• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.7.1-7.13
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• 2021

Levodopa (L-DOPA) therapy is normally practised to treat motor pattern associated with Parkinson disease (PD). Additionally, several inhibitory drugs such as Entacapone and Opicapone are also cosupplemented to protect peripheral inactivation of exogenous L-DOPA (~80%) that occurs due to metabolic activity of the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Although, both Entacapone and Opicapone have U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval but regular use of these drugs is associated with high risk of side effects. Thus, authors have focused on in silico discovery of phytochemicals and evaluation of their effectiveness against human soluble COMT using virtual screening, molecular docking, drug-like property prediction, generation of pharmacophoric property, and molecular dynamics simulation. Overall, study proposed, nine phytochemicals (withaphysalin D, withaphysalin N, withaferin A, withacnistin, withaphysalin C, withaphysalin O, withanolide B, withasomnine, and withaphysalin F) of plant Withania somnifera have strong binding efficiency against human COMT in comparison to both of the drugs i.e., Opicapone and Entacapone, thus may be used as putative bioenhancer in L-DOPA therapy. The present study needs further experimental validation to be used as an adjuvant in PD treatment.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.187-192
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• 2016

The goal of this study was to determine whether gypenosides (GPS) exert protective effects against dopaminergic neuronal cell death in a 6-hydroxydopamine (OHDA)-lesioned rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD) with or without long-term 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) treatment. Rats were injected with 6-OHDA in the substantia nigra to induce PD-like symptoms; 14 days after injection, groups of 6-OHDA-lesioned animals were treated for 21 days with GPS (25 or 50 mg/kg) and/or L-DOPA (20 mg/kg). Dopaminergic neuronal cell death was assessed by counting tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunopositive cells in the substantia nigra and measuring levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and homovanillic acid (HVA) in the striatum. Dopaminergic neuronal cell death induced by 6-OHDA lesions was ameliorated by GPS treatment (50 mg/kg). L-DOPA treatment exacerbated 6-OHDA-induced dopaminergic neuronal cell death; however, these effects were partially reversed by GPS treatment (25 and 50 mg/kg). These results suggest that GPS treatment is protective against dopaminergic neuronal cell death in a 6-OHDA-lesioned rat model of PD with long-term L-DOPA treatment. Therefore, GPS may be useful as a phytotherapeutic agent for the treatment of PD.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.32-34
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• 2005

Effect of isoliquiritigenin isolated from the heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen (Leguminosae) on mushroom tyrosinase activity was investigated in vitro using L-tyrosine and L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) as the substrates. When L-tyrosine was used as a substrate, both isoliquiritigenin and kojic acid, a positive control, inhibited tyrosinase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. IC$_{50}$ values of isoliquiritigenin and kojic acid were 61.4 and 52.2 ${\muM}$, respectively. However, isoliquiritigenin showed week inhibitory effect on the oxidation of L-DOPA by tyrosinase with inhibition ratio of 9.1 ${\pm}$ 7.1% at 100 ${\muM}$. It is also suggested that 3-unsubstituted and 4-hydroxyl phenyl group in isoliquiritigenin plays an important role on the inhibition of tyrosinase activity when L-tyrosine was used as a substrate. Analysis of Lineweaver-Burk plot showed that isoliquiritigenin acts as a competitive inhibitor in case of L-tyrosine as a substrate.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.156-161
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• 2005

Tetrahydropapaveroline (THP) at 5-15 ${\mu}$M has been found to induce L-DOPA-induced oxidative apoptosis in PC12 cells. In this study, the inhibitory effects of THP on dopamine bios ynthesis in PC12 cells and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity in bovine adrenal were investigated. Treatment of PC12 cells with THP at 2.5-10 ${\mu}$M significantly decreased the intracellular dopamine content in a concentration-dependent manner (18.3% inhibition at 10 ${\mu}$M THP). In these conditions, TH activity was markedly inhibited by the treatment with THP at 2.5-10 ${\mu}$M in PC12 cells (23.4% inhibition at 10 $\mu$ M THP). In addition, THP had an inhibitory effect on bovine adrenal TH activity IC50 value, 153.9${\mu}$M). THP exhibited uncompetitive inhibition on bovine adrenal TH activity with a substrate L-tyrosine with the KI value of 0.30 mM. Treatment with L-DOPA at 20~50 ${\mu}$M increased the intracellular dopamine content in PC12 cells, and the increase in dopamine content by L-DOPA was inhibited in part when THP at non-cytotoxic (5-10 ${\mu}$M) or cytotoxic (15${\mu}$M) concentrations was associated with L-DOPA (20 and 50 ${\mu}$M) for 24 h incubation. These results suggest that THP at 5-10${\mu}$M decreases the basal dopamine content and reduces the increased dopamine content induced by L-DOPA in part by the inhibition of TH activity, and that THP at 15${\mu}$M also decreases dopamine content by oxidative stress in PC12 cells.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.31 no.2 s.51
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• pp.153-159
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• 2005

