[en] In the study, we examined the effect of hydroxyl radical generated by γ-ray and UV irradiation on shrinkage of vitreous body. Change in gel ratio of vitreous body and change in the properties of its components (collagen, sodium hyaluronate) were analyzed. By comparing these results, the amount of hydroxyl radical, which induces the considerable shrinkage of vitreous body, was evaluated from theoretical calculation based on experimental condition and some reported kinetic parameters. It was concluded that the integrated amount of hydroxyl radical required to liquefy half of the vitreous body (vitreous body gel ratio = 50%) was estimated as 140 μmolg^-1 from γ-ray irradiation experiment. Also, from UV irradiation experiment result, it was confirmed that the effect of hydroxyl radical is larger than that of other reactive species. The causes of shrinkage of vitreous body are supposed as follows, 1) decrease in viscosity by cleavage of glycoside bond in sodium hyaluronate, 2) leaching of collagen from vitreous body and 3) leaching of crosslinked products and scission products of collagen

[en] Nefazodone was used widely as an antidepressant until it was withdrawn from the U.S. market in 2004 due to hepatotoxicity. We have investigated methods to predict various toxic effects of drug candidates to reduce the failure rate of drug discovery. An electrophysiological method was used to assess the cardiotoxicity of drug candidates. Small molecules, including withdrawn drugs, were evaluated using a patch-clamp method to establish a database of hERG inhibition. Nefazodone inhibited hERG channel activity in our system. However, nefazodone-induced hERG inhibition indicated only a theoretical risk of cardiotoxicity. Nefazodone inhibited the hERG channel in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC₅₀ of 45.3 nM in HEK-293 cells. Nefazodone accelerated both the recovery from inactivation and its onset. Nefazodone also accelerated steady-state inactivation, although it did not modify the voltage-dependent character. Alanine mutants of hERG S6 and pore region residues were used to identify the nefazodone-binding site on hERG. The hERG S6 point mutants Y652A and F656A largely abolished the inhibition by nefazodone. The pore region mutant S624A mildly reduced the inhibition by nefazodone but T623A had little effect. A docking study showed that the aromatic rings of nefazodone interact with Y652 and F656 via π–π interactions, while an amine interacted with the S624 residue in the pore region. In conclusion, Y652 and F656 in the S6 domain play critical roles in nefazodone binding. - Highlights: • Nefazodone inhibits hERG channels with an IC₅₀ of 45.3 nM in HEK-293 cells. • Nefazodone blocks hERG channels by binding to the open channels. • Y652 and F656 are important for binding of nefazodone. • The aromatic rings of nefazodone interact with Y652 and F656 via π–π interactions