Antiulcer Effect of Senna multiglandulosa via Increased Secretion of Mucus and Nonprotein Sulfhydryl Groups in an Experimental Murine Model.

Peptic ulcer is a universal condition that is a public health problem due to its prevalence, risk of complications and socioeconomic impact. This study aimed to determine the antiulcer effect of the hydroalcoholic extract from Senna multiglandulosa leaves against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Thirty-six male albino Holtzman rats were assigned to six groups. Group I received physiological saline (PS) at doses of 10 mL/kg; group II: ethanol (PS + ethanol 5 mL/kg); group III; omeprazole 100 mg/kg/day (gold standard); groups IV, V and VI received doses of 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg/day of S. multiglandulosa extract, respectively. The stomach was removed to determine the ulcerative lesions and two sections of the glandular zone to carry out the analysis of the gastric mucus and sulfhydryl groups content. As result, S. multiglandulosa at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg produced a significant decrease of the injured area, with values of 46.28 ± 7.95 mm2 and 6.91 ± 2.48 mm2, respectively (P < 0.001). The protective effect was showed at dose of 500 mg/kg (92.27%) and a significant increase in the production of mucus with a value of 83.13 ± 13.09 mg/mL/g of tissue (61.14%). The production of nonprotein sulfhydryl groups (NP-SG) also increased significantly at the three evaluated doses, being 250.34 ± 21.16 µg/g tissue at dose of 500 mg/kg (119.94%). It is concluded that S. multiglandulosa extract protected against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer due to increased gastric mucus secretion and its antioxidant activity due to the generation of nonprotein sulfhydryl groups.

Phytochemical Constituents and Ameliorative Effect of the Essential Oil from Annona muricata L. Leaves in a Murine Model of Breast Cancer.

Annona muricata leaves are traditionally used as an anticancer plant in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ameliorative effect of the essential oil from Annona muricata leaves (EOAm) in an experimental model of breast cancer and to determine the volatile constituents with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Thirty female rats were assigned to five groups: the control group; the DMBA (7,12-dimethylbenz[α]anthracene) group; and three groups received daily EOAm doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day, plus DMBA, respectively. After 13 weeks of treatment, tumors were analyzed pathologically and biochemical markers in serum were noted. As a result, in GC-MS analysis, 40 compounds were identified and 4 of them were abundant: Z-caryophyllene (40.22%), followed by α-selinene (9.94%), ß-pinene (8.92%), and ß-elemene (7.48%). Furthermore, EOAm in a dose-dependent form produced a reduction in tumor frequency and the accumulated tumor volume was reduced by 50% and 71% with doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Serum levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) increased and malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased significantly compared to the DMBA group. Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) decreased significantly from 70.75 ± 7.15 pg/mL in the DMBA group to 46.50 ± 9.00 and 34.13 ± 11.50 pg/mL in groups treated with doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. This study concludes that the EOAm leaves showed an ameliorative effect in a murine model of breast cancer.

Carvacrol: An In Silico Approach of a Candidate Drug on HER2, PI3Kα, mTOR, hER-α, PR, and EGFR Receptors in the Breast Cancer.

Carvacrol is a phenol monoterpene found in aromatic plants specially in Lamiaceae family, which has been evaluated in an experimental model of breast cancer. However, any proposed mechanism based on its antitumor effect has not been reported. In our previous study, carvacrol showed a protective effect on 7,12-dimethylbenz[α]anthracene- (DMBA-) induced breast cancer in female rats. The main objective in this research was to evaluate by using in silico study the carvacrol on HER2, PI3Kα, mTOR, hER-α, PR, and EGFR receptors involved in breast cancer progression by docking analysis, molecular dynamic, and drug-likeness evaluation. A multilevel computational study to evaluate the antitumor potential of carvacrol focusing on the main targets involved in the breast cancer was carried out. The in silico study starts with protein-ligand docking of carvacrol followed by ligand pathway calculations, molecular dynamic simulations, and molecular mechanics energies combined with the Poisson-Boltzmann (MM/PBSA) calculation of the free energy of binding for carvacrol. As result, the in silico study led to the identification of carvacrol with strong binding affinity on mTOR receptor. Additionally, in silico drug-likeness index for carvacrol showed a good predicted therapeutic profile of druggability. Our findings suggest that mTOR signaling pathway could be responsible for its preventive effect in the breast cancer.

