• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 2017

Ursi Fel's component ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a traditional medicine, is used for the treatment of hepatic diseases. UDCA derivatives prepared by conjugation with antioxidant moiety such as maltol, sesamol, eugenol, mesitol and 3,4-(methylenedeoxy)aniline were expected to have various biological activity caused by synergistic effect of UDCA. Therefore, in this study, it was conducted the study of the manufacture of the UDCA derivatives and their biological activity. As a result, UDCA derivatives showed weak antioxidant activity in TBA method in vitro compared to original agents. SJ-505, SJ-502 and SJ-504 showed the effect of reducing ALT, AST, sorbitol dehydrogenase and ${\gamma}-glutamyltransferase$ in $CCl_4-induced$ liver injury experiment in vivo, even if the effects are weaker than UDCA and silymarin of the control group.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2002

The particle size of medicinal materials is an Important physical property that affects the phar-maceutical behaviors such as dissolution, chemical stability, and bioavailability of solid dosage forms. The size reduction of raw medicinal powder is needed to formulate insoluble drugs or slightly soluble medicines and to improve the pharmaceutical properties such as the solubility, the pharmaceutical mixing, and the dispersion. The objective of the present study is to evaluate physiological activity of amorphous and nano-particle prep-arations of insoluble drug, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which were made by three types of fine grinding mills. The change of physical properties of ground UDCA was conformed by Mastersiger microplus and X-ray diffraction. We have investigated hepatoprotective effects of the nano-particle preparations of UDCA by plan-etary mill, vibration rod mill and jet mill in $CCI_4$-induced oxidatively injured mouse liver. The results showed that nano-particle preparations of UDCA all decreased reactive oxygen sepecies generation and lipid peroxi-dation in $CCI_4$-induced oxidative stress mice. Among them, nano-particle preparations by vibration rod mill and jet mill showed more significantly hepatoprotective effects compared to intact UDCA and planetary mill-ground UDCA. These results suggest that ground UDCA with vibration rod mill and jet mill shows a high amorphous state and the improved dissolution.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 1994

The effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) were studied on the hepatotoxicity induced by several hepatotoxicants such as carbonte trachloride, thioacetamide and 1-naphthylisothiocyanate in ICR male mice. UDCA (50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg) decreased the elevated serum bilirubin in carbon tetrachloride intoxicated mice, the elevated serum AST, alkaline phosphatase in thioacetamide intoxicated mice, the elevated serum AST and bilirubin in 1-naphthylisothiocyanate intoxicated mice.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2005

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has long been used as an adjuvant or first choice of therapy for liver disease. Commonly, UDCA has been reported to play a role in improving hyperbilirubinemia and disorder of bromsulphalein. More commonly, UDCA has been used in reducing the rate of cholesterol level in bile juice that can cause cholesterol stone. The effects on the promotion of bile acid release that leads an excretion of toxic materials and wastes produced in liver cells as well as various arrays of liver disease such as hepatitis. Other than already reported in clinical use, immunosuppressive effect has been studied, especially in transplantation. In the study, we hypothesized that UDCA might have a certain role in anti-inflammation through a preventive effect of pro-inflammatory potentials in the brain macrophages, microglia. We found that the treatment of $200\;{\mu}g/ml$ UDCA effectively suppressed the pro-inflammatory mediators (i.e. nitric oxide and interleukin-$1{\beta}$) in rat microglia compared to comparators. Interestingly, RT-PCR analysis suggested that UDCA strongly attenuated the expression of $IL-1{\beta}$ that was comparable with cyclosporine A at 48 h incubation. Conclusively, we found that UDCA may playa cytoprotective role in microglial cells through direct or indirect pathways by scavenging a toxic compound or an anti-inflammatory effect, which are known as major causes of neurodegenerative diseases.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.372-378
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• 1994

Choleretic effect and absorption of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in rats were studied using UDCA alone and it's ${\beta}-cyclodextrin$ $({\beta}-CyD)$ inclusin complex (UDCA-IC). In spite of increase in solubility and dissolution rate, absorption of UDCA-IC was decreased compared with UDCA alone. Choleretic effect of UDCA-IC was also decreased. It looks that UDCA forms stronger inclusion complex with ${\beta}-CyD$ than any other drug or organic biological material. From this study, it was suggested that UDCA might be used as a new potential competing agent when inclusion complexes of drugs with ${\beta}-CyD$ were administered for the improvement of poor bioavailability.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.311-319
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• 1996

DWP305, a preparation containing combination of ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA), silymarin and vitamins ($B_1\;and\;B_2$), is a drug currently being developed for hep atic disorders. In order to evaluate the changes in hepatic function by multiple oral administration(2 and 4 weeks) of DWP305 in rats, several biochemical parameters in blood, bile acid composition, and the accumulation of UDCA and lithocholic acid(LCA),a toxic metabolite formed by enterobacteria, were examined using HPLC. In blood biochemical findings, DWP305 did not affect the normal level and there was no difference in total bile acid composition for UDCA, cholic acid(CA), deoxycholic acid(DCA), chenodeoxycholic acid(CDCA) and LCA compared to the UDCA administered group, although total ratio of UDCA and CA was different from normal group. In case of ratio of taurine and glycine conjugated forms, DWP305(186mg/kg as a UDCA) administered group was also similar to normal group and UDCA administered group, while high dosing of DWP305 was not different in the ratio of UDCA administered group(930mg/kg) but normal group. And the ratio of LCA was in order of UDCA(930mg/kg), DWP305(930mg/kg as a UDCA), UDCA(186mg/kg) and DWP305(186mg/kg as a UDCA) administered group, which was less than 4%. The free form of UDCA as well as most of bile acids was not detected at all in rat liver, indicating that there's no accumulation. These results suggest that multiple dosing of DWP305 in rats may not affect hepatic biotransformation and metabolism of bile acids.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1067-1073
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• 2003

