Medicine In Mexico Research Articles

EVALUATION OF ANTI-ARTHRITIC POTENTIAL OF PARTITIONED EXTRACTS OF BOUGAINVILLEA X BUTTIANA (VAR. ROSE) HOLTTUM AND STANDL

Objective: Bougainvillea is a natural source with potential for clinical use, and this plant is routinely employed in traditional Medicine in Mexico. This study planned to evaluate the effect of ethanolic extract partitioned of Bougainvillea x buttiana on acute and chronic inflammation.Methods: The extract from Bougainvillea x buttiana partitioned originated two phases the aqueous (BxbREaq) and organic (BxbREop) phases were employed in anti-inflammatory activity. Acute inflammation was evaluated using the carrageenan model, whereas the chronic inflammation with anti-arthritic potential was explored with complete Freund´s adjuvant (CFA). Arthritis was caused by intradermal inoculation of CFA, and the extract was administered orally at different doses for 21 d. Paw oedema was determined at 7, 14 and 21 d, and serum from the mice were obtained to detect cytokine levels by ELISA and for biological assays.Results: Phytochemistry studies revealed that these extracts contain alkaloids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and tannins. The results demonstrated that these extracts significantly inhibited mouse paw oedema for acute and chronic inflammation in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, BxbREop extracts markedly inhibited the production of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and remarkably increased IL-10 in serum from mice with control or arthritic groups.Conclusion: The combined results suggest that BxbREop extract shows a potent effect in mice against CFA-induced arthritis for its ability to inhibit paw oedema and arthritic symptoms.

Homeopathy 'for Mexicans': Medical Popularisation, Commercial Endeavours, and Patients' Choice in the Mexican Medical Marketplace, 1853-1872.

This paper focuses on homeopaths’ strategies to popularise homeopathy from 1850 to 1870. I argue that homeopaths created a space for homeopathy in Mexico City in the mid-nineteenth century by facilitating patients’ access to medical knowledge, consultation and practice. In this period, when national and international armed conflicts limited the diffusion and regulation of academic medicine, homeopaths popularised homeopathy by framing it as a life-enhancing therapy with tools that responded to patients’ needs. Patients’ preference for homeopathy evolved into commercial endeavours that promoted the practice of homeopathy through the use of domestic manuals. Using rare publications and archival records, I analyse the popularisation of homeopathy in Ramón Comellas’s homeopathic manual, the commercialisation of Julián González’s family guides, and patients’ and doctors’ reception of homeopathy. I show that narratives of conversion to homeopathy relied on the different experiences of patients and trained doctors, and that patients’ positive experience with homeopathy weighed more than the doctors’ efforts to explain to the public how academic medicine worked. The fact that homeopaths and patients used a shared language to describe disease experiences framed the possibility of a horizontal transmission of medical knowledge, opening up the possibility for patients to become practitioners. By relying on the long tradition of domestic medicine in Mexico, the popularisation of homeopathy disrupted the professional boundaries that academic physicians had begun to build, making homeopaths the largest group that challenged the emergent medical academic culture and its diffusion in Mexico in the nineteenth century.

Policy approaches to improve availability and affordability of medicines in Mexico \u2013 an example of a middle income country

BackgroundThe World Health Organization recommends establishing and implementing a national pharmaceutical policy (NPP) to guarantee effective and equitable access to medicines. Mexico has implemented several policy approaches to regulate the pharmaceutical sector, but it has no formal NPP. This article describes the approach that the Mexican government has taken to improve availability and affordability of essential medicines.MethodsDescriptive policy analysis of public pharmaceutical policy proposals and health action plans on the basis of publicly available data and health progress reports, with a focus on availability and affordability of medicines.ResultsThe government has implemented pooled procurement, price negotiations, and an information platform in the public sector to improve affordability and availability. The government mainly reports on the savings that these strategies have generated in the public expenditure but their full impact on availability and affordability has not been assessed.ConclusionsTo increase availability and affordability of medicines in the public sector, the Mexican government has resorted on isolated strategies. In addition to efficient procurement, price negotiations and price information, other policy components and pricing interventions are needed. All these strategies should be included in a comprehensive NPP.

