• Advances in nano research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.87-96
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• 2022

Drug self-delivery systems can easily realize combination drug therapy and avoid carrier-induced toxicity and immunogenicity because they do not need non-therapeutic carrier materials. So, designing appropriate drug self-delivery systems for specific diseases can settle most of the problems existing in traditional drug delivery systems. Retinal pigment epithelium is very important for the homeostasis of retina. However, it is vulnerable to oxidative damage and difficult to repair. Worse still, the antioxidants can hardly reach the retina by non-invasive administration routes due to the ocular barriers. Herein, the targeted group (folic acid) and antioxidant (melatonin) have been grafted on the surface of ZnO quantum dots to fabricate a new kind of drug self-delivery systems as a protectant via eyedrops. In this study, the negative nanoparticles with size ranging in 4~6 nm were successfully synthesized. They could easily and precisely deliver drugs to retinal pigment epithelium via eyedrops. And they realized acid degradation to controlled release of melatonin and zinc in retinal pigment epithelium cells. Consequently, the structure of retinal pigment epithelium cells were stabilized according to the expression of ZO-1 and β-catenin. Moreover, the antioxidant capacity of retinal pigment epithelium were enhanced both in health mice and photic injury mice. Therefore, such new drug self-delivery systems have great potential both in prevention and treatment of oxidative damage induced retinal diseases.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.539-544
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• 2004

Herbal medicine has been used in the Eastern world for 2,000 years, and is beneficial for numerous diseases. There have been reports pertaining to the safety of herbal medicine, but there have been few reports about herbal medicine induced liver injury in Eastern or Western medicine. Most are descriptions of hepatotoxicity of certain toxic herbs. We experienced one case of drug induced liver injury in the treatment of cerebral infarction with Chungsim Yeonja-tang. Although the patient had not used medication and Chungsim Yeonja-tang has no toxic herbs in it. patient's ALP, AST, ALT, GGT was twice elevated after 20 days on medication. This was diagnosed as drug induced liver injury, possibly due to incorrect diagnosis of Sasang constitution. So no herbal medicine was given for seven days. Then Gagam Saeng Gan-tang was given. Gagam Saeng Gan-tang have been used to treat hepatic disease and have been known to have beneficial effects. After 25 days on medication, the clinical symptoms and liver function improved. So, this case is presented to bring more attention to the toxicity of herbal medicines.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.598-606
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• 1998

The liver expresses a considerable amount of nitric oxide (NO) upon induction with cytokines or/and endotoxin. The NO synthesized by inducible NO synthase (NOS) of the liver see ms to play a role in various hepatic physiological processes. Here we investigate the effects of NO on acetaminophen (AA)-induced liver injury. The treatment of S-nitros-N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP, exogenous NO donor) at the dose of 0.1mM decreased AA-induced hepatotoxicity suggesting the possibility of NO to play a role in protection from the hepatotoxicity induced by AA. On the other hand, the excessive NO produced by NO donor (SNAP: 0.5, 2.5, 6.25mM) has been shown to cause a concentration dependent hepatotoxicity, and such damages was decreased by Superoxide and increased by superoxide dismutase, indicating that the hepatotoxicity induced by excessive NO depends on balancing between NO and superoxide. Taken together, the results indicate that NO has biphasic effects on hepatotoxicity.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.151-162
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• 2007

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the anti-allergic effect in vivo, and to observe single toxicity in mice of Armeniacae Semen herbal acupuncture solution (ASHA). Methods : We investigated anti DNP IgE-mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in rodents and compound 48/80-induced active systemic anaphylatic shock in mice after treatment at both BL13 with ASHA of 25 ${\mu}{\ell}$(mice) or 50 ${\mu}{\ell}$(rats) 3 times for 5 days. To ascertain safety and toxicity of ASHA, we examined single toxicity test. In single test, three groups were treated with different dosages of ASHA (ASHA250, ASHA500 and ASHA1000) according to on Korean Food and Drug Administration, respectively. We observed attentively motality, abnormal clinical sign, body weight change, and organ weight of mice after ASHA treatment. Results : ASHA inhibited passive cutaneous anaphylaxis and active systemic anaphylatic shock by oral administration. During toxicity experiment period, there was no difference in body weight change, and organ weight among different dose groups. Death were not found in single test i.p. group. (ASHA250, ASHA500 and ASHA1000). Several individuals of single test i.p. group were observed yellow brown discharge around anus in early period after administration. Conclusions : These results indicate that ASHA have inhibition effects on passive cutaneous anaphylaxis and active systemic anaphylatic shock, and suggest that has some toxicity in high dosage.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.251-256
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• 2001