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a non-toxic, hydrophilic bile acid in widespread clinical use mainly for acute and chronic liver disease. Recently, treatment with UDCA in hepatic graft-versus-host disease has been given in immunosuppressive therapy for improvement of the biochemical markers of cholestasis. Moreover, it has been reported that UDCA possesses immunomodulatory effects by the suppression of cytokine production. In the present study, we hypothesized that UDCA may inhibit the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-1$\beta$, and nitric oxide (NO) in microglia. In the study, we found that 100 $\mu$ g/mL UDCA effectively inhibited these two pro-inflammatory factors at 24 hand 48 h, compared to the $A\beta$42-pretreated groups. These results were compared with the LPS+UDCA group to confirm the UDCA effect. As microglia can be activated by several stimulants, such as $A\beta$42, in Alzheimers brain and can release those inflammatory factors, the ability to inhibit or at least decrease the production of IL-1$\beta$ and NO in Alzheimers disease (AD) is essential. Using RT-PCR, ELISA and the Griess Reagent System, we therefore found that UDCA in $A\beta$42 pre-treated cultures played a significant role in suppressing the expression or the production of IL-1$\beta$ and NO. Similarly, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) did not activate microglia in the presence of UDCA. Moreover, we found that UDCA exhibits a prolonged effect on microglial cells (up to 48 h), which suggests that UDCA may play an important role in chronic cell damage due to this long effect. These results further imply that UDCA could be an important cue in suppressing the microglial activation stimulated by massive AD peptides in the AD progressing brain.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.548-553
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• 1995

Effects of restraint stress and its modulations by ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA) were evaluated on some biochemical and biophysical parameters in rats. Restraint stress induced elevations in blood alkaline phosphatase (ALP). cholesterol (CHOL), aspartate transaminase (GOT), alanine transaminase (GPT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. It was also caused adrenal hypertrophy, decrease in weight of spleen and contents of ascorbic acid in stressed rats. As a results, stress indicators such as spleen, ascorbic acid, GOT, GPT, LDH were fastly changed after imposing stress, but those such as ALP, CHOL, adrenal were induced relatively later. UDCA was tested if it has an inhibitory effect against 18-hr restraint induced stress. UDCA lowered ALP, CHOL, LDH level and also effectively elevated the ascorbic acid contents in 25 mg/kg dosage of UDCA. In organ weights. the restraint stress induced increases in spleen and adrenal were attenuated by UDCA in 50 mg/kg dosage. However. stress-induced GOT and GPT levels were unaffected by UDCA.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.300-310
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• 1994

Physicochemical properties for the inclusion complex of chenodeoxycholic acid(CDCA) and it's $7{\beta}-hydroxy$ epimer ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA) with ${\beta}-cyclodextrin({\beta}-CyD)$ were studied. The formation of the complex in the solid state were confimed by polarized microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC). Proton nuclear magnetic resonance$(^1H-NMR)$spectroscopy showed that CDCA and UDCA form an inclusion complex with ${\beta}-CyD$ in aqueous solution. The 1 : 1 stoichiometry of the complex was dextermined by the continuous variation method. From DSC and $^1H-NMR$ studies, there were not any differences between CDCA and UDCA. Complex of CDCA and UDCA showed increase in solubility and dissolution compared with CDCA and UDCA alone, respectively. Solubility pattern of UDCA complex was pH independent but, CDCA complex was like that of CDCA. Dissolution rate increased markedly in case of UDCA complex compared with CDCA complex, especially in acidic pH value.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.479-484
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• 1999

In this study, the effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on ischemia/reperfusion injury were investigated on isolated heart perfusion model. Hearts were perfused with oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit solution (pH 7.4, $37^{\circ}C$) on a Langendroff apparatus. After equilibration, isolated hearts were treated with UDCA 20 to 160 $\mu$M or vehicle (0.04% DMSO) for 10 min before the onset of ischemia. After global ischemia (30 min), ischemic hearts were reperfused and allowed to recover for 30 min. The physiological (i.e. heart rate, left ventricular developed pressure, coronary flow, double product and time to contracture formation) and biochemical (lactate dehydrogenase; LDH) parameters were evaluated. In vehicle-treated group, time to contracture formation was 21.4 min during ischemia, LVDP was 18.5 mmHg at the endpoint or reperfusion and LDH activity in total reperfusion effluent was 54.0 U/L. Cardioprotective effects of UDCA against ischemia/reperfusion consisted of a reduced TTC $(EC_{25}=97.3{\mu}M)$, reduced LDH release and enhanced recovery of cardiac contractile function during reperfusion. Especially, the treatments of UDCA 80 and $160 {\mu}M $ significantly increased LVDP and reduced LDH release. Our findings suggest that UDCA ameliorates ischemia/reperfusion-induced myocardial damage.