The first study on chemical constituents and biological activities of Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels (Rutaceae) growing in Vietnam has been done. Phytochemical investigation of n-hexane extract led to the isolation of five compounds: dihydroindicolactone (1), 8-geranyloxy psoralen (2), imperatorin (3), heraclenol (4) and indicolactone (5), in which this is the first report on the presence of dihydroindicolactone (1). Their structures were elucidated based on LC/MS/NMR hyphenated techniques as well as comparison with those of literature data. The n-hexane extract and its subfractions, ethanol 95% extract and several isolated compounds were evaluated for antifungal activity.
Clausena* ; Ethanol ; Ficusin ; Vietnam

No abstract available.
Ficusin* ; Psoriasis* ; Skin Neoplasms*

Although the psoralen therapy has been used extensively on vitligo since the : introduction by El-Mofty on 1948, the result has not been satisfactory. Recent investigations showed that the autoimmune mechanism might be the causative factor to the development of vitiligo, and the use of steroid might be expected to be beneficial in the treatment of this disorder. Authors tried the combined treatment of prednisolone and psoralen on vitiligo and the results obtained are as follows; 1. Repigmentations began to develop from injected area of prednisolone as well as frorn hair follicles and peripheral area of the lesions. 2. More satisiactory responses were obtained on the widespread and symmetrical lesions of shorter duration than on the lesions of localized and long duration.
Ficusin* ; Hair Follicle ; Prednisolone* ; Vitiligo*

BACKGROUND: For the treatment of generalized vitiligo patients with oral PUVA, we can use two different methods; one is to treat the lesions while the whole body is exposed. Another one is to treat the lesions while only the lesions are exposed. PURPOSE: This study was performed to determine whether lesional and whole body exposure in oral PUVA for generalized vitiligo show any therapeutic differences in effectiveness. METHODS: The vitiligo lesions were distributed over the whole body skin of the subjects and the lesion area was less than 6% of the whole skin area. PUVA was done to the subjects more than 20 times after oral administration of psoralen. The patients were classified into two different groups. One is the lesional exposure group in which the patient exposed only the vitiligo lesion. The other is the whole body exposure group in which the patient exposed almost their whole body. RESULTS: Our results show that there is no statistical difference of the therapeutic effectiveness between the two methods. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend lesional treatment rather than whole body treatment to prevent the oral PUVA side effects.
Administration, Oral ; Ficusin ; Humans ; Skin ; Vitiligo*

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial components of Ducrosia ismaelis Asch. led to the isolation of six known compounds, psoralen (1), isopsoralen (2), cnidioside A (3), (-)-syringaresinol-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), (E)-plicatin B (5), trilinolein (6). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated from spectroscopic data and by comparison of these data with previously published results. The antioxidant, anti-osteoporotic and cardiovascular related activities of the isolated compounds were assessed using oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), reducing capacity, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitory activity assays. Compounds (3-5) showed potent peroxyl radical-scavenging capacities with ORAC values of 11.06 +/- 0.39, 7.98 +/- 0.10, and 13.99 +/- 0.06 Trolox equivalent (TE) at concentrations of 10 microM, respectively. Only compounds 4 and 5 was able to significantly reduce Cu2+ ions, with a reduction value of 9.06 +/- 0.32 and 4.61 +/- 0.00 microM Trolox Equivalent (TE) at a concentration of 10 microM. Compound 5 at 10 microM exhibited a potent inhibitory effect on osteoclastic TRAP activity with a TRAP value of 86.05 +/- 6.55% of the control. Compounds 1, 3 and 5 potently inhibited sEH activity with IC50 values of 41.6 4.9, 16.0 1.1, and 49.0 5.7 microM, respectively.
Acid Phosphatase ; Apiaceae ; Ficusin ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Ions ; Osteoclasts ; Oxygen

No abstract available.
Ficusin ; Follow-Up Studies ; Isotretinoin ; Methotrexate ; Mycosis Fungoides

BACKGROUND: Psoralen has been used in the treatment of certain hypojigmentary disorders with UVA or solar irradiation. However trecent report proposed the actions of psiralens are direct and do not require the presence of ultraviolet light. The report also suggested that tze specific receptors other than DNA would be present. OBJECTIVE: This study was done ta identify the effects of 8-methoryporalen(8-MOP) on the proliferation and melanization of cultured normal human melanocytes without UVA. METHODS: Melanocytes were cultured in melanocyte culture medium neluding 16% or 5% FBS. We added 8-MOP by their concentrations from 10 M to 10 M. After 8 hours treatment, we investigated the melanocytes proliferation and Lhe melanin contents. RESULTS: We could not detecet any significant differences of melanoytes proliferation and melanin contents between the control end experimental groups. CONCLUSION: There were no effect on the proliferation and the milanization of cultured normal human melanocytes with 8-MOP only.
DNA ; Ficusin ; Humans* ; Melanins ; Melanocytes* ; Methoxsalen ; Ultraviolet Rays