Predictores de mortalidad a los seis meses del alta de una Unidad Geriátrica de Agudos, 2016 / Mortality predictors six months after discharge from an Acute Geriatric Unit, 2016

Objetivo: Determinar las variables de la Valoración Geriátrica Integral (VGI), predictoras de mortalidad a los seis meses del alta de pacientes hospitalizados en la Unidad Geriátrica de Agudos (UGA) del Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional, prospectivo, longitudinal en la Unidad Geriátrica de Agudos del Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen (HNGAI) durante julio de 2015 a enero de 2016. Se recogieron las variables (características generales [edad, sexo, estancia hospitalaria] y la valoración geriátrica integral [comorbilidad, valoración funcional, valoración afectiva, valoración cognitiva y valoración socio-familiar]) de las historias clínicas de geriatría y se realizó un seguimiento telefónico de la mortalidad a los seis meses del alta. Resultados: La población del estudio estuvo conformada por 110 pacientes (57.3% de sexo masculino, edad: 77.47 ± 8.92 años, estancia hospitalaria: 29.29 ± 44.03 días). A los seis meses del alta, la mortalidad fue de 42%. El análisis bivariable mostró que las variables asociadas con la mortalidad a los seis meses del alta fueron: mayor pérdida de capacidad funcional al ingreso, presencia de comorbilidad, dependencia funcional, mayor deterioro cognitivo, y presencia de riesgo y problema social. La regresión de Cox mostró que los factores predictores de mortalidad fueron: pérdida de capacidad funcional al ingreso (PFi) (HR [IC 95%] = 1.09 [1.03-1.15]; p=0.005) y presencia de comorbilidad (Índice de Charlson) (HR [IC 95%] = 5.74 [0.817-37.75]; p=0.05). Conclusiones: La mayor pérdida de capacidad funcional y presencia de comorbilidad fueron variables de la Valoración Geriátrica Integral, predictoras de mortalidad a los seis meses del alta, las cuales permiten identificar al grupo de riesgo, a fin de establecer estrategias de intervención para mejorar el proceso de continuidad de cuidados y aumentar el tiempo de seguimiento de los ancianos frágiles.

Objective: To determine the variables of the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), predictors of mortality six months after discharge of inpatients from the Acute Geriatric Unit (AGU) of the Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen. Materials and methods: An observational, prospective, longitudinal study was conducted in the Acute Geriatric Unit of the Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen (HNGAI) from July 2015 to January 2016. Variables (general characteristics [age, gender, hospital stay] and comprehensive geriatric assessment [comorbidity, functional assessment, emotional assessment, cognitive assessment and social-family assessment]) were collected from the Geriatric Unit medical records and a mortality-related telephone follow-up was performed six months after discharge. Results: The study population consisted of 110 patients (57.3% were male, age: 77.47 ± 8.92 years, hospital stay: 29.29 ± 44.03 days). Six months after discharge, mortality was 42%. The bivariate analysis showed that variables associated with mortality six months after discharge were greater loss of functional capacity at admission, comorbidity, functional dependence, greater cognitive impairment, and risks and social problems. Cox regression analysis showed that predictors of mortality were loss of functional capacity at admission (PFi) (HR [95% CI] = 1.09 [1.03-1.15]; p = 0.005) and comorbidity (Charlson Index) (HR [95% CI] = 5.74 [0.817-37.75]; p = 0.05). Conclusions: Greater loss of functional capacity and comorbidity were variables of the comprehensive geriatric assessment, predictors of mortality six months after discharge, which allow identifying the risk group, in order to establish intervention strategies to improve the continuity of care process and increase the follow-up time of frail elderly.