Normal/Modern: Reconstructive Surgery in a Mexican Public Hospital

ABSTRACTA growing corpus of anthropological scholarship demonstrates how science and medicine in Mexico are imbued by national concerns with modernization. Drawing on ethnographic research in a public hospital located in the south of Mexico City, I unpack one manifestation of this dynamic, which is the conjugation of the normal and the modern in Mexican reconstructive surgery. The aspiration toward normality underlies everyday clinic practices and relationships in this field, including why parents want surgery for their children and how doctors see their patients and their responsibilities toward them. It is also central to the professional ethic of reconstructive surgeons. I argue that the realities of health care provision in Mexico coalesced with this ethic to produce reconstructive surgeons as political subjects. They aimed to modernize craniofacial surgery in Mexico and so make the bodies of craniofacial patients normal.

WHO and national lists of essential medicines in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean: are they adequate to promote paediatric endocrinology and diabetes care?

Paediatric endocrinology and diabetes is a paediatric specialty with less common conditions and higher cost medicines. Access to medicines for our specialty in low and middle income countries remains limited....

Anticonvulsant activity of methanolic extract from Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) stems and roots in mice: A comparison to diazepam

IntroductionIn ancient and current traditional medicine in Mexico, extracts from the leaves or whole plant of ‘life leaf’ (Kalanchoe pinnata [K. pinnata] Lam) have been used to treat an entity known locally as ‘yellow epilepsy’ (alferecía amarilla) when it is accompanied by seizures. However, the anticonvulsive activity of its stems and roots remains unexplored. MethodsThe anticonvulsant activity of the methanolic root extract (MER) or stem (MES) of K. pinnata Lam. was evaluated in a pentylenetetrazol-induced seizure model in BALB/c mice, and effects were compared to those of diazepam. The stem extract fractions that produced anticonvulsant activity were subsequently evaluated using the pentylenetetrazol-induced seizure model. ResultsWe observed increased latency of tonic–clonic seizures that was inversely proportional to the dose of MRE, with a similar impact on the lethal effects of pentylenetetrazol. Different doses of the MSE showed a dose-dependent increase in latency to myoclonus, clonus, and tonic–clonic seizures, acting similarly to diazepam and offering 100% protection against the lethal effects of pentylenetetrazol. Fractioning MSE decreased its effectiveness, but when fractions were mixed with fractions of chloroform and ethyl acetate, anticonvulsive activity was restored. The preliminary phytochemical analysis identified alkaloids and sterols in MRE, and sterols and terpenes in MSE. ConclusionsThe anticonvulsant activity of K. pinnata Lam. decreases with increased doses of MRE, whereas the effect of MSE is dose-dependent and preserved in the mixture chloroform and ethyl acetate. We suggest that the metabolites responsible for these effects are sterols in MRE, and sterols and terpenes in MSE.

The importance of master's degree and doctorate degree in general surgery

Abstract Background The Doctor of Philosophy is the highest academic degree that can be obtained in universities. Graduate Education Programme in Medicine in Mexico is divided into 2 major categories: Medical Specialty and Master studies/Doctor of Philosophy. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the importance of master's degrees and Doctor of Philosophy in general surgery. Material and methods A literature search in PubMed and Medline among others, from 1970 to 2015 with subsequent analysis of the literature reviews found. Discussion The physicians who conducted doctoral studies stand out as leaders in research, teaching and academic activities. Dual training with a doctorate medical specialty is a significant predictor for active participation in research projects within the best educational institutions. Results It is important to study a PhD in the education of doctors specialising in surgery, who show more training in teaching, research and development of academic activities. Currently, although there is a little proportion of students who do not finish the doctoral programme, the ones who do are expected to play an important role in the future of medical scientific staff. It has been shown that most doctors with Doctor of Philosophy have wide range of career options. Conclusion The importance of doctoral studies in the formation of general surgery is due to various reasons; the main one being comprehensively training physician scientists who can develop in clinical, teaching and research.

Herbal Medicine in Mexico: A Cause of Hepatotoxicity. A Critical Review.