BACKGROUND: Psoralen and UVA(PUVA) are the most common and effective treatments for vitiligo. UVA treatment requires measurement of the minimal phototoxic dose (MPD) in order to determine adequate UVA irradiation for safe and effective photochemotherapy. There have been only a few reports about the efficacy of PUVA therapy in which the exposure dose was determined by the MPD. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to measure the MPD on vitiliginous lesions and to evaluate the response of vitiligo patients to photochemotherapy. METHODS: The minimal phototoxic dose of UVA was measured in 82 vitiligo patients. Thirty two of the 82 patients were treated by PUVA therapy for at least three months. The initial exposure dose was two thirds of the MPD. Subsequently we evaluated the initial exposure dose, the total exposure dose, and the total number of exposures until initial repigmentation appeared. Adverse effects of PUVA therapy were also evaluated. RESULTS: 1. The initial repigmentation rate for systemic PUVA therapy was highest for the trunk (68.4%), followed by the face and neck (33.3%), and the extremities(6.3%). 2. For topical PUVA treatment the mean total exposure dose was 2.3J/cm2, the number of treatments was 5.3, and the duration until initial repigmentaion appeared was 16.5 days. In the case of systemic PUVA treatment the same parameters were 12.0J/cm2, 7.1, 27.3 days, respectively. 3. In the systemic PUVA therapy group the total exposure dose was 21.4+/-15.0J/cm2 for patients with lesions of less than one year duration and 8.7+/-5.1J/cm2 for patients with lesions of longer than one year duration. 4. The adverse effects of topical PUVA therapy were erythema (7 of 11 cases), prickling (3 of 11 cases), pruritus (2 of 11 cases), and desquamation (1 of 11 cases). 5. Side effects in 23 patients with systemic PUVA therapy were erythema (78.3%), pruritus (47.8%), gastrointestinal symptoms (21%), burn (8.7%), and headache (1.9%). There were no side effects in topical and systemic PUVA therapy as much as PUVA therapy discontinued. Conclusion : These results indicate that PUVA therapy in cases where the initial exposure dose is determined by MPD, subsequently the exposure dose is determined by visual inspection of vitiliginous lesions and history taking of subjective symptoms on each treatment is safe and effective.
Burns ; Erythema ; Ficusin ; Headache ; Humans ; Neck ; Photochemotherapy ; Pruritus ; PUVA Therapy* ; Vitiligo*

One adverse effect of PUVA therapy is the development of severe dermatitis. Only a few cases of photoallergy to psoralens during PUVA therapy have been reported. We describe herein a patient with photoallergic dermatitis induced by PUVA with 8-methoxypsoralen(8-MOP). A 38-year old woman with generalized vitiligo had acute pruritic exanthematous maculopapular lesions in the treated areas after PUVA therapy with 8-MOP. A patch test and photopatch test were performed with 8-MOP, 5-MOP, and 4,5,8-trimethylpsoralen(TMP). The patch test carried out with these psoralen derivatives were all negative, but the photopatch test showed a positive reaction to 8-MOP. The patient consequently had PUVA therapy with 5-MOP and she had no further experience of a photoallergic reaction.
Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Photoallergic* ; Female ; Ficusin ; Furocoumarins ; Humans ; Methoxsalen* ; Patch Tests ; PUVA Therapy ; Vitiligo

BACKGROUND: The action of ultraviolet rays on DNA causes the main photobiologic response of cells to ultraviolet rays. To study this effect, tritiated thymidine autoradiography was used. Recently 5-bromo-2deoxyuridine(BrdU), an analogue of thymidine, immunohistochemistry has been developed and is used in the detection of synthetic phase cells. Compared to autoradiography, there are several advantages of BrdU immunohistochemistry; a shorter processing time, no requirement of specific facilites. PUVA, the combination method of UVA and Psoralen has lots of photobiologic effects. OBJECTIVE: Using Brdu immunohistochemistry, the effect of PUVA on the DNA synthesis of tape stripped mouse epdermis was studied. METHOD: Mice stripped by adhesive tape for enhancing DNA synthesis were injected intraperitoneally with 50mg/kg of BrdU immediately after stripping and at 6, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 48 hours after tape stripping for decision of the time for PUVA. The skin diopsies were taken and the specimens were stained by BrdU immunohistochemistry. Single systemic PUVA exposure was performed on the stripped epidermis in peak synthetic time after tape stripping. The irradiation dose of UVA was 5J/cm(2). 8-MOP was administered at 90 minutes before UVA irradiation via a feeding tube with the dose of 16mg/kg. Mice were injected intraperitoneally with 50mg/kg of BrdU immediately after PUVA and at 12, 24, 48, 72 hours, and 7 days after PUVA. The skin biopsies were taken and the specimens were stained by BrdU immunohistochemistry. Positively labeled cells were counted per 5mm epidermis. RESULT: The results can be summerized as follows : 1. The mean numbers of BrdU labeled cells of each groups according to time after tape stripping were 11.0+/-4.4 at immediate, 24.0+/-9.7 at 6 hours 31.4+/-18.1 at 12 hours, 55.0+/-16.1 at 14 hors, 25.8+/-9.7 at 16 hors, 44.2+/-15.7 at 18 hors, 47.6+/-15.6 at 20 hors, 33.4+/-12.3 at 22 hors, 38.0+/-16.3 at 24 hors, and 22.0+/-8.2 at 48 hors group. The mean number of BrdU labeled cells was observed at 14 hors after tape stripping (p<0.05). So by tape stripping DNA synthesis was enhanced maximally at 14 hours after tape stripping. 2. The man numbers of BrdU labeled cells of each groups according to time after PUVA were 11.0+/-7.5 at immediate, 32.2+/-13.2 at immediate, 32.2+/-13.2 at 6hors, 26.4+/-13.4 at 24 hours, 18.0+/-3.4 at 48 hours, 40.3+/-8.3 at 72 hours, and 27.8+/-11.0 at 7 days group. The lowest number of BrdU labeled cells was observed immediately after PUVA(p<0.05). The decreasein the number of BrdU labeled cells significantly persisted 48 hours after PUVA(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis of PUVA might be sustained 48 hours after PUVA. DNA synthesis was recovered at 72 hours after PUVA and sustained for 7 days.
Adhesives ; Animals ; Autoradiography ; Biopsy ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; DNA* ; Epidermis ; Ficusin ; Immunohistochemistry* ; Methoxsalen ; Mice ; Skin ; Thymidine ; Ultraviolet Rays