• Toxicological Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2007

Transporters are membrane proteins that mediate the transfer of substrate across the cellular membrane. In this overview, the characteristics and the toxicological relevance were discussed for various types of transporters. For drug transporters, the overview focused on ATP-binding cassette transporters and solute carrier family 21A/22A member transporters. Except for OCTN transporters and OATP transporters, drug transporters tend to have broad substrate specificity, suggesting drug-drug interaction at the level of transport processes (e.g., interaction between methotrexate and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents) is likely. For metal transporters, transporters for zinc, copper and multiple metals were discussed in this overview. These metal transporters have comparatively narrow substrate specificity, except for multiple metal transporters, suggesting that inter-substrate interaction at the level of transport is less likely. In contrast, the expressions of the transporters are often regulated by their substrates, suggesting cellular adaptation mechanism exists for these transporters. The drug-drug interactions in drug transporters and the cellular adaptation mechanisms for metal transporters are likely to lead to alterations in pharmacokinetics and cellular metal homeostasis, which may be linked to the development of toxicity. Therefore, the transporter-mediated alterations may have toxicological relevance.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.77-86
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• 2016

Cancer is a heterogeneous disease caused by diverse genomic alterations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Despite recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies and development of targeted therapies, novel cancer drug development is limited due to the high attrition rate from clinical studies. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX), which are established by the transfer of patient tumors into immunodeficient mice, serve as a platform for co-clinical trials by enabling the integration of clinical data, genomic profiles, and drug responsiveness data to determine precisely targeted therapies. PDX models retain many of the key characteristics of patients' tumors including histology, genomic signature, cellular heterogeneity, and drug responsiveness. These models can also be applied to the development of biomarkers for drug responsiveness and personalized drug selection. This review summarizes our current knowledge of this field, including methodologic aspects, applications in drug development, challenges and limitations, and utilization for precision cancer medicine.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.397-402
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• 2005

To explore the potential of shell crosslinked micelle (SCM) as a drug carrier, the drug release behavior of poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone)-b-poly(acrylic acid) (PCL-b-PAA) SCMs was investigated. PCL-b-PAA was synthesized by ring opening polymerization of $\varepsilon$-caprolactone and atom transfer radical polymerization of tert-butyl acrylate, followed by selective hydrolysis of tert-butyl ester groups to acrylic acid groups. The resulting amphiphilic polymer was used to prepare SCMs by crosslinking of PAA corona via amidation chemistry. The drug release behavior of the SCMs was studied, using pyrene as a model drug, and was compared with that of non-crosslinked micelles, especially below the critical micelle concentration (CMC). When the shell layers were crosslinked, the drug release behavior of the SCMs was successfully modulated at a controlled rate compared with that of the non-crosslinked micelles, which showed a burst release of drug within a short time.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.109-109
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• 2002

In recent reports, the multiple reproductive defects such as cryptorchidism, hypospadias, epididymal cysts, low sperm counts, and testicular cancers are increased in humans, and these changes were doubted by the chemicals with estrogenic or antiandrogenic activities in our environment. To compare the effects of neonatal exposure of di (n-butyl) phthalate and flutamide on the development of reproductive organs and to identify the specific mechanisms of these abnormalities related to the male reproducton, Sprague-Dawley neonate male rats were injected subcutaneously during 5-14 days after birth with corn oil (control), flutamide (0.05, 0.1, and 0.5 mg/animal) and DBP (5, 10, and 20 mg/animal). Animals were killed at 31 (immature) and 42 (pubertal) days of age respectively and blood was collected from abdominal aorta for serum testosterone analysis. Testes, epididymides, seminal vesicles, ventral prostate, levator ani plus bulbocavernosus muscle (LABC), cowpers glands and glans penis were weighed. Expression of steroid hormone receptors (AR and ER) was examined in the testes and ventral prostate. At 31 days of age, ventral prostate, seminal vesicles, LABC, and cowpers glands significantly decreased in the flutamide (0.5 mg/animal) and DBP (20 mg/animal), but serum testosterone levels were not changed. Flutamide slightly delayed the testes descent at the high dose (0.5 mg/animal), but DBP did not show any significant effect on the testes descent at all doses. DBP and flutamide decreased the expression of AR protein in the testes but did not affect the expression of ERa and ER protein in the testes. At 42 days of age, ventral prostate, seminal vesicles, and cowpers glands weights were still significantly decreased at the high dose of flutamide (0.5 mg/animal) and DBP (20 mg/animal), but the weights of testes and epididymides were not different. Serum testosterone decreased significantly in DBP treated animals and slightly, not significantly, in flutamide group. While DBP still significantly decreased the expression of AR protein in testis, flutamide recovered from downregulation of AR protein and did not affect the expression of ERa and ER protein in the testes. Based on these results, flutamide and DBP have shown several similar patterns in reproductive abnormalitis, but some marked differences which may be caused by different acting mechanism.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.353-359
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• 2017

The sonophoresis, a representative low-intensity ultrasonic therapy, is a technique for delivering the drugs into the epidermis, dermis and skin appendages by using physical vibration and heat effects of the ultrasonic waves. Sonophoresis could increases the delivering and absorption efficiency of the drugs usually consisting of hydrophilic molecules and macromolecules. In addition, it has the advantage of being effective in delivering drugs with relatively large molecular sizes such as insulin or lipid. In this study, we proposed a multi-structure ultrasonic transducer assembly with a large-size single piezoelectric element and a drug delivery function at the treatment site for efficient sonophoresis treatment. Futhermore, a transducer assembly structure capable of raising and maintaining the temperature of the treatment site was proposed and evaluated for effectiveness. The transducer assembly proposed in this study is expected to improve the efficiency of sonophoresis by providing a constant amount of drug, and assisting drug delivery through heating the treatment site.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 2000

