Review of the situation of Hedeoma multiflora Benth: (Peperina de las Lomas): an aromatic-medicinal argentine species at risk / Revisión de la situación de Hedeoma multiflora Benth: (Peperina de las Lomas): especie aromática medicinal argentina en riesgo

Aromatic and medicinal plants (AMPs) have great potential for the synthesis of secondary metabolites, which are used by the pharmaceutical and food industry. In addition, they are part of ancestral medicine and the livelihood of many families in regional economies. Argentina has a high number of AMPs. However, the intensive extraction system (overexploitation), together with other anthropic actions, puts them at risk. The "peperina de las lomas" (Hedeoma multiflora Benth. (Lamiaceae)) is within this problem. This native species, xerophyte, is distributed in central Argentina, in stony mountain areas, forming small bushes. In this work, the existing information of the species was collected, covering from its environmental problems to the most recent investigations, oriented towards its conservation and the development of its germplasm. These data will serve to promote activities aimed at preventing the degradation of this resource and promoting its sustainable use.

Las plantas aromáticas y medicinales (PAMs) tienen un gran potencial para la síntesis de metabolitos secundarios, los cuales son utilizados por la industria farmacéutica y alimentaria. Además, son parte de la medicina ancestral y el sustento de muchas familias de las economías regionales. Argentina posee un alto número de PAMs. Sin embargo, el sistema de extracción intensivo (sobreexplotación), junto a otras acciones antrópicas, las coloca en riesgo. La "peperina de las lomas" (Hedeoma multiflora Benth. (Lamiaceae)) se encuentra dentro de esta problemática. Esta especie nativa, xerófita, se distribuye en el centro de Argentina, en zonas pedregosas serranas, formando pequeñas matas. En este trabajo se recopiló la información existente de la especie abarcando, desde su problemática ambiental hasta las investigaciones más recientes, orientadas a su conservación y al desarrollo de su germoplasma. Estos datos servirán para promover actividades destinadas a evitar la degradación de este recurso y propiciar su aprovechamiento sustentable.

Traditional uses, conservation status and biotechnological advances for a group of aromatic / medicinal native plants from America / Usos tradicionales, estado de conservación y avances biotecnológicos para un grupo de plantas aromáticas / medicinales nativas de América

Medicinal and aromatic plants are biologically and economically valuable species because of their intrinsic value as plants, ability to produce secondary metabolites, possible use in the pharmaceutical and food industries, germplasm availability and applications in traditional medicine. In addition, they hold social and economic importance due to the ancestral knowledge they represent and because they are part of the livelihood of many families. Most of them are collected from the wild and are in serious danger of extinction. Through biotechnological tools it is possible to develop their germplasm and obtain new and improved varieties from wild material, while advocating the alternative of production by cultivation instead of extracting it from nature. The objective of this review is to provide an updated perspective on the traditional uses, conservation status and biotechnological advances in a group of 30 plant species native to the American continent.

Las plantas medicinales y aromáticas deben ser valoradas tanto por su valor intrínseco como tales, por su capacidad de producir metabolitos secundarios, su posible uso en las industrias farmacéutica y alimentaria y por sus aplicaciones en medicina tradicional. Además, tienen importancia social y económica debido al conocimiento ancestral que representan y porque son parte del sustento de muchas familias. La mayoría de estas especies son recolectadas de la naturaleza y están en grave peligro de extinción. A través de herramientas biotecnológicas es posible desarrollar su germoplasma y obtener variedades nuevas y mejoradas a partir de material silvestre; esta estrategia propicia la alternativa de producción por cultivo en lugar de extraerla de la naturaleza. El objetivo de esta revisión es proporcionar una perspectiva actualizada de los usos tradicionales, el estado de conservación y los avances biotecnológicos en un grupo de 30 especies de plantas nativas del continente americano.

Neoadjuvant chemohyperthermia: Our experience after 10 years. / Quimiohipertermia neoadyuvante: nuestra experiencia después de 10 años.

