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

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

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

Vitiligo is a common acquired Thypornelanotic disease but the pathogenesis is still unknown and also the traatment is still unsatisfactory. The introduction in 1947 of psoralen therapy in vitiligo by El Mofty announced a new era in the treatment of this cosmetically disfiguring disease. Many investigators have developed therapeutic regimens for both topical and systemic poralen using various ligbt sources. The erythema action spectrum in UVA range of psoralen were defined, which consequently enabled the development of a more accurate regimen, namely psoralen and UVA(FUVA, exposure. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of topical PUVA therapy in patients with vitiligo and to compare the result of PUVA therapy according to the age, sex, type of disease, total exposure dose, duration of disease nd involved site. Twenty one patients selected in the Department of Dermatology of Kyung hee University Hospital with various clinical types of vitiligo were treated with 03% 8-MOP ointment followed by exposure to longwave ultraviolet energy. Clinical response was graded as follows: Grade 0: No repigmentation Grade 1; Up to 25% repigmentaton Grade 2; 25% to 50% repigmentation Grade 3; 50% to 90% repigmentation Grade 4; Greater than 90% repigmentation A responsive case wss defined as a case with greater than 25% repigmentation. A effective case was defined as a case with greater than 50;o repigmentation.
Dermatology ; Erythema ; Ficusin ; Humans ; Methoxsalen* ; Photochemotherapy* ; PUVA Therapy ; Research Personnel ; Ultraviolet Rays* ; Vitiligo*

BACKGROUND: Oral of topical psoralen photochemotherapy is the most popular arid efficacious treatment, available for repigmentation of vitiliginous patches. However this therapy is often used for prolonged periods and various types of pigmentary changes can be observed and sometimes, may be carcinogenic. The safety of PUVA therapy has been an issue of debate. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to describe in more detail the complications of PUVA treatment and to investigate a possible relation with multiple factors. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We studied 137 vitiligo patients who received PUVA therapy(using oral 8-MOP) for more than six months in our department between March 1990 and June 1996. RESULT: The results are summarized as follows 1. Among 137 cases of vitiligo, the numbers of male and female patients were 40(29.2%) and 97(70.8%) respectively. The mean age at the start of PUVA was 39 years and the mean duration of treatment was 31 months. There were no patients with skin type I and II. Forty cases had skin type III, 68 skin type IV, 29 skin type V. 2. Acute side effects were nausea(35.8%), pruritus(32:8% ), erythema(30.7%), headache(21.2 %), dizziness(18.8%), burning sensation(16.8%), fatigue(8.8%) and the Koebner phenomenon(1.5 %). These are all reversible and disappear on discontinuation of treatment. 3. PUVA-induced pigmentary changes were PUVA lentigines(39 cases;26.3%), hypopigmented confetti macules(36 cased;26.3%), mottling(31 cases,22.6%), nail pigmentation(8 cases,5.8%) and PUVA keratosis(7cases;5.1%) 4. The mean cumulative UVA dose was 1833J/cm and the mean number of treatments was 171. In the high-dose group and the patients who had the most number of treatments, we observed an increased number of patients with PUVA lentigiens and mottling. However, no relationship was observed between the development of PUVA-induced pigmentary changes and sex or age at the start, of PUVA or in relation to skin type. 5. We did not see any patients with melanoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer or systemic cancer. CONCLUSION: Long term exposure to PUVA significantly increases chronic clinical side effects of PUVA. Therefore carefuI clinical follow-up of patients who receive long term PUVA therapy in necessary. This risk shoud be considered in selection of treatment.
Burns ; Female ; Ficusin ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Melanoma ; Photochemotherapy ; PUVA Therapy ; Skin ; Skin Neoplasms ; Vitiligo*

The etiology of scleroderma remains uncertain, but several pathomechanisms have been suggested including vascular alterations with endothelial cell damage, disturbances in the control of collagen synthesis and autoimmune activity. The association with other autoimmune diseases such as thyroid disorder and vitiligo may favor the attribution of autoimmunity to its pathomechanism. But their association has been rarely reported. Psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) photochemotherapy is the most popular and effective therapeutic modality for vitiligo. And successful treatments of localized scleroderma with PUVA photochemotherapy have been reported, including topical, systemic, and bath PUVA. We report a case of successful treatment with low-dose systemic PUVA photochemotherapy for the patient, who has concurrently both the localized scleroderma and vitiligo.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Autoimmunity ; Baths ; Collagen ; Endothelial Cells ; Ficusin ; Humans ; Photochemotherapy* ; Scleroderma, Localized* ; Thyroid Gland ; Vitiligo*