In Mexico, herbal products are commonly used as therapeutic tools. The analysis of several publications reveals that there are dozens of different herbs and herbal products used for different reasons, some of which have been implicated in causing toxic liver disease. However, methodological aspects limit the attribution of causality, and the precise incidence and clinical manifestations of herb-induced liver injury have not been well characterized. This review outlines the history of traditional herbal medicine in Mexico, critically summarizes the mechanisms and adverse effects of commonly used herbal plants, and examines the regulatory issues regarding the legal use of these products.

Importancia de la maestría y el doctorado en cirugía general

BackgroundThe Doctor of Philosophy is the highest academic degree that can be obtained in universities. Graduate Education Program in Medicine in Mexico is divided into 2 major categories: Medical Specialty and Master studies/Doctor of Philosophy.The objective of this study was to demonstrate the importance of master's degrees and Doctor of Philosophy in general surgery. Material and methodsA literature search in PubMed and Medline among others, from 1970 to 2015 with subsequent analysis of the literature reviews found. DiscussionThe physicians who conducted doctoral studies stand out as leaders in research, teaching and academic activities. Dual training with a doctorate medical specialty is a significant predictor for active participation in research projects within the best educational institutions. ResultsIt is important to study a PhD in the education of doctors specialising in surgery, who show more training in teaching, research and development of academic activities. Currently, although there is a little proportion of students who do not finish the doctoral program, the ones who do are expected to play an important role in the future of medical scientific staff. It has been shown that most doctors with Doctor of Philosophy have wide range of career options. ConclusionThe importance of doctoral studies in the formation of general surgery is due to various reasons; the main one being comprehensively training physician scientists who can develop in clinical, teaching and research.

Phenolic composition of selected herbal infusions and their anti-inflammatory effect on a colonic model in vitro in HT-29 cells

AbstractSome herbal infusions used in folk medicine in Mexico to treat gastrointestinal disorders were evaluated. Antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds were analyzed on the lyophilized aqueous crude extracts (LACE) of arnica (Aster gymnocephalus), chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile), cumin (Cominum cyminum), desert resurrection plant (DRP) (Selaginella lepidophylla), laurel (Listea glaucescens), marjoram (Origanum majorana), mint (Mentha spicata), salvilla (Buddleia scordioides) and yerbaniz (Tagetes lucida). Total phenolic content ranged from 8.0 to 70.7 μg GAE/mg for DRP and laurel respectively. Major phenolic compounds were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. The IC50 determined by the degradation of the deoxy-d-ribose ranged from 2,452.53 to 5,097.11 μg/mL. The cytoprotective effect of the LACE alone and on indomethacin-induced oxidative stress in HT-29 cells was tested. The tetrazolium dye MTT assay was performed in concentrations of 0.125–1...

Francisco de Asis Flores y Troncoso and his influence in the History of Medicine in Mexico

In the nineteenth century; The Bronze Age, monumental works were produced and the national history was characterized by movements of many writers who were trying to span the general history of Mexico with different topics according to the trends of contemporary authors and events. However, there were individuals interested in preserving the historical records of their country from the perspective of their own field of study. For example, the extensive literary work; History of Medicine in Mexico: Since the days of native population until the present time written by Francisco de Asís Flores y Troncoso and printed in 1886; despite of its significance, this literary work has been largely unnoticed by historiography, however, it is an excellent reference for any student of history of medicine.

Evaluation of a Biomedical Informatics course for medical students: a pre-posttest study at UNAM Faculty of Medicine in Mexico.

