• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.320-330
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• 2017

Porous nanosilica (PNS) has been identified as a potential candidate for controlled drug delivery. However, unmodified PNS-based carriers exhibited an initial release of loaded bioactive agents, which may limit their potential clinical applications. In this study, the surface of PNS was functionalized with adamantylamine (ADA) via disulfide bonds (-S-S-), PNS-S-S-ADA, which was then modified with cyclodextrin (CD)-heparin (Hep) (CD-Hep), PNS-S-S-CDH, for redox triggered rhodamine B (RhB) delivery. The obtained samples were then characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance ($^{1}H\;NMR$), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). These results showed that PNS-S-S-CDH was successfully formed with spherical shape and average diameter of $45.64{\pm}2.33nm$. In addition, RhB was relatively encapsulated in the PNS-S-S-CDH (RhB@PNS-S-S-CDH) and slowly released up to 3 days. The release of RhB, in particular, was triggered due to the cleavage of -S-S- in the presence of dithiothreitol (DTT). It might be anticipated that the modified PNS can be used as redox-responsive drug delivery system in cancer therapy.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.368-372
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• 2020

We report the terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) of transdermal drug delivery in human skin. The time evolution of transdermal nicotine delivery in nicotine patches was assessed by detecting the transmission coefficient of sub-picosecond THz pulses and using a semi-analytic model based on the single-layer effective medium approximation. Using commercial nicotine patches (Nicoderm CQ^®, 7 mg/24 h), THz transmission coefficients were measured to quantitatively analyze the cumulative amounts of nicotine released from the patches in the absence of their detailed specifications, including multilayer structures and optical properties at THz frequencies. The results agreed well with measurements by conventional in vitro and in vivo methods, using a diffusion cell with high-performance liquid chromatography and blood sampling respectively. Our study revealed the ability of the THz-TDS method to be an effective alternative to existing methods for noninvasive and label-free assessments of transdermal drug delivery, showing its high promise for biomedical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.463-468
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• 2017

For transdermal drug delivery, needless injection system is composed of laser and microjet injector. Main mechanism of microjet injector is the laser-induced bubble. Nd:YAG and Er:YAG laser are used as a power source. Laser parameters such as pulse duration and wavelength are considered, which are core parameters to control the bubble motion. The Nd:YAG laser, pulse duration is short than bubble life time making cavitation like bubble while in Er:YAG laser, long pulse duration and high absorption in water drive bubble as a boiling bubble. Detailed motion of bubble and microjet is captured by the high speed camera. So it is observed that microjet characteristics are determined by the bubble behavior. The performance of drug delivery system is evaluated by fluorescent staining of guinea pig skin.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.538-549
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• 2002

This study was designed to test the effects of a full body massage on uterine contraction, length of labor, type of delivery, and drug intervention for primipara during labor. Data were collected using a quasi-experiment method (nonequivalent control group, pre-post test design) from November 1, 2001 to July 31, 2002. The subjects of this experiment consisted of 28 women in the experimental group and 29 in the control group, out of 57 primipara hospitalized at the U OB & GYN hospital in Inchon. The experimental group was given a 20 minute full body massage for each of the three delivery phases (latent, active, and transition). The control group was given conventional delivery care. Three (3) parameters were analyzed in this experiment. (1) The interval, duration, and strength of uterine contraction, using an electric tocodynamometer (2) The elapsed time for stage 1 and stage 2 labor. (3) The types of deliveries and drug interventions, using postpartum medical records The data collected were analyzed using the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-test, and $x^2$ test of the SPSS program. The results of the experiment are as follows: 1) Uterine contraction interval was significantly reduced (F=3.210, p=.050). Duration of uterine contraction showed significant increase only during the transition phase (t=-2.319, p=.023). Strength of uterine contraction showed no significant difference. 2) Total length of labor was significantly shortened (t=-5.245, p=.000). The length of 1st stage labor was significantly shortened (t=-5.164, p=.000), with latent phase showing (t=-4.709, p=.000), active phase (t=-2.973, p=.005), and transition phase (t=-2.031, p=.047). The length of 2nd stage labor showed no significant difference. 3) The number of natural deliveries were significantly increased ($x^2$=13.127, p=.004). 4) The number of drug interventions were significantly fewer ($x^2$= 4.493, p=.034). In conclusion, this study shows that a full body massage has a significantly positive effect on uterine contraction interval, length of labor, type of delivery, and drug intervention. Therefore, this study suggests that a full body massage be used clinically to help primipara during labor.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7363-7369
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• 2014

