• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2023

Many psychiatric disorders are associated with brain functional dysfunctions and neuronal degeneration. According to the research so far, enhanced brain plasticity reduces neurodegeneration and recovers neuronal damage. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the most extensively studied neurotrophins in the mammalian brain that plays major roles in neuronal survival, development, growth, and maintenance of neurons in brain circuits related to emotion and cognitive function. Also, BDNF plays an important role in brain plasticity, influencing dendritic spines in the hippocampus neurogenesis. Changes in neurogenesis and dendritic density can improve psychiatric symptoms and cognitive functions. BDNF has potent effects on brain plasticity through biochemical mechanisms, cellular signal pathways, and epigenetic changes. There are pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to increase the expression of BDNF and enhance brain plasticity. Non-pharmacological interventions such as physical exercise, nutritional change, environmental enrichment, and neuromodulation have biological mechanisms that increase the expression of BDNF and brain plasticity. Non-pharmacological interventions are cost-effective and safe ways to improve psychiatric symptoms.

• CELLMED
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.14.1-14.7
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• 2012

Cordycepin, a nucleoside derivative, was extracted from $Cordyceps$ $sinensis$, and then proved to be a bioactive compound present in traditional Chinese medicine Cordyceps. Early investigations revealed cordycepin possessed anti-microbial activity mainly by inhibiting nucleic acid synthesis. Although cordycepin is not used as antibacterial agents in clinic, its other pharmacological effects and possible mechanisms have gradually been deeply studied. This review serves to summarize the research progress of cordycepin.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.197-206
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• 1995

Obesity is a major nutritional problem in the developed countries. The prevalence of obesity may range from 10 to 50 per rent or mort of adult population and it may be increasing tendency. Many efforts have been made to understand the pathogenesis of obesity, but except a few metabolic obesities in the most of obese patients, the mechanisms are not understood. The treatment modalities of obesity, ranging from dietary and pubilc health intervention through the pharmacological and surgical therapy, have been developed and tested. In the obese patients mortalities and mobilities are significantly increased than non obese subjects due to hypertension, diabetics, and other problems. There are four possible mechanisms by which energy balance might be altered to enhance metabolic efficiency. futile metabolic pathway, alteration of protein rum over, alteration in sodium-potassium ATPase and alteration in uncoupled oxidation in brown adipose tissue are considered as possible mechanisms. Low calory and very low calory diets are recommended as a dietary program. Several pharmacological agent such as benzphetamine, fenfluramine, mazindol and fluoxetin are currently popular drugs for the treatment of obesity.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.16-26
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• 2012

Ginseng is one of the most widely used herbal medicines and is reported to have a wide range of therapeutic and pharmacological applications. Ginseng may also be potentially valuable in treating cardiovascular diseases. Research concerning cardiovascular disease is focusing on purified individual ginsenoside constituents of ginseng to reveal specific mechanisms instead of using whole ginseng extracts. The most commonly studied ginsenosides are $Rb_1$, $Rg_1$, $Rg_3$, $Rh_1$, Re, and Rd. The molecular mechanisms and medical applications of ginsenosides in the treatment of cardiovascular disease have attracted much attention and been the subject of numerous publications. Here, we review the current literature on the myriad pharmacological functions and the potential benefits of ginseng in this area. In vitro investigations using cell cultures and in vivo animal models have indicated ginseng's potential cardiovascular benefits through diverse mechanisms that include antioxidation, modifying vasomotor function, reducing platelet adhesion, influencing ion channels, altering autonomic neurotransmitters release, and improving lipid profiles. Some 40 ginsenosides have been identified. Each may have different effects in pharmacology and mechanisms due to their different chemical structures. This review also summarizes results of relevant clinical trials regarding the cardiovascular effects of ginseng, particularly in the management of hypertension and improving cardiovascular function.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.325-332
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• 2004

Inflammatory factor such as Interleukin-1 play important roles in determining the fate of both acute and chronic neurological disorders. We investigated whether inhibitors of PKC or PTK can serve as pharmacological agents to reduce IL-I production and the mechanisms underlying their pharmacological effects in a mixed population of glia. Inhibitors of PKC such as H7, Go6976 and Ro31-8220 significantly reduced both the mRNA and protein levels of IL-1α and IL-β in lipopolysaccharide-activated primary glial cells. While the PTK inhibitor genistein also significantly reduced the production of these cytokines, it did not affect the expression of their mRNA. Taken together, inhibitors of PKC and PTK could serve as pharmacological agents to reduce IL-1 production. However, the mechanisms underlying their pharmacological effects are different. Our results provide evidence that inhibitors of protein kinases can serve as pharmacological agents to modulate IL-1 production in glial cell, and in turn, alleviate neuronal injury.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.39-53
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• 2022