BackgroundBiomedical Informatics (BMI) education in medical schools is developing a sound curricular base, but there are few published reports of their educational usefulness. The goal of this paper is to assess knowledge change and satisfaction in medical students after a BMI curriculum.MethodsThe National Autonomous University of México Faculty of Medicine (UNAM) recently implemented a curricular reform that includes two BMI sequential courses (BMI-1 and BMI-2). The research design was one-group pretest-posttest. An objective test with evidence of validity was used for knowledge measurement. A satisfaction questionnaire was applied at the end of the courses. Two-tailed paired Student’s t-tests were applied, comparing knowledge scores in the pre and post-test for each course.ResultsThe study included student cohorts during two consecutive academic years. The 2013 BMI-1 course (n = 986 students) knowledge pretest score was 43.0 ± 8.6 (mean percent correct ± SD), and the post-test score was 57.7 ± 10.3 (p < 0.001); the 2014 BMI-1 (n = 907) pretest score was 43.7 ± 8.5, and the post-test was 58.1 ± 10.5 (p < 0.001). The 2012 BMI-2 course (n = 683) pretest score was 26.3 ± 7.9, the post-test score was 44.3 ± 13.3 (p < 0.001); the 2013 BMI-2 (n = 926) pretest score was 27.5 ± 7.5, and the post-test was 42.0 ± 11.0 (p < 0.001). The overall opinion of the students regarding the course was from good to excellent, with a response rate higher than 90%. The satisfaction questionnaires had high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.93).ConclusionsThe study shows a significant increase in BMI knowledge after an educational intervention in four medical student cohorts, and an overall positive evaluation by the students. Long-term follow-up is needed, as well as controlled studies of BMI educational interventions using performance endpoints.

Preliminary Studies of the Immunomodulator Effect of the Bougainvillea xbuttiana Extract in a Mouse Model.

Bougainvillea xbuttiana is used as an analgesic in folk medicine in Mexico. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of the ethanolic extract from B. xbuttiana on macrophages activities. The phytochemical screening was performed for determine the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenes, and saponins. The effects of B. xbuttiana were analyzed using the macrophages activities as determined by the H2O2 release, spreading and phagocytic index, vacuoles formation percentage, and mediators production. The viability percentage was determined in live cells after fixing and staining with crystal violet. The presence of H2O2 in macrophages was performed by using the peroxidase-phenol red solution. The cytokine production was determined by two assays, ELISA for detection of IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ and biological assay for TNF detection. The results showed that the Bxb extract dose-dependent manner produces (a) an increase in levels of H2O2 and spreading and vacuoles formation percentages, (b) a decrease in phagocytic index and in the amounts of TNF, IL-6, and IFN-γ, and (c) an increase significant in IL-10 and NO production. This study indicates that the ethanolic extract from Bougainvillea xbuttiana was able to activate macrophages. The combination of these results suggests that this extract has an immunomodulator effect.

Diego Rivera: a great master and a didactic and discerning medical historian

Diego Rivera is one of the artistic giants of the 20th century. His many original creations included landscapes, portraits and large murals created in both Mexico and the United States. Rivera ventured into many styles-cubism, naturalism and narrative realism-with great success. Rivera's murals build on those of the Renaissance, pre-historic and colonial civilizations of Mexico. Biological and medical topics and their history form an important concern in Rivera's work, present in many of his murals in a highly informative and creative manner. His two History of Cardiology murals present an original and comprehensive account of the developments of this medical specialty from pre-historic to modern times. His History of Medicine in Mexico (The people demands health) mural is a creatively and vigorously fashioned and highly dynamic and synthetic vision of the relationships between pre-historic and modern medicine in Mexico and its social foundations. Medical topics such as vaccines and vaccination, embryology and surgery are inventively and accurately presented in the large mural, Detroit Industry. The trigger and impetus for the concern of Rivera for these topics of life and death, and the exceedingly ground-breaking way he presents them, appear to stem from his rational materialism, his concern for collective wellbeing, his belief in progress through scientific developments and political action and his commitment to understand Mexican and American history.

Pharmacological investigation of Choisya Aztec Pearl

Introduction: Choisya 'Aztec Pearl' is known as Mexican orange, a hybrid of C. ternata and C. dumosa var. Arizonica, is used in traditional medicine in Mexico, with infusions from the leaves claimed to have some effects such as antispasmodic and stimulant properties [1]. The aim of this study is to verify the antinoceptive properties of C. 'Aztec Pearl' using the hot plate model [2].

Limpieza de sangre del doctor Juan de la Fuente, primer catedrático de medicina de la Real Universidad de México (1572)

Dr. Juan de la Fuente, well known and named character in the history of medicine in Mexico; occupied in 1578 the first chair of medicine at the Royal University of Mexico. There are very few known documentary references to reconstruct his educational background and the tendencies he had in the field of medicine. The present document –the blood cleansing that was made to him in 1572, when he became a doctor to the Inquisition in New Spain– is a significant contribution in this regard; attached to the document is an inventory of texts, drawn in 1562, that show the humanistic and classical influences prevailing in the medical environment of the time are evident.