Atherosclerosis is emerging as one of the major causes of death in Korea as well as Western societies. In the present study; hypocholesterolemic and antiatherogenic effects of the ethanol extract of Allium victorialis Makino was investigated using the conventional rabbit and the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP)-transgenic mouse model. Hypercholesterolemia was induced by feeding high cholesterol diet to the animals for 30 days and they were then fed with high cholesterol diet containing 0.5% of the A. victorialis extract for additional 30 (or 40) days. In the experiment using rabbits, treatment with the A. victorialis extract significantly decreased plasma total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, triglyceride levels and lipid peroxidation compared to those in the control group. Total cholesterol contents in the liver and the heart were also significantly decreased. Lipid staining of the aorta isolated from the rabbits showed that treatment with the A. victorialis extract decreased formation of atheromatous plaques on the intima of the aorta. In the experiment employing CETP transgenic mouse model, treatment with the A. victorialis extract decreased the levels of plasma total cholesterol and the tissue triglyceride levels in the heart. These results demonstrated that the ethanol extract of A. victorialis lowered serum cholesterol levels, tissue lipid contents and accumulation of cholesterol in the artery.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.331-337
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• 1988

This paper dealt with the distribution of Salmonella (S) infection on 4 herds in Kyungju and Taegu during the period from May to October 1986. Isolated Salmonella were examined for serotypes, antimicrobial drug resistance and detection of R plasmid. The results obtained were summarised as followings: 1. Of total 4.622 samples from 4 herds, 67 Salmonella were isolated from 51 samples(1.1%), and their serovar strains were S typhimurium 6, S derby 5, S infantis 4, S bareilly 4, S dublin 3, S anatum 2, S montevideo 2 and untypable 41. 2. The isolation rate of Salmonella was higher in summer and autumn. 3. Of the 67 strains examined, 45 (67.2%) were resistant to one or more antibiotics, such as ampicillin (Am), cephalothin (Ce), chloramphenicol (Cm), rifampicin (Rf), sulfadimethoxine (Su), and tetracycline (Tc), and higher resistant to Sm (40.2%), Ce (31.3%), Am (23.9%). 4. Of the 45 resistant Salmonella strains, 44 (97.8%) harbored conjugative R plasmids and the transfer frequency of Sm (100%), Ce (95.2%), Tc (91.0%) and Su (80.0%) resistance was much higher than that of the other drug resistance. 5. The most common resistant patterns were Sm, Ce, AmCeCmSmSuTc, and AmCe. 6. In 4 herds, the incidience of drug resistance was 57.7%~100% and transfer frequency of conjugative R plasmid was 96.1%~100%.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 1985

In order to use for recipient strains of RP4:Mu cts, 5 strainsof Rhizobium were selected among 32 strains, which were isolated and identified in this study. Hybrid plasmin RP4::Mu cts, which, is temperature sensitive and confers resistance to ampicillin, kanamycin and tetracycline was transfered by conjugation from E. coli to other atrains of C. coli and the symbiotic nitrogen fixer, Rhizobium leguminosarum. Transfer frequencies of RP4::Mu cts plasmid from E. coli to Rhizobium were about $10^{-8}-10^{-7}$ in LB agar and YMA media. The transconjugants were confirmed by demonstrating that the drug-resistant and temperature-sensitive clones isolated were drug-resistant and temperature-sensitive clones isolated were capable of releasing phage and forming plaques. The plaque-forming units of transconjugants were about $10^2\;to\;10^3$. Stability test of RP4::Mucts in Rhizobium represented that most of the transconjugants had drug resistance and produce phage Mu cts.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.1535-1542
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• 2010

Spectrophotometric micro determination of allopurinol (ALP) via charge-transfer formation is described. This includes the utility of some $\pi$-acceptors such as 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ) and 3,6-dichloro-2,5-dihydroxy-p-benzoquinone (p-CLA) for estimation of ALP drug (act as $\grave{e}$-donor). These reactions are applied for determination of ALP in its pharmaceutical preparations coming from different companies. Elucidation of the chemical structure of the solid CT complexes formed via reaction between drugs under study and $\pi$-acceptors, using elemental analyses (C, H, N), I. R., $^1H$ NMR and mass spectrometry.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2005

Binding of N-Alkyl phenothiazines (NAP) to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by spectroscopic methods.It was found that the phenothiazine ring common to all drugs makes major contribution to interaction. However, the nature of alkylamino group at position 10 influences the protein binding significantly. Stern-Volmer plots indicated the presence of static component in the quenching mechanism. The high magnitude of rate constant of quenching indicated that the process of energy transfer occurs by intermolecular interaction and thus the drug-binding site is in close proximity to tryptophan residues of BSA. Binding studies in presence of hydrophobic probe, 8-anilino-1-naphthalein-sulphonic acid showed that there is hydrophobic interaction between drug and the probe and they do not share common sites in BSA. Thermodynamic parameters obtained from data at different temperatures showed that the binding of NAP to BSA predominantly involve hydrophobic forces. The effects of some cations and anions common ions were investigated on NAP-BSA interactions. The CD spectrum of BSA in presence of drug showedthat binding of drug leads to change in the helicity of the protein.