Ginsenoside Rb₁ (Rb₁), one of the most important ingredients in Panax ginseng Meyer, has been confirmed to have favorable activities, including reducing antioxidative stress, inhibiting inflammation, regulating cell autophagy and apoptosis, affecting sugar and lipid metabolism, and regulating various cytokines. This study reviewed the recent progress on the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of Rb₁ against cardiovascular and nervous system diseases, diabetes, and their complications, especially those related to neurodegenerative diseases, myocardial ischemia, hypoxia injury, and traumatic brain injury. This review retrieved articles from PubMed and Web of Science that were published from 2015 to 2020. The molecular targets or pathways of the effects of Rb₁ on these diseases are referring to HMGB1, GLUT4, 11β-HSD1, ERK, Akt, Notch, NF-κB, MAPK, PPAR-γ, TGF-β1/Smad pathway, PI3K/mTOR pathway, Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, Nrf2/ARE pathway, and MAPK/NF-κB pathway. The potential effects of Rb₁ and its possible mechanisms against diseases were further predicted via Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and disease ontology semantic and enrichment (DOSE) analyses with the reported targets. This study provides insights into the therapeutic effects of Rb₁ and its mechanisms against diseases, which is expected to help in promoting the drug development of Rb₁ and its clinical applications.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 2018

Adenosine is a naturally occurring breakdown product of adenosine triphosphate and plays an important role in different physiological and pathological conditions. Adenosine also serves as an important trigger in ischemic and remote preconditioning and its release may impart cardioprotection. Exogenous administration of adenosine in the form of adenosine preconditioning may also protect heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury. Endogenous release of adenosine during ischemic/remote preconditioning or exogenous adenosine during pharmacological preconditioning activates adenosine receptors to activate plethora of mechanisms, which either independently or in association with one another may confer cardioprotection during ischemia-reperfusion injury. These mechanisms include activation of $K_{ATP}$ channels, an increase in the levels of antioxidant enzymes, functional interaction with opioid receptors; increase in nitric oxide production; decrease in inflammation; activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channels; activation of kinases such as protein kinase B (Akt), protein kinase C, tyrosine kinase, mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinases such as ERK 1/2, p38 MAP kinases and MAP kinase kinase (MEK 1) MMP. The present review discusses the role and mechanisms involved in adenosine preconditioning-induced cardioprotection.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.65-76
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• 1999

According to the study of literature on RADIX STEMONAE about its efficacy, pharmacological action, and clinical adaptive disease, the results are as follows; 1. About the efficacy of RADIX STEMONAE, it is known as moistening the lungs to arrest cough, and intestinal parasites from ancient to now, and dispelling phlegm is also known. 2. The clinical adaptation of RADIX STEMONAE is chronic bronchitis, pertussis, pulmonary tuberculosis in respiratory disease, and ascaricide for Ascaris, Enterobius vermicularis or eczema, pruritus, destroy louse for endermic liniment. 3. The pharmacological action of RADIX STEMONAE are antitussive, tuberculostatic, anthelmintic, antibacterial, antivirus, antifungal. 4. The antitussive mechanism of RADIX STEMONAE is central inhibitor for cough center of medulla oblongata, and the mechanisms of bronchial smooth muscle relax, and expectorant is also known.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.659-664
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• 2017

Although lisdexamfetamine is used as a recreational drug, little research exists regarding its potential for dependence or its precise mechanisms of action. This study aims to evaluate the psychoactivity and dependence profile of lisdexamfetamine using conditioned place preference and self-administration paradigms in rodents. Additionally, biochemical techniques are used to assess alterations in the dopamine levels in striatal synaptosomes following administration of lisdexamfetamine. Lisdexamfetamine increased both conditioned place preference and self-administration. Moreover, after administration of the lisdexamfetamine, dopamine levels in the striatal synaptosomes were significantly increased. Although some modifications should be made to the analytical methods, performing high performance liquid chromatography studies on synaptosomes can aid in predicting dependence liability when studying new psychoactive substances in the future. Collectively, lisdexamfetamine has potential for dependence possible via dopaminergic pathway.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.179-186
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• 2012

Depression and executive dysfunction are common neuropsychiatric sequelae of stroke. Patients with stroke are more predisposed to depression and executive dysfunction compared to patients with similar degree of physical disability. Both depression and executive dysfunction are also associated with poor prognosis such as high mortality and delayed recovery after stroke. Complex neurobiological and anatomical mechanisms are associated with the development of depression and executive dysfunction after stroke. Activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines is thought to be associated with onset of depression, whereas injuries in frontal-subcortical circuit are thought to be a link between depression and executive dysfunction. Early detection of depressive symptoms and both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment would be helpful. In this review paper, the authors investigated 1) biological and neuroanatomical substrate for poststroke depression and executive dysfunction, 2) the relationship and common etiopathology for poststroke depression and executive dysfunction, and 3) pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment for poststroke depression. The contents of the paper are as follows : the prevalence, clinical manifestation, and biological etiology for poststroke depression, neuroanatomical abnormalities as a common etiological factor for depression and executive dysfunction, pharmacotherapy and non-pharmacological approach.