Development and implementation of a biomedical informatics course for medical students: challenges of a large-scale blended-learning program.

Biomedical informatics (BMI) competencies are recognized as core requirements for the healthcare professional, but the amount of BMI educational interventions in the curricula of medical schools is limited. UNAM Faculty of Medicine in Mexico is a large public medical school, with more than 7000 undergraduate students. The undergraduate program recently underwent a major curricular revision, which includes BMI education. Two one-semester BMI courses (BMI-1 and BMI-2) were designed, with a blended-learning educational model. A department of BMI was created, with budget, offices and personnel. The first class of 1199 students started the course in 2010, with 32 groups of 40 students each. BMI-1 includes core conceptual notions of informatics applied to medicine (medical databases, electronic health record, telemedicine, among other topics), and BMI-2 embodies medical decision making and clinical reasoning. The program had a positive evaluation by students and teachers. BMI can be successfully incorporated in a large-scale medical school program in a developing country, using a blended-learning model and organizational change strategies.

A new entity for the negotiation of public procurement prices for patented medicines in Mexico.

As countries expand health insurance coverage, their expenditures on medicines increase. To address this problem, WHO has recommended that every country draw up a list of essential medicines. Although most medicines on the list are generics, in many countries patented medicines represent a substantial portion of pharmaceutical expenditure. To help control expenditure on patented medicines, in 2008 the Mexican Government created the Coordinating Commission for Negotiating the Price of Medicines and other Health Inputs (CCPNM), whose role, as the name suggests, is to enter into price negotiations with drug manufacturers for patented drugs on Mexico's list of essential medicines. Mexico's public expenditure on pharmaceuticals has increased substantially in the past decade owing to government efforts to achieve universal health-care coverage through Seguro Popular, an insurance programme introduced in 2004 that guarantees access to a comprehensive package of health services and medicines. Since 2008, the CCPNM has improved procurement practices in Mexico's public health institutions and has achieved significant price reductions resulting in substantial savings in public pharmaceutical expenditure. The CCPNM has successfully changed the landscape of price negotiation for patented medicines in Mexico. However, it is also facing challenges, including a lack of explicit indicators to assess CCPNM performance; a shortage of permanent staff with sufficient technical expertise; poor coordination among institutions in preparing background materials for the annual negotiation process in a timely manner; insufficient communication among committees and institutions; and a lack of political support to ensure the sustainability of the CCPNM.

Heterogeneous Effects of Health Insurance on Out-of-Pocket Expenditure on Medicines in Mexico

ObjectiveGiven the importance of health insurance for financing medicines and recent policy changes designed to reduce health-related out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) in Mexico, our study examined and analyzed the effect of health insurance on the probability and amount of OOPE for medicines and the proportion spent from household available expenditure (AE) funds. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis by using the Mexican National Household Survey of Income and Expenditures for 2008. Households were grouped according to household medical insurance type (Social Security, Seguro Popular, mixed, or no affiliation). OOPE for medicines and health costs, and the probability of occurrence, were estimated with linear regression models; subsequently, the proportion of health expenditures from AE was calculated. The Heckman selection procedure was used to correct for self-selection of health expenditure; a propensity score matching procedure and an alternative procedure using instrumental variables were used to correct for heterogeneity between households with and without Seguro Popular. ResultsOOPE in medicines account for 66% of the total health expenditures and 5% of the AE. Households with health insurance had a lower probability of OOPE for medicines than their comparison groups. There was heterogeneity in the health insurance effect on the proportion of OOPE for medicines out of the AE, with a reduction of 1.7% for households with Social Security, 1.4% for mixed affiliation, but no difference between Seguro Popular and matched households without insurance. ConclusionMedicines were the most prevalent component of health expenditures in Mexico. We recommend improving access to health services and strengthening access to medicines to reduce high OOPE.

Accreditation for Veterinary Medicine in Mexico up to 2009

Accreditation for Veterinary Medicine in Mexico up to 2009