginsenosides tested, ginsenoside $Rg_3$ was found to be the most potent component for ginseng actions on NMDA receptors. Furthermore, we examined the inhibitory effects ofbiotransformants of ginsenosides on NMDA receptor using purified stereoisomers of ginsenosides. 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ and its metabolite, 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rh_3$, produced the strongest inhibition while 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rh_1$ and Compound K produced the moderate inhibition on NMDA-induced increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$. The data obtained suggest that the inhibition of NMDA receptors by ginseng, in particular by 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rg_3$ and its metabolite, 20(S)-ginsenoside $Rh_2$, could be one of mechanisms for ginsengmediated neuroprotective actions.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.167-179
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• 1994

Recent evidence indicates that glial cells have a wide range of funtions which are critical for maintaining a balanced homeostatic environment in the central nervous system(CNS) peripheral nervous system(PNS). Morever, astrocytes are known to participate in the tissue repair and neuroimmunologic events within the CNS through many kinds of growth factors and cytokines. We investigated the effect of $TGF\;{\beta}_1$, on the growth and biochemical changes of rat glial cells in culture. The proliferative effect was determined by $^3H-thymidine$ uptake and the double immunostain with anti-cell-specific marker and anti-Bromodeoxyuridine(BrdU) antibody. To check the effect of biochemical changes we compared the amounts of glial fibrillar acidic protein(GFAP) and the activity of glutamine synthetase(GS) in astrocyte. And the amounts of myelin basic protein and the activity of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide phosphohydrolase(CNPase) were measured in oligodendrocyte and the amounts of peripheral myelin in Schwann cell. When $TGF\;{\beta}_1$, was treated for 2 days with cultured glial cell, $TGF\;{\beta}_1$, decreased the $^3H-thymidine$ uptake and proliferation index of double immunostain of astrocytes, which indicates the inhibition of astroglial DNA synthesis, but stimulated the growth of Schwann cell. Also, $TGF\;{\beta}_1$, decrease the GS activity and increased the amounts of GFAP in astrocyte. In the case of Schwann cells the amounts of peripheral myelin was increased when treated with $TGF\;{\beta}_1$. However, $TGF\;{\beta}_1$, didn't show any effect on the proliferation and biochemical changes in oligodendrocyte. These results suggest that $TGF\;{\beta}_1$, might have a critical action in the regulation of proliferation and biochemical changes in glial cells, especially astrocyte.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 1982

Zizyphus seed(Zizyphus vulgaris Lamark var. Spinosus Bunge) has long been used as hypnotics and sedatives in oriental medicine, and it is reported that the Zizyphus seed elicited a variety of pharmacologic actions besides CNS depression. Present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of Zizyphus seed on the central nervous system and on the blood pressure. The effect of Zizyphus seed on the central nervous system was measured by the influence of thiopental sleeping time and by inhibition of chemical convulsion (strychnine and pentylenetetrazol induced). Blood pressure changes by Zizyphus extract and its mode of action were investigated. The ground Zizyphus seed was extracted with hexane and methanol, consecutively and the supernatants were discarded. The precipitate was re-extracted with distilled water and the supernatant was evaporated to a dark-brownish sticky liquid, which was used as Zizyphus seed extract in this study after dissolving in saline prior to experiment. The results are as follows. 1) Zizyphus seed extract caused marked prolongation of the thiopental sleeping time in mice. 2) The chemical convulsion by strychnine and pentylenetetrazol, and the mortality by them in chicks were not affected by pretreatment of Zizyphus seed extract. 3) Zizyphus seed extract produced transient fall of blood pressure in the cat, and this hypotentive effect was blocked partially by atropine but not affected by bilateral vagotomy and/or hexamethonium, nor propranolol and, chlorpheniramine and/or cimetidine. With the above results, it may be suggested that the water extract of Zizyphus seeds contains components producing CNS depression and hypotension. Furthermore it is felt that the cholinergic effect, but not the adrenergic or histaminergic, is partly responsible for the hypotensive effect of Zizyphus seed extract.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.161-171
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• 2014

