ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease for which there is no known cure. Ultraviolet light can induce immunosuppressive effects. Our main objective was to ascertain whether a complementary treatment with phototherapy would improve changes in functional scales in patients with RA. Methods: Seven women with RA were enrolled for this study and submitted to phototherapy sessions with a 425-650 nm lamp. Results: The Karnofsky scale changed from requiring frequent medical care to being capable of normal activity with few symptoms or signs of disease (p = 0.018), the rheumatoid arthritis-specific quality of life questionnaire decreased abruptly from 29 to 0 points (p = 0.018), the Steinbrocker functional capacity rating changed from limited to little or none of the duties of usual occupation or self-care to complete ability to carry out all the usual duties without handicaps (p = 0.017). The pain was remitted after the treatment period. The acute inflammation variables showed a significant decrease after the indicated sessions, C-reactive protein (p = 0.042) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.018). Conclusion: The evaluated scales clearly show a benefit with the phototherapy in patients with RA. Thus, phototherapy seems to be a plausible complementary option to reduce the symptoms of RA.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Phototherapy , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/therapy , Prospective Studies , Longitudinal Studies , Treatment Outcome , Karnofsky Performance StatusABSTRACT
Promover la Investigación en Estudiantes de Medicina y elevar la producción científica en las universidades del Perú y de Latinoamérica es una prioridad y una necesidad. Es un honor compartir con ustedes que recientemente publicamos en la prestigiosa revista Educación Medica, de Elsevier, indexada en Scopus, el articulo científico que resume la experiencia y el modelo de éxito del Curso Taller de Tesis que se dicta en la Facultad de MedicinaHumana de la Universidad Ricardo Palma: Promoting research in medical students and increasing scientific production in universities: Experience of the Undergraduate Thesis Workshop Course. La tesis de pregrado representa el trabajo académico con rigor científico, considerado como el primer paso serio de los estudiantes universitarios en el campo de la investigación, que según la nueva ley universitaria 30220 vigente en el Perú, constituye un requisito indispensable para obtener el titulo universitario.
Promoting Research in Medical Students and increasing scientific production in the universities of Peru and Latin America is a priority and a necessity. It is an honor to share with you that we recently published in the prestigious journal Educación Medica, of Elsevier, indexed in Scopus, the scientific article that summarizes the experience and the success model of the Thesis Workshop Course that is given in the Faculty of Human Medicine of the Ricardo Palma University: Promoting research in medical students and increasing scientific production in universities: Experience of the Undergraduate Thesis Workshop Course. The undergraduate thesis represents academic work with scientific rigor, considered as the first serious step of university students in the field of research, which according to the new university law 30220 in force in Peru, is an essential requirement to obtain the university degree .
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OBJECTIVE@#To estimate to what extent the mixture of ursolic acid and oleanolic acid, in addition to the antitubercular standard regime, affects the hepatotoxicity profile.@*METHODS@#Liver injury was induced in male BALB/c mice by administering, per os and daily for 11 weeks, a combination of anti-Tubercular (anti-TB) agents Rifampicin (10 mg/kg), Isoniazid (10 mg/kg), and Pyrazinamide (30 mg/kg). The ursolic acid and oleanolic acid mixture at doses of 100 or 200 μg/mouse/day was subcutaneously injected throughout the entire study period (11 weeks). Biochemical and hematological analysis was supplemented by liver histological examination.@*RESULTS@#Animals treated with the mixture of triterpenic acids exhibited significantly decreased aspartate transaminase and alanine aminotransferase levels and amelioration of the histopathological alterations produced by the anti-TB drugs.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The triterpene mixture was able to prevent the steatosis induced by the anti-TB drugs.
ABSTRACT
Objective To estimate to what extent the mixture of ursolic acid and oleanolic acid, in addition to the antitubercular standard regime, affects the hepatotoxicity profile. Methods Liver injury was induced in male BALB/c mice by administering, per os and daily for 11 weeks, a combination of anti-Tubercular (anti-TB) agents Rifampicin (10 mg/kg), Isoniazid (10 mg/kg), and Pyrazinamide (30 mg/kg). The ursolic acid and oleanolic acid mixture at doses of 100 or 200 μg/mouse/day was subcutaneously injected throughout the entire study period (11 weeks). Biochemical and hematological analysis was supplemented by liver histological examination. Results Animals treated with the mixture of triterpenic acids exhibited significantly decreased aspartate transaminase and alanine aminotransferase levels and amelioration of the histopathological alterations produced by the anti-TB drugs. Conclusions The triterpene mixture was able to prevent the steatosis induced by the anti-TB drugs.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this work was to analyze the effect of estradiol [E2], medroxyprogesterone and the two selective estrogen receptor modulators [SERMs] [tamoxifen [Tam] and raloxifene [Ral]] on the estrogen receptor [ER] conformers profile performed by size exclusion HPLC in relation to hormone dependence of mammary tumors. Materials and Two types of mammary tumors were studied: tumors transplanted in BALB/c mice that are medroxyprogesterone acetate [MPA]-dependent for growth, and tumors induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of N-nitroso-N-methylurea [NMU]. Tumors from mice treated with MPA, E2, Tam or Ral and NMU-treated rats were analyzed and compared to that of control. The tumor conformer profiles were as follows: control and MPA-treated mice showed only one peak [oligomeric form]; E2-treated mice also showed only one peak [dimer]; Tam-treated mice showed one peak corresponding to a possible proteolytic fragment, and Ral-treated mice showed two peaks [oligomeric and a possible proteolytic fragment]. On the other hand, NMU-induced mammary tumors from rats showed three peaks [oligomeric, monomeric and proteolytic]. Our findings may indicate that SERMs affect the aggregation state of ER and thereby its ability to modulate genomic transcription mechanisms related to growth rate