The Pharmacological Effects of Benachio-F(R) on Rat Gastrointestinal Functions

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a prevalent idiopathic upper gastrointestinal (GI) disorder characterized by diverse symptomatology including epigastric pain or discomfort, postprandial fullness, and early satiety. Although its pathophysiological mechanisms have not yet been fully established, the available studies suggest that the etiology of FD is invariably multifactorial. Benachio-F(R) (BF) is a proprietary liquid formulation of 7 herbal extracts that has been proposed to address this multifactorial etiology using multi-drug phytotherapy. The pharmacological effects of BF, in comparison with those of two other herbal products (Whalmyungsu(R); WM and Iberogast(R); IB) were evaluated in rats. In a laparotomy-induced rat model of delayed GI transit, BF significantly accelerated the delayed gastric emptying caused by morphine, apomorphine, and cisplatin, and also significantly increased mean gastric transit, as compared to the control animals. BF markedly increased gastric accommodation in rats and produced higher gastric volume values than did the control treatment. The effects of BF were generally comparable or superior to those of WM and IB in these models. Furthermore, BF significantly stimulated biliary flow, as compared to the control treatment. These results indicated that BF might have great potential as an effective phytotherapeutic agent capable of reducing GI symptoms and increasing quality of life in FD patients.

Effect of DA-9701 on Colorectal Distension-Induced Visceral Hypersensitivity in a Rat Model

BACKGROUND/AIMS: DA-9701 is a newly developed drug made from the vegetal extracts of Pharbitidis semen and Corydalis tuber. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of DA-9701 on colorectal distension (CRD)-induced visceral hypersensitivity in a rat model. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to neonatal colon irritation (CI) using CRD at 1 week after birth (CI group). At 6 weeks after birth, CRD was applied to these rats with a pressure of 20 to 90 mm Hg, and changes in the mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured at baseline (i.e., without any drug administration) and after the administration of different doses of DA-9701. RESULTS: In the absence of DA-9701, the MAP changes after CRD were significantly higher in the CI group than in the control group at all applied pressures. In the control group, MAP changes after CRD were not significantly affected by the administration of DA-9701. In the CI group, however, the administration of DA-9701 resulted in a significant decrease in MAP changes after CRD. The administration of DA-9701 at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg produced a more significant decrease in MAP changes than the 0.3 mg/kg dose. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of DA-9701 resulted in a significant increase in pain threshold in rats with CRD-induced visceral hypersensitivity.

Comparison of Piroxicam Pharmacokinetics and Anti-Inflammatory Effect in Rats after Intra-Articular and Intramuscular Administration

This study evaluated the pharmacokinetic profile and therapeutic efficacy of piroxicam (PX), a long acting non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for the treatment of arthritis, following intra-articular (IA) injection in comparison to the pharmacokinetic profile and therapeutic efficacy of PX after intramuscular (IM) injection. In the pharmacokinetic study in rats, systemic exposure and pharmacokinetic parameters of PX after a single IA dose were compared with systemic exposure and pharmacokinetic parameters of PX after administration of the same dose IM (0.6 mg/kg). The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of IA PX were evaluated simultaneously in a monoiodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis rat model. The plasma PX concentration rapidly rose following IA injection, and it was comparable to the plasma PX concentration following IM injection, suggesting the rapid efflux of the drug molecule from the joint cavity. However, in the efficacy study, the IA PX administration significantly reduced the knee swelling by reducing the level of prostaglandin E2 in the joint, compared to that following administration of IA vehicle and after administration of the IM PX dose. In addition, we found that the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive efficacies of IA PX were synergistically increased upon co-treatment with hyaluronic acid (HA), a potent agent for the treatment of osteoarthritis, at the weight ratio of 1:1 or 1:2, and these effects were more pronounced than those following administration of HA or PX alone. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the efficacy of the IA use of PX alone and/or in combination with HA in osteoarthritis.