In western medicine, there are some reports about herbal medicine induced hepatitis, but in oriental medicine, there are few reports about that. We experienced one case of drug acute cholestatic-hepatitis in the treatment of oriental medicine for HNP. We treated the patient with acupuncture, physical therapy and herb medicine. The patient's symptoms improved after two weeks of treatment. In the course of treatment, the patient intermittently complained of general weakness, nausea, yellowish urin, dyspepsia, and abdominal discomfort. We recognized that total bilirubin(7.2mg/dl), direct bilirubin(5.5mg/dl), serum transaminase(AST 360U/L, ALT 354U/L), alkaline phosphatase(16.6 K/A), urobilinogen(++) and bilirubin(++) were elevated. We diagnosed drug induced hepatitis. We stopped giving herb medicine and began giving Saeng gan gunbi-tang and Injin-oryung-san. Saeng gan gunbi-tang and Injin-oryung-san have been used to treat hepatic disease and have been known to have beneficial effects. After 3weeks on medication, the clinical symptoms and liver function improved. So, we report this case to bring more attention to the safety and toxicity of herbal medicine.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.239-245
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• 2022

Protein and peptide candidates are screened to apply therapeutic application as a drug. Ensuring that these candidates are delivered and maximized effectiveness is still challenging and a variety of studies are ongoing. As drug delivery system vehicles, cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) can deliver various kinds of cargo into the cell cytosol. In a previous study, we developed Ara27 CPP, which are a zinc knuckle family protein of Arabidopsis, and confirmed internalization in human dermal fibroblasts and human dental pulp stem cells at low concentration with short time treatment condition without any toxicity. Ara27, an amphipathic CPP, could be modified and utilized in the biomedical field excluding the risk of toxicity. Therefore, we would like to confirm the non-toxic induced penetrating ability of Ara27 in various cell lines. The purpose of this study was to screen the cell internalization ability of Ara27 in various cell lines and to confirm Ara27 as a promising core CPP structure. First, Ara27 was screened to confirm non-toxicity concentration. Then, fluorescence-labeled Ara27 was treated on human normal cell lines, cancer cell lines and animal cell lines to identify the cellular internalization of Ara27. Ara27 was well intracellular localized in all cell lines and the intensity of fluorescence was remarkably increased in time pass manner. These results indicate that Ara27 has the potential as a core structure for applications in various drug delivery systems.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2013

Azathioprine is the most common drug used to maintain clinical remission in inflammatory bowel disease. This drug is also important as a steroid-sparing agent in steroid-dependent and chronically active inflammatory bowel disease. Nevertheless, many questions remain concerning the optimal treatment regimens of azathioprine. The dose of azathioprine has to be reduced or the therapy has to be discontinued frequently because of drug-induced toxicity. In this review, we discuss monitoring of thiopurines, adverse events, malignant complications and how to use azathioprine safely and usefully.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2012

Because the average human life span has recently increased, the number of patients who are diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases has escalated. Recent advances in stem cell research have given us access to unlimited numbers of multi-potent or pluripotent cells for screening for new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases. Neural stem cells (NSCs) are a good model with which to screen effective drugs that increase neurogenesis. Recent technologies for human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can provide human cells that harbour specific neurodegenerative disease. This article discusses the use of NSCs, ESCs and iPSCs for neurodegenerative drug screening and toxicity evaluation. In addition, we introduce drugs or natural products that are recently identified to affect the stem cell fate to generate neurons or glia.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 1986

The single treatment of mice with steam distillate, non-volatile ether extract and methanol extract from mace (Arils of Myristica fragrans) caused a significant prolongation of hexobarbital-induced narcosis and increase in strychnine toxicity as well as a significant decrease in hepatic microsomal drug metabolizing enzyme activities. On 7 consecutive daily administrations, however, the duration of hypnosis was markedly shortened and significant increases in the hepatic enzyme activities were shown. With systematic fractionation by $SiO_2$ column chromatography of non-volatile ether fraction monitoring by animal tests a new lignan (mp $70{\sim}72^{\circ}$, MW 328, $[{\alpha}]^{20}_D+5.28$) was isolated as an active principle and its structure was elucidated as (2R, 3S)-1-(3,4-methylendioxyphenyl)-2,3 dimethyl-4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) butane.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.189-194
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• 1986

The single acute treatment of mice with the steam distillate, non-volatile ether extract and methanol extract from mace, arils of Myristica fragrans(Myristicaceae) caused a significant prolongation of hexobarbital-induced narcosis, an increase in strychnine toxicity as well as a significant decrease in hepatic microsomal drug metabolizing enzyme activities. On seven daily consecutive administrations, however, the duration of narcosis was markedly shortened and significant increases in the hepatic enzyme activities were shown. From the non-volatile ether fraction, macelignan, a new lignan, mp $70{\sim}72^{\circ}$ was isolated as an active principle.