The present study aimed to prepare and evaluate polymeric micelles conjugated with folic acid through ${\alpha}$- or ${\gamma}$-carboxyl groups for antitumor efficacy. The isomeric block copolymers, ${\alpha}$- and ${\gamma}$-folate-polyethyleneglycol-distearoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (${\alpha}$- and ${\gamma}$-Fol-PEG-DSPE), were produced by solid phase peptide synthesis. Three types of doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded polymeric micelles (MPEG-DSPE-DOX and ${\alpha}$- / ${\gamma}$-Fol-PEG-DSPEDOX micelles) were prepared via the film formation method. Compared with MPEG-DSPE-DOX micelles, the ${\alpha}$- / ${\gamma}$-Fol-PEG-DSPE-DOX micelles presented a higher cellular uptake behavior in the live cell study. Cell viability percentages were 81.8%, 57.3%, 56.6% at 2 hours for MPEG-DSPE-DOX, ${\alpha}$- and ${\gamma}$-Fol-PEG-DSPE-DOX micelles, respectively (p<0.05). Using the KB xenograft tumor model, both ${\alpha}$- and ${\gamma}$-folate-conjugated micelles were found to have better antitumor effects with lower toxicity in comparison with MPEG-DSPE-DOX micelles. No difference in in vivo antitumor efficacy was found between ${\alpha}$- and ${\gamma}$-Fol-PEG-DSPE-DOX micelles. The folate-conjugated micelles might be a potentially useful strategy for tumor targeting of therapeutic agents, whether grafting with folic acid through ${\alpha}$- or ${\gamma}$-carboxyl groups.

• The Korean Journal of Urological Oncology
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.178-186
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• 2017

Purpose: Poloxamer 407 (P407) thermo-sensitive hydrogel formulations were developed to enhance the retention time in the urinary bladder after intravesical instillation. Materials and Methods: P407 hydrogels (P407Gels) containing 0.2 w/w% fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FD, MW 4 kDa) as a fluorescent probe were prepared by the cold method with different concentrations of the polymer (20, 25, and 30 w/w%). The gel-forming capacities were characterized in terms of gelation temperature (G-Temp), gelation time (G-Time), and gel duration (G-Dur). Homogenous dispersion of the probe throughout the hydrogel was observed by using fluorescence microscopy. The in vitro bladder simulation model was established to evaluate the retention and drug release properties. P407Gels in the solution state were administered to nude mice via urinary instillation, and the in vivo retention behavior of P407Gels was visualized by using an in vivo imaging system (IVIS). Results: P407Gels showed a thermo-reversible phase transition at $4^{\circ}C$ (refrigerated; sol) and $37^{\circ}C$ (body temperature; gel). The G-Temp, G-Time, and G-Dur of FD-free P407Gels were approximately $10^{\circ}C-20^{\circ}C$, 12-30 seconds, and 12-35 hours, respectively, and were not altered by the addition of FD. Fluorescence imaging showed that FD was spread homogenously in the gelled P407 solution. In a bladder simulation model, even after repeated periodic filling-emptying cycles, the hydrogel formulation displayed excellent retention with continuous release of the probe over 8 hours. The FD release from P407Gels and the erosion of the gel, both of which followed zero-order kinetics, had a linear relationship ($r^2=0.988$). IVIS demonstrated that the intravesical retention time of P407Gels was over 4 hours, which was longer than that of the FD solution (<1 hour), even though periodic urination occurred in the mice. Conclusions: FD release from P407Gels was erosion-controlled. P407Gels represent a promising system to enhance intravesical retention with extended drug delivery.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.39-47
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• 2019

