• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.395-402
• /
• 2005

Biologically active recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone (rhFSH) was produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells and purified by a series of chromatographic steps. The chromatographic steps included anion-exchange chromatography (DEAE Sepharose F/F, Q Sepharose F/F), hydrophobic interaction chromatography (Source 15 PHE), and hydroxyapatite chromatography (Macro-Prep ceramic hydroxyapatite type I). A distinctive step of the purification process developed was the use of ZnCl$_2$ for the removal of non-glycosylated or lowly-glycosylated FSH and impurities through co-precipitation with Zn$^{2+}$. Purified rhFSH was identified and characterized by several physicochemical and biological methods such as gel electrophoresis, high-performance liquid chromatography, amino acid analysis, carbohydrate analysis, and biological activity. The overall yield of the purification was ~$30\%$. The rhFSH preparation obtained showed high purity (>$99\%$) and high in vivo potency (>16,000 IU/mg). Carbohydrate analysis suggested that the purified rhFSH contained approximately $40\%$ (w/w) carbohydrate with di­or tri-antennary structure on average, which is somewhat more heavily sialylated than commercially available rhFSH. In conclusion, the results of these analyses established an identity of the purified rhFSH with natural FSH from human pituitary glands, and furthermore, the purified rhFSH preparation showed higher in vivo potency and was slightly more heavily sialylated than commercially available rhFSH.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.261-266
• /
• 2004

Wound swabs and pus samples were collected from diabetic foot ulcers, and control pus samples from non-diabetic cases. In 144 diabetic cases screened, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from 78 cases, in which 10.59% of the isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR), whereas the 60 control cases were not MDR. The isolated bacteria were decreasingly resistant to 6 clinically administrated antimicrobics such as ceftazidime, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, tobramycin, piperacillin and amikacin. Therefore, it is demanded that new and more effective antimicrobials of phytochemical origins are sought after. Among 11 isoflavones (YS11-YS21) isolated from Sophora and Euchresta (Leguminosae; pea plant family), 2 (YS19 and YS21) prominently exhibited the high antibacterial activity both in vitro and in vivo. By the preliminary results, the object of this paper is to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial effect of YS19 and YS21 on the clinically isolated bactera of Ps. Aeruginosa in hospitals. All the isolates were sensitive to YS19 and YS21 and for both, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranged from $2\;to\;50\;{\mu}g/mL$. The $MIC_{90}$ values of YS19 and YS21 were $50\;{\mu}g/mL$. It is suggested that these isoflavones might consist a basis phytochemical prevention and therapy for diabetic foot infections caused by pseudomonads.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.33-40
• /
• 2017

Objectives : The objective of this study is to evaluate antioxidant activity of water extracts from steamed Polygonati Rhizoma(PR). Methods : The alcohol steamed PR from Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do and Samcheok-si Gangwon-do are treated for the research into the antioxidant activity of the water extract. The sample was divided into 4 groups that PR without steaming process, PR with once, second and third steaming process. The antioxidant activities of polyphenol, flavonoid, DPPH, SOD, hydroxyl radical and nitrite scavenging activity. Results : The total content of polyphenol was the grow rapidly when the number of steaming adds up. For the third time, both the steamed PR from Jinju-si and the one from Samcheok-si in the water extract indicate the highest content levels measured $50.59\;mg/m{\ell}$ and $37.33\;mg/m{\ell}$ respectively. The more the number of steaming increases, the more rising the content of flavonoid. The steamed PR from Jinju-si and Samcheok-si in the third time are measured $30.03\;mg/m{\ell}$ and $54.9\;mg/m{\ell}$ respectively. DPPH radical scavenging activity of the steamed PR rises high rather than the non-steamed one when the number of steaming increases. As increase steaming time, SOD like activity and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability were increasing too. The steamed PR from Jinju-si in the third time is measured as the highest level 22.4%, 71.90% respectively. As increase steaming time, nitrite scavenging ability was the number was decreased. Conclusions : These results suggest that water extracts from steamed PR, exhibited higher antioxidant activities can be potentially used as proper natural antioxidants.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.53 no.4
• /
• pp.228-234
• /
• 2009