In several lysosomal storage disorders, including Niemann-Pick disease Type C (NP-C), sphingolipids, including glycosphingolipids, particularly gangliosides, are the predominant storage materials in the brain, raising the possibility that accumulation of these lipids may be involved in the NP-C neurodegenerative process. However, correlation of these accumulations and NP-C neuropathology has not been fully characterized. Here we derived NP-C mice with complete and partial deletion of the Siat9 (encoding GM3 synthase) gene in order to investigate the role of ganglioside in NP-C pathogenesis. According to our results, NP-C mice with homozygotic deletion of GM3 synthase exhibited an enhanced neuropathological phenotype and died significantly earlier than NP-C mice. Notably, in contrast to complete depletion, NP-C mice with partial deletion of the GM3 synthase gene showed ameliorated NP-C neuropathology, including motor disability, demyelination, and abnormal accumulation of cholesterol and sphingolipids. These findings indicate the crucial role of GM3 synthesis in the NP-C phenotype and progression of CNS pathologic abnormality, suggesting that well-controlled inhibition of GM3 synthesis could be used as a therapeutic strategy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.106-106
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• 2003

Choline serves critical roles in the CNS both as a precursor of neurotransmitter and as an essential component of membrane phospholipids. The long-term maintenance of brain choline concentration is dependent on choline transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), And, we examined to elucidate the characteristics of transport of choline across the BBB using conditionally immortalized rat brain capillary endothelial cell line (TR-BBB) in vitro. The ［$^3$H］choline in TR - BBB was increased by time dependently, but independent on Na$\^$＋/, and the transport process is saturable with Michaelis-Menten constrant, Km of about 26 ${\mu}$M. The uptake of ［$^3$H］choline is susceptible for inhibition by various organic cationic compounds including hemicholinium-3, tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA) and $\ell$-carnitine. Also, we investigated the relationship of transport of choline and cationic drugs. The uptake of ［$^3$H］choline is inhibited by antioxidant, a-phenyl-n-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN) with IC$\sub$50/ of 1.2 mM. and by Alzheimer's disease therapeutics, such as acetyl $\ell$-carnitine, tacrine and donepezil. Also, choline uptake presented competitive inhibition with PBN, donepezil and acetyl $\ell$-carnitine in Lineweaver-Burk plot. In conclusion, TR-BBB cells express a saturable transport system for uptake of choline, and several cationic drugs may be transported into the brain by BBB choline transporter.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2010

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, donepezil and tacrine suggested to be mediated by choline transport system in our previous study. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the interaction of other AChE inhibitors, rivastigmine and galantamine with choline transporter at the BBB. The effects of rivastigmine and galantamine on the transport of choline by conditionally immortalized rat brain capillary endothelial cell lines (TR-BBB cells) were characterized by cellular uptake study using radiolabeled choline. The uptake of [$^3H$]choline was inhibited by rivastigmine and galantamine, with $IC_{50}$ values (i.e. concentration necessary for 50% inhibition) for 1.13 and 1.15 mM, respectively. Rivastigmine inhibited the uptake of [$^3H$]choline competitively with $K_i$ of 1.01 mM, but galantamine inhibited noncompetitively. In addition, the efflux of [$^3H$]choline was significantly inhibited by rivastigmine and galantamine. Our results indicated that the BBB choline transporter may be involved in a part of the influx and efflux transport of rivastigmine across the BBB. These findings should be therapeutically relevant to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with AChE inhibitors, and, more generally, to the BBB transport of CNS-acting cationic drugs via choline transporter.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1739-1744
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• 2016

We report herein an in vitro anticancer evaluation of a series of seven curcumin analogues (3a-g). The National Cancer Institute (NCI US) Protocol was followed and all the compounds were evaluated for their anticancer activity on nine different panels (leukemia, non small cell lung cancer, colon cancer, CNS cancer, melanoma, ovarian cancer, renal cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer) represented by 60 NCI human cancer cell lines. All the compounds showed significant anticancer activity in one dose assay (drug concentration $10{\mu}M$) and hence were evaluated further in five dose assays (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 and $100{\mu}M$) and three dose related parameters $GI_{50}$, TGI and $LC_{50}$ were calculated for each (3a-g) in micro molar drug concentrations (${\mu}M$). The compound 3d (NSC 757927) showed maximum mean percent growth inhibition (PGI) of 112.2%, while compound 3g (NSC 763374) showed less mean PGI of 40.1% in the one dose assay. The maximum anticancer activity was observed with the SR (leukemia) cell line with a $GI_{50}$ of $0.03{\mu}M$. The calculated average sensitivity of all cell lines of a particular subpanel toward the test agent showed that all the curcumin analogues showed maximum activity on leukemia cell lines with $GI_{50}$ values between 0.23 and $2.67{\mu}M$.