DA-9701: A New Multi-Acting Drug for the Treatment of Functional Dyspepsia

Motilitone(R) (DA-9701) is a new herbal drug that was launched for the treatment of functional dyspepsia in December 2011 in Korea. The heterogeneous symptom pattern and multiple causes of functional dyspepsia have resulted in multiple drug target strategies for its treatment. DA-9701, a compound consisting of a combination of Corydalis Tuber and Pharbitidis Semen, has being developed for treatment of functional dyspepsia. It has multiple mechanisms of action such as fundus relaxation, visceral analgesia, and prokinetic effects. Furthermore, it was found to significantly enhance meal-induced gastric accommodation and increase gastric compliance in dogs. DA-9701 also showed an analgesic effect in rats with colorectal distension induced visceral hypersensitivity and an antinociceptive effect in beagle dogs with gastric distension-induced nociception. The pharmacological effects of DA-9701 also include conventional effects, such as enhanced gastric emptying and gastrointestinal transit. The safety profile of DA-9701 is also preferable to that of other treatments.

Preparation and Biodistribution of Re-188-Sulfur Colloid Suspension in Lipiodol / 대한핵의학회잡지

PURPOSE: Lipiodol is used for targeting liver cancers by administrating through the hepatic artery. In the present study, feasibility of Re-188-sulfur colloid suspension in lipiodol as a liver cancer targeting agent was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Re-188-sulfur colloid was prepared, harvested by centrifugation, washed with organic solvent and then suspended into lipiodol. Biodistribution of Re-188-sulfur colloid in normal saline and its suspension in lipiodol in mice after 1 hr of injection through the tail vein were investigated. Biodistribution and autoradiography of tumor-bearing liver was acquired after 5 min post-injection into left ventricle of the tumor-inoculated rats. RESULTS: After 1 hr of injection with Re-188-sulfur colloid suspensiob in lipiodol through the tail vein in normal mice (n=3), the uptakes in the liver and lung were 5.2+/-0.7 and 91.0+/-1.7% ID/organ, respectively. After 5 min of injection with Re-188-sulfur colloid suspention in lipiodol through the left ventricle in the tumor-inoculated rats (n=4), uptakes in the normal liver, hepatoma, and lung were 0.41+/-0.28, 1.88+/-1.57, and 1.65+/-1.54% ID/organ, respectively. And autoradiography of hepatoma showed increased uptake than normal liver tissues. CONCLUSION: Re-188-sulfur colloid suspension in lipiodol injected through the artery shows higher uptake in the hepatoma than normal liver tissue that indicates the feasibility as a new radiopharmaceutical for therapy of hepatoma.

The Effect of DA-6034, Eupatilin Derivatives of Flavonoids, on the Rats with Trinitrobenzene Sulfonic Acid (TNBS) - Induced Colitis / 대한내과학회지

OBJECTIVE: In traditional medicine, Artemisia capillaris has been used for treatment of chronic diarrhea. Previously we found Artemisia capillaris had an effect on rats with TNBS-induced colitis. Eupatilin, a kind of flavonoids, may be a probable effective component. To evaluate the effect of a eupatilin derivative compound DA-6034 on the rat with TNBS-induced colitis, we perfomed this study. METHODS: Colitis was induced with 1ml of 50 mg/ml TNBS mixed with 60 % ethanol (vol/vol) in Sprague- Dawley rats. From the next day, 1ml methylcellulose, 1 mg/kg prednisolone, 0.3 or 3 mg/kg of DA-6017 and DA-6034 were administered through rectum once daily for 2 weeks. At 2days, 1week, and 2weeks later, we evaluated the effect by gross damage score (0-10) and measured myeloperoxidase, PGE2, and LTB4 from the damaged mucosa. RESULTS: The mean gross damage scores of prednisolone and 3 mg/kg of DA-6034 groups were significantly lower than that of a placebo group at 2weeks (0.8, 0.9 vs. 4.0, p<0.05). Myeloperoxidase activities also seemed to be lower in those effective groups but were not statistically significant. LTB4 levels were lower in prednisolone and, 0.3 and 3 mg/kg of DA-6034 groups than in a placebo group at 2weeks (7.91, 7.23, and 7.13 vs. 13.90 ng/mg protein, p<0.05). PGE2 levels were decreased in prednisolone and 0.3 mg/kg of DA-6034 groups at 2days. DA-6017 showed no effects. CONCLUSIONS: Eupatilin derivative compound, DA- 6034 was effective in rats with TNBS-induced colitis. In that LTB4 level is lowered with some decrease of PGE2 level, this agent probably has an inhibitory effect on arachidonic acid metabolism.