Neoadjuvant chemohyperthermia (QHT) with MMC has demonstrated its efficacy in NMIBC both in the level of complete response at the time of TURBT and reduction of recurrences after several years of follow up. We present our experience with this treatment. METHODS: We performed a case control study in a group of 104 patients with middle-high risk NMIBC. 43 of them received neoadjuvant recirculated intravesical QHT and 61 passively administered standard adjuvant MMC. Patient follow up was 43 months (3 - 108) evaluating their clinical efficacy and adverse effects in both groups. RESULTS: After neoadjuvant QHT, 27 patients showed CR (63%), 13 PR (30.2%) and 3 NR (6.9%). 5 year recurrence rate after QHT passive MMC were 16.2% and 26.2% respectively. No patient in the QHT group presented tumor progression compared to 5% progressions in the group treated with MMC at room temperature and 1.6% deaths due to metastatic disease. 94% QHT programmed doses were administered in comparison to 97%in the group of standard MMC. In the QHT group there were 60.5% grade 1-2 AEs in comparison with 49% in the standard MMC group (p<0.4). Likewise, 9.3% cases in the QHT group presented Grade 3 AEs versus 6.5% in the standard MMC (p<0,06). CONCLUSIONS: Recirculating neoadjuvant QHT achieves a reduction in tumor recurrence after 4 years with a similar AE rate in comparison with passive instillation of MMC.

Analysis of tolerance and security of chemo hyperthermia with Mitomycin C for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. / Aálisis de tolerancia y seguridad de la quimiohipertermia con Mitomicina C en el tratamiento del cúncer de vejiga no músculo invasivo.

OBJECTIVES: The treatment of non muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) continues to be a challenge. Hyperthermia (HT) combined with intravesical chemotherapy is used to enhance the effects of chemotherapy. METHODS: A review of the publications was carried out to synthesize the adverse effects (AE) reported by the use of chemohyperthermia (QHT) with Mitomycin-C (MMC). The most relevant data are exposed for each of the devices currently used in the QHT. RESULTS: SYNERGO®: The dropout rate varied between 3-40%, and the AE rate is up to 88%. The most common AEs were pain (2-40%), thermal reaction of the posterior wall (13-100%), bladder spasms (2-32%), dysuria (3-60%) and hematuria (2-62%). COMBAT BRS®: The dropout rate is 3-11%. The AEs reported were CTCAE Grade 1-2: Pain 13-27%, bladder spasms 6-27%and hematuria 3-20% are the most relevant. In general, CTCAE grade 3-4 toxicity is not reported. UNITHERMIA®: The dropout rate is 7-12%. The AEs described are: Pain 6-23%, bladder spasms 6-23%, hematuria 9-11, frequency 15-25% and allergy 6-11%. The majority of toxicities are CTCAE grade 1-2 (17-53%), with grade 3-4 in 9-15% and Grade 5 in 0-2%. QHT adds little to the AEs of the treatment with MMC. It neither adds severe effects, nor increases dropouts significantly, and does not increase the incidence of allergic reactions. The comparative study between BCG and QHT-MMC, is less likely to present urinary frequency, nocturia, incontinence, hematuria, fever, fatigue and arthralgia in patients in the QHT group. CONCLUSIONS: QHT has proven to be a safe alternative for the treatment of intermediate and high risk NMIBC, with AE mainly grade 1-2. The AEs reported have little variation with respect to the dose of MMC used, presenting different "profiles" related to the device used for its administration. The treatments with QHTMMC are well tolerated, without adding significantly more AE than the instillations of MMC alone and presenting a better toxicity profile than those reflected in the literature with respect to the treatment with BCG.

Thermal dosimetry for bladder hyperthermia treatment. An overview.

The urinary bladder is a fluid-filled organ. This makes, on the one hand, the internal surface of the bladder wall relatively easy to heat and ensures in most cases a relatively homogeneous temperature distribution; on the other hand the variable volume, organ motion, and moving fluid cause artefacts for most non-invasive thermometry methods, and require additional efforts in planning accurate thermal treatment of bladder cancer. We give an overview of the thermometry methods currently used and investigated for hyperthermia treatments of bladder cancer, and discuss their advantages and disadvantages within the context of the specific disease (muscle-invasive or non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer) and the heating technique used. The role of treatment simulation to determine the thermal dose delivered is also discussed. Generally speaking, invasive measurement methods are more accurate than non-invasive methods, but provide more limited spatial information; therefore, a combination of both is desirable, preferably supplemented by simulations. Current efforts at research and clinical centres continue to improve non-invasive thermometry methods and the reliability of treatment planning and control software. Due to the challenges in measuring temperature across the non-stationary bladder wall and surrounding tissues, more research is needed to increase our knowledge about the penetration depth and typical heating pattern of the various hyperthermia devices, in order to further improve treatments. The ability to better determine the delivered thermal dose will enable clinicians to investigate the optimal treatment parameters, and consequentially, to give better controlled, thus even more reliable and effective, thermal treatments.