In this study, we investigated the application of an extract from Ephedra sinica which has been composed of traditional Korean medicine as a whitening ingredient. The extract of Ephedra sinica which was obtained from the mixture of methanol and water (1:1) the inhibitory effect of tyrosinase. Then, Ephedra sinica was extracted by two different solvents. One was water and the other was methylene chloride. Only, the water extract of Ephedra sinica showed the inhibitory effort of tyrosinase; the anti-tyrosinase activity with $0.2\%$ of the water extract was $60.6\%$. But the extract of Ephedra sinica in methylene chloride fraction showed little inhibitory effect on tyrosinase. The inhibitory effect of the concentrated water extract of Ephedra sinica was tested on L-DOPA auto-oxidation and melanin synthesis in B-16 melanoma. In L-DOPA auto-oxidation, $0.5\%$ of the concentrated water extract showed $87\%$ of inhibition of L-DOPA auto-oxidation and the $0.75\%$ concentrated Ephedra sinica extract in wafer fraction inhibited $98.8\%$ of that. In melanin synthesis of B-16 melanoma, the concentrated water effect of Ephedra sinica inhibited $70.2\%$ or $79.9\%$ of inhibitory effect on that at the concentration of $0.05\%$ or $0.075\%$, respectively. For verifying the skin whitening effect of the concentrated water extract of Ephedra sinica in vivo, we performed the clinical test of that. The research showed the significant skin whitening effect of a cream containing $0.5\%$ Ephedra sinica extract and the statistical analysis showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) between sample (containing $0.5\%$ Ephedra sinica extract) and placebo after 10 weeks.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.1135-1137
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• 2005

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2001

Mammalian tyrosinase plays an important role in the process of melanin polymer biosynthesis by catalyzing the hydroxylation of tyrosine to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine(DOPA) and the oxidation of DOPA to dopaquinone. These processes are major determinant of human skin color and involved in localized hyperpigmentation. Therefore, the enzyme inhibitors have been of great concern as skin-whitening cosmetics. Methanol extracts of 174 oriental herbs were screened for the mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.69-79
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• 1985

To evaluate the effect of dopaminergic activity on aldosterone secretion, the plasma renin activity, serum cortisol and aldosterone were measured by radioimmunoassay in 6 normal controls and 12 patients who had hyponatremia and generalized edema or ascites with possible condition with secondary aldosteronism before and after(15, 30, and 60 min) 15 mg of metoclopramide by iv bolus injection and same method with 500 mg of L-dopa by per oral in 6 normal controls and 12 patients with edema ascites. The result were as follows; 1) The basal level of PRA was higher in patients rather than normal controls but PRA was not influenced by MC or L-dopa administration on both normal controls and patients group. 2) The serum cortisol level was significantly elevated at 30 min after MC injection compared with basal level in normal controls but no significant change was noted in patients group. After L-dopa administration the serum cortisol level was not changed in both normal controls and patients group. 3) The serum aldosterone level was significantly elevated in 15, 30 and 60 min after MC injection in normal controls, and there also same tendency of aldosterone secretion was noticed in patients group. On the other hands, there was no changes in aldosterone level in both normal controls and patients group with L-dopa administration. Above result means that MC stimulate aldosterone secretion by dopaminergic antagonist and aldosterone secretion in normal subject is controlled by maximal tonic dopaminergic inhibition. In edematous patients, however, both of the dopaminergic inhibitory and stimulating effect of PRA, ACTH etc on the aldosterone secretion seems to be variable.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.402-410
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• 2023

Long-term administration of levodopa (L-DOPA) to patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) commonly results in involuntary dyskinetic movements, as is known for L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) has recently been shown to alleviate LID; however, no biochemical alterations to aberrant excitatory conditions have been revealed yet. In the present study, we aimed to confirm its anti-dyskinetic effect and to discover the unknown molecular mechanisms of action of 5-HTP in LID. We made an LID-induced mouse model through chronic L-DOPA treatment to 6-hydroxydopamine-induced hemi-parkinsonian mice and then administered 5-HTP 60 mg/kg for 15 days orally to LID-induced mice. In addition, we performed behavioral tests and analyzed the histological alterations in the lesioned part of the striatum (ST). Our results showed that 5-HTP significantly suppressed all types of dyskinetic movements (axial, limb, orolingual and locomotive) and its effects were similar to those of amantadine, the only approved drug by Food and Drug Administration. Moreover, 5-HTP did not affect the efficacy of L-DOPA on PD motor manifestations. From a molecular perspective, 5-HTP treatment significantly decreased phosphorylated CREB and ΔFosB expression, commonly known as downstream factors, increased in LID conditions. Furthermore, we found that the effects of 5-HTP were not mediated by dopamine1 receptor (D1)/DARPP32/ERK signaling, but regulated by AKT/mTOR/S6K signaling, which showed different mechanisms with amantadine in the denervated ST. Taken together, 5-HTP alleviates LID by regulating the hyperactivated striatal AKT/mTOR/S6K and CREB/ΔFosB signaling.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.977-980
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• 2011

A new analytical method for measurement of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) in human urine was developed. DOPA from an aqueous solution was converted into an ethoxycarbonyl (EOC) derivative. A tertbutyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) reaction under anhydrous conditions was then attempted for analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode. A new mass spectral data on DOPA as a tri-EOC/mono-TBDMS derivative was built. This method showed good linearity (r ${\geq}$ 0.999), precision (% relative standard deviation = 3.1-9.2), and accuracy (% relative error = -7.2-8.8), with a detection limit of 0.05 ng/mL. This selective and accurate method of DOPA analysis will be useful for biochemical monitoring of various neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease in biological fluids.