Topoisomerase I (Topo I) participates in the DNA replication, transcription, and repair. Binding of Topo I inhibitor to the Topo I-DNA cleavage complex forms stabilized ternary complex which blocks DNA religation and ultimately causes cell death. Camptothecin (CPT) and its derivatives have been among the most effective anticancer drugs by inhibition of topo I. However, efforts to synthesize non-CPT drugs have been actively going on because the CPT derivatives have several limitations such as poor solubility, short half-life, and side effects. As an indenoisoquinoline, NSC314622 is not as potent as CPT, but its chemical stability and slower reversibility of the cleavage complex made it a good lead compound. Recently, a series of indenoisoquinoline analogues were synthesized with substituted dimethoxy or methylenedioxy on the aromatic ring and alkylamino on the lactam nitrogen. Some of them showed quite good Topo I inhibitory activity. Using the computer docking program, Surflex-Dock, indenoisoquinoline analogues were docked into the human Topo I-DNA cleavable complex. The docking results showed that the compounds with activity better than NSC314622 intercalated between the -1 and +1 base pairs at the cleavage site, but those with little or no activities did not appear to intercalate. These results could be useful to design new Topo I inhibitors improved than CPT.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.354-360
• /
• 2019

Ginsenosides, the major active ingredients of ginseng and other plants of the genus Panax, have been used as natural medicines in the East for a long time; in addition, their popularity in the West has increased owing to their various beneficial pharmacological effects. There is therefore a wealth of literature regarding the pharmacological effects of ginsenosides. In contrast, there are few comprehensive studies that investigate their pharmacokinetic behaviors. This is because ginseng contains the complicated mixture of herbal materials as well as thousands of constituents with complex chemical properties, and ginsenosides undergo multiple biotransformation processes after administration. This is a significant issue as pharmacokinetic studies provide crucial data regarding the efficacy and safety of compounds. Moreover, there have been many difficulties in the development of the optimal dosage regimens of ginsenosides and the evaluation of their interactions with other drugs. Therefore, this review details the pharmacokinetic properties and profiles of ginsenosides determined in various animal models administered through different routes of administration. Such information is valuable for designing specialized delivery systems and determining optimal dosing strategies for ginsenosides.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.27-36
• /
• 2022

Background: Medication-related problems (MRPs) frequently occur during the discharge period. Elderly patients, particularly, are at high risk for these problems due to polypharmacy and the use of potentially inappropriate medications. The purpose of this study was to build and implement collaboration between general hospital and community pharmacies to address MRPs among high-risk elderly patients before/after discharge. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted between June and December of 2020. The inclusion criteria were patients with aged ≥65 years; residents of Jeonju; discharged from Jeonbuk National University hospital; either on medication of exceeding 10 medications (or high-risk medications) after hospitalization through the emergency room, or having severe illness. Patients received medication reconciliation and counselling by hospital pharmacists before discharge and home-visit pharmaceutical care as follow-up by community pharmacists after discharge. Results: Twenty-two patients agreed to home-visit pharmaceutical services. Fifteen and 11 patients completed the first and second home-visit pharmaceutical care service, respectively. Forty-two MRPs were identified in 15 patients. The types of high-frequency MRPs were incorrect administration of drug, adverse drug reactions, medication non-compliance, drug-drug interactions, lifestyle modifications, and expired medication disposal. After consultation with the pharmacist, 34 out of 42 MRPs were resolved. Conclusions: Transitional care for high-risk elderly patients before and after discharge was successfully built and implemented through a collaboration between general hospital and community pharmacies. This study suggests that home-visit pharmaceutical services may have positive effects on the safe use of drugs during the transition period; however, additional research is needed to expand on these findings.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.26 no.10
• /
• pp.846-854
• /
• 2003

