Assessment of the Antioxidant/Hypolipidemic Relationship of Sideritis hyssopifolia in an Experimental Animal Model.

Many publications have described the potential cardioprotective action of different medicinal plants, relating this effect with blood lipid levels. However, these publications do not justify the right amount of plant administered, which can vary greatly. Sideritis hyssopifolia is a little woody plant endemic to western and southwestern Europe. We have quantified its antioxidant activity, which can be used as an indicator of its cardioprotective action. This study evaluates the antioxidant capacity of Sideritis hyssopifolia to design a feed whose hypolipidemic effects are proven in cholesterol-fed New Zealand rabbits. Antioxidant action was assessed in infusions, which were prepared with 1 or 3 g of plant in 200 mL of water by using an ABTS assay and expressed as Ascorbic acid Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (AEAC). Aqueous infusions with infusion times of 10 min and prepared with 3 g plant exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity. Sideritis hyssopifolia showed an intermediate antioxidant capacity for the concentrations and times of the infusion tested. According to our results, we suggest incorporating 2.36 g of S. hyssopifolia every 150 g of rabbit feeding stuff (15.73 g/kg). This chow decreased cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides levels in cholesterol-fed rabbits, as well as the atherogenic index. This reduction was similar to that obtained with simvastatin.

Situation of Occupational and Environmental Health in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Mexico has a great diversity and richness of natural resources, but evaluations of the quality of life of Mexicans show the deep inequalities and the gap between rich and poor. While 5% of families concentrate 58% of the wealth, the health spending in environment and health is 0.2 and 2.7 of the GDP respectively. This has repercussions both on the gradual deterioration of the environment and on the insufficient health and social security coverage of the working population. OBJECTIVE: To describe the current situation of occupational and environmental health in Mexico. METHODS: A bibliographic review was performed on the socioeconomic, demographic, environmental, legal and health status of the Economically Active Population (EAP). FINDINGS: There is a constant deterioration of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, accompanied by an increase in environmental pollution in large cities. The unemployment rate of the EAP has decreased in one year to 3.4%, but the informal labor rate reached 57.3%, which translates into population without social security. Compliance with legislation for the protection of workers' health is insufficient. The recent amendments to the law have meant a setback in these respects. The reported information on accidents and occupational diseases corresponds to only 34% of workers. There has been a decrease in the rate of work accidents in the last six years, but an increase in diseases and permanent disabilities. During 2016, the first cause of occupational illness was hearing loss, but the profile was dominated by musculoskeletal diseases, which together reached 36.5%. CONCLUSIONS: To improve the occupational and environmental health situation, it is necessary to implement general and particular measures against inequalities, increase the budget in health and environment, enforce legislation and expand social security coverage to the population. These measures should be part of public policies as well as actions of academics and researchers.

Influence of Plantago ovata husk (dietary fiber) on the bioavailability and other pharmacokinetic parameters of metformin in diabetic rabbits.

BACKGROUND: Metformin is an oral hypoglycemic agent frequently used in patients with type 2 diabetes. In this study, we have investigated the influence of the dietary fiber Plantago ovata husk on the pharmacokinetics of this drug when included in the diet, as well as when administered at the same time as metformin. METHODS: Six groups of 6 rabbits were used. Groups 1 to 3 were fed with standard chow and groups 4 to 6 with chow supplemented with fiber (3.5 mg/kg/day). Groups 1 and 4 received metformin intravenously (30 mg/kg). Groups 2 and 5 received metfomin orally (30 mg/kg), and number 3 and 6 were treated orally with metformin (30 mg/kg) and fiber (300 mg/kg). RESULTS: The changes caused by the inclusion of fiber in the feeding were more important in groups that received oral metformin. In this way, metformin oral bioavailability showed an increase of 34.42% when rabbits were fed with supplemented chow. CONCLUSIONS: Plantago ovata husk increased the amount of absorbed metformin when included in the diet (significant increase in AUC), and delayed its absorption when administered at the same time (significant increase in tmax).

Improvement of autobiographic memory recovery by means of sad music in Alzheimer's Disease type dementia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Autobiographic memory undergoes progressive deterioration during the evolution of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of this study was to analyze mechanisms which facilitate recovery of autobiographic memories. We used a repeatedly employed mechanism, music, with the addition of an emotional factor. METHODS: Autobiographic memory provoked by a variety of sounds (music which was happy, sad, lacking emotion, ambient noise in a coffee bar and no sound) was analyzed in a sample of 25 patients with AD. RESULTS: Emotional music, especially sad music for remote memories, was found to be the most effective kind for recall of autobiographic experiences. CONCLUSIONS: The factor evoking the memory is not the music itself, but rather the emotion associated with it, and is useful for semantic rather than episodic memory.

A phase II trial of gemcitabine and weekly high-dose 5-fluorouracil in a 48-hour continuous-infusion schedule in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma. A study of the Spanish Cooperative Group for Gastrointestinal Tumour Therapy (TTD).

AIM: A multi-centred, open-labelled, phase 11 study containing 46 patients was conducted to evaluate the clinical benefit of gemcitabine (1,400 mg/m(2)) combined with 5-FU (3 g/m(2)) in a 48 h continuous infusion (CI). METHODS: Both drugs were administered on days 1, 8 and 15 of every 4 week cycle in chemotherapy-naïve patients with locally advanced unresectable metastatic pancreatic carcinoma. The minimum follow-up was 6 months. RESULTS: Clinical benefit response was the primary endpoint and this was achieved by 24.4% of the patients. Quality of life (QoL) improved in 16.6% of patients. Objective response was observed in 7% of the patients. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 14.4 weeks and the median overall survival (OS) time was 22.7 weeks. One-year survival was 25%. The most frequent grade 3-4 toxicities were neutropenia (45%), mucositis (7.5%) and hyperbilirubinaemia (10.5%). CONCLUSIONS: This schedule was not superior in terms of clinical benefit, response rate, PFS and OS than standard gemcitabine treatment

A phase II trial of gemcitabine and weekly high-dose 5-fluorouracil in a 48-hour continuous-infusion schedule in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma. A study of the Spanish Cooperative Group for Gastrointestinal Tumour Therapy (TTD)

Aim. A multi-centred, open-labelled, phase II study containing 46 patients was conducted to evaluate the clinical benefit of gemcitabine (1,400 mg/m2) combined with 5-FU (3 g/m2) in a 48h continuous infusion (CI). Methods. Both drugs were administered on days 1, 8 and 15 of every 4 week cycle in chemotherapy-naïve patients with locally advanced un-resectable metastatic pancreatic carcinoma. The minimum follow-up was 6 months. Results. Clinical benefit response was the primary endpoint and this was achieved by 24.4% of the patients. Quality of life (QoL) improved in 16.6% of patients. Objective response was observed in 7% of the patients. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 14.4 weeks and the median overall survival (OS) time was 22.7 weeks. One-year survival was 25%. The most frequent grade 3-4 toxicities were neutropenia (45%), mucositis (7.5%) and hyperbilirubinaemia (10.5%). Conclusions. This schedule was not superior in terms of clinical benefit, response rate, PFS and OS than standard gemcitabine treatment