Ultrasound sonication along with microbubble (MB) could enhance drug delivery to promote the absorption of anticancer drugs into cancers in a noninvasive and targeted manners. In this study, we verify the acute drug delivery enhancement (within an hour) of two representative focused ultrasound driven drug delivery enhancement methods (MB and Doxorubicin-coated Nanoparticle complex (MB-NP) based). Experiments were conducted using in vivo mouse model with MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. Ultrasound generated by single-element 1 MHz focused ultrasound transducer was delivered in pulsed sonication consisted of 0.125 msec bursts at a pulse repetition frequency of 2 Hz for 20 seconds without a significant increase in local temperature (less than $0.1^{\circ}C$) or hemorrhage. Doxorubicin concentrations in tumors were improved by 1.97 times in the case of MB-NP, and 1.98 times by using Doxorubicin and MB separately. These results indicate anticancer drug delivery based on MB and MB-NP can significantly improve the effect of anticancer drugs delivered to tumors in a short time period by using low-intensity focused ultrasound.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.229-234
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• 2008

In the present study, chitosan-glycerophosphate sodium salt solution as a thermosensitive system (TSS) was used to formulate a temperature-sensitive drug delivery system (TSDDS) containing acetaminophen (AAP). The optimized TSS was prepared by measuring gelation temperature, gelation time and rheological properties of TSS. The optimized gelation temperature and time of TSS were $36^{\circ}C$ and 100 seconds, respectively. The viscosity of TSS was also suitable for maintaining gel structure at $37.2^{\circ}C$. The release profiles of TSDDS in PBS/pH 7.4 with various apparatuses and mass loss of TSDDS were investigated. The time required to release 50% of AAP from TSDDS ($t_{50%}$) was 120 min with the formation of pore on the surfaces, which was 2 times longer than that from AAP-chitosan gel. In addition, TSDDS was degraded approximately 80% within 4 hr and then degraded slowly for 20 hrs. In conclusion, AAP-TSS (TSDDS) formulated in this study might be suitable for some specific uses such as subcutaneous injection and rectal formulation.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1995 no.11
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• pp.253-256
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• 1995

Polymers have been one of the emerging biomedical materials in the area of biomedical research which are applicable to the human body. For human applications, noninvasive characterization of the biomedical polymers has been one of the important topics, and is valuable information. Among others, the swelling rate is one of the important measurements needed for the hydrophilic polymers. NMR imaging has been a suitable method for the noninvasive study of such a material since it is sensitive to many physical and biochemical changes of the specimens. In addition, NMR techniques possess many useful intrinsic properties such as the relaxation and diffusion effects. The present study has provided a noble and noninvasive method of measuring the process of swelling as well as volumetric changes occurred in polymers and drug delivery processes in a drug delivery system (DDS) together with changes of released drug. This gives information, relating with both water ingress process, volumetric changes of polymer specimens and the visualization of sequential drug delivery process. Also, this study provides more reliable method to ascertain the time dependent swelling process compared to the conventional method. The important aspects is that the proposed method is truly noninvasive and is able to ascertain time dependent processes.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.516-521
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• 2005

Drug delivery to the lymphatic system may be important in terms of the treatment with lymphatic involvement, such as tumor metastases and immunization. Especially, drug transport via the intestinal lymphatics after oral administration has been attracted lots of interests. The purpose of this study was to prepare cyclosporin A (CSA)-loaded liposomes, with different characteristics, and evaluate their mucoadhesivity. Three liposome preparations were formulated: cationic stearylamine liposomes (SA-Lip), anionic phosphatidylserine liposomes (PS-Lip), Polymer (chitosan)-coated liposomes (CS-Lip), and characterized. The liposome preparations were found to be spherical in shape, with PS-Lip being the smallest. The liposome preparations exhibited entrapment efficiencies in the order: PS-Lip $(52.5{\pm}2.9%)$ > SA-Lip $(48.8{\pm}3.3%)$ > CS-Lip $(41.7{\pm}4.2%)$. Finally, mucoadhesive tests were carried out using rat intestine, with SA-Lip (67%) showing the best adhesive rate of the three preparations (PS-Lip: 56%, CS-Lip: 61%). These results suggest that a positive charge on the surface of drug carriers may be an important factor for the intestinal drug delivery.