The oligomerization of G-proteincoupled receptors (GPCRs) has been shown to occur by various mechanisms, such as via disulfide covalent linkages, non covalent (ionic, hydrophobic) interactions of the N-terminal, and/or transmembrane and/or intracellular domains. Interactions between GPCRs could involve an association between identical proteins (homomers) or non-identical proteins (heteromers), or between two monomers (to form dimers) or multiple monomers (to form oligomers). It is believed that muscarinic receptors may also be arranged into dimeric or oigomeric complexes, but no systematic experimental evidence exists concerning the direct physical interaction between receptor proteins as its mechanism. We undertook this study to determine whether muscarinic receptors form homomers or a heteromers by direct protein-protein interaction within the same or within different subtypes using a yeast two-hybrid system. Intracellular loops (i1, i2 and i3) and the C-terminal cytoplasmic tails (C) of human muscarinic (Hm) receptor subtypes, Hm1, Hm2 and Hm3, were cloned into the vectors (pB42AD and pLexA) of a two-hybrid system and examined for heteromeric or homodimeric interactions between the cytoplasmic domains. No physical interaction was observed between the intracellular domains of any of the Hm/Hm receptor sets tested. The results of our study suggest that the Hm1, Hm2 and Hm3 receptors do not form dimers or oligomers by interacting directly through either the hydrophilic intracellular domains or the C-terminal tail domains. To further investigate extracellular domain interactions, the N-terminus (N) and extracellular loops (o1 and o2) were also cloned into the two-hybrid vectors. Interactions of Hm2N with Hm2N, Hm2o1, Hm2o2, Hm3N, Hm3o1 or Hm3o2 were examined. The N-terminal domain of Hm2 was found to have no direct interaction with any extracellular domain. From our results, we excluded the possibility of a direct interaction between the muscarinic receptor subtypes (Hm1, Hm2 and Hm3) as a mechanism for homo- or hetero-meric dimerization/oligomerization. On the other hand, it remains a possibility that interaction may occur indirectly or require proper conformation or subunit formation or hydrophobic region involvement.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.1823-1828
• /
• 2013

Tetraoxanes (1,2,4,5-tetraoxanes) have been reported to exhibit potent antimalarial activity. In the present study, the three dimensional-quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) studies were performed on a series of tetraoxanes derivatives using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) techniques. The best predictive CoMFA model with atom fit alignment resulted in cross-validated coefficient ($q^2$) value of 0.719, non-cross-validated coefficient ($r^2$) value of 0.855 with standard error of estimate (SEE) 0.335. Similarly, the best predictive CoMSIA model was derived with $q^2$ of 0.739, $r^2$ of 0.847 and SEE of 0.344. The generated models were externally validated using test sets. The final QSAR models as well as the information gathered from 3D contour maps should be useful for the design of novel tetraoxanes having improved antimalarial activity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.125-129
• /
• 1983

To examine effects of oriental pharmaceutical preparations on immunity, four of such preparations which are currently being used were examined. After their fluid extracts were injected intraperitoneally to ICR mice, the counts of total cell number, PMN and macrophage in the peritoneal cavity were made by using non-specific esterase staining method, and plaque-forming cells (PFC) were measured by using the modified method of Cunningham and Jerne. The results showed that 'Bo-Jung-Ik-Ki-Tang', 'Ih-Jung-Tang', 'Ohn-Kyeong-Tang' and 'Ke-Ji-Bok-Ryeong-Hwan-Ka-Dae-Hwang' increased both the macrophages and the total cells of the peritoneal cavity and that these preparations increased the number of PFC in the spleen. Therefore the data indicate that they potentiate both of the cell­mediated and humoral immunities in the mice.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.308-315
• /
• 2010

Essential oil-excluded Artemisia princeps Pamp var Ssajuarissuk (AP) was fermented with Lactobacillus brevis K-1, which was isolated from cabbage Kimchi, and the anti-inflammatory effects of AP and fermented AP (FAP) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in peritoneal macrophages were investigated. AP and FAP inhibited LPS-induced TNF-$\alpha$, IL-$1{\beta}$, COX-2, iNOS and COX-2 expression, as well as NF-${\kappa}B$ activation. AP and FAP also reduced ear thickness, inflammatory cytokine (TNF-$\alpha$, IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6) expression and NF-${\kappa}B$ activation with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induced dermatitis in mice. Furthermore, AP and FAP also reduced exudate volume, cell number, protein amount, inflammatory cytokines (TNF-$\alpha$, IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6) expression and NF-${\kappa}B$ activation in carrageenan-induced air pouch inflammation in mice. The inhibitory effects of FAP were more potent than those of non-fermented AP. Based on these findings, we propose that FAP can improve inflammatory diseases, such as dermatitis, by inhibiting the NF-${\kappa}B$ pathway.