The use of zootherapeutics in folk veterinary medicine in the district of Cubati, Paraíba State, Brazil

Background

Viewed through the micro focus of an interpretive lens, medical anthropology remains mystified because interpretivist explanations seriously downplay the given context in which individual health seeking-behaviours occur. This paper draws upon both the interpretivist and political economy perspectives to reflect on the ethno medical practices within the Korean-Australian community in Sydney.

Methods

We draw on research data collected between 1995 and 1997 for an earlier study of the use of biomedical and traditional medicine by Korean-Australians in Sydney. A total of 120 interviews were conducted with a range of participants, including biomedical doctors, traditional health professionals, Korean community leaders and Korean migrants representing a range of socio-economic backgrounds and migration patterns.

Results and Discussion

First, the paper highlights the extent to which the social location of migrants in a host society alters or restructures their initial cultural practices they bring with them. Second, taking hanbang medicine in the Korean-Australian community as an illustrative case, the paper explores the transformation of the dominant biomedicine in Australia as a result of the influx of ethnomedicine in the era of global capitalism and global movement.

Conclusion

In seeking to explain the popularity and supply of alternative health care, it is important to go beyond the culture of each kind of health care itself and to take into consideration the changes occurring at societal, national and global levels as well as consequential individual response to the changes. New social conditions influence the choice of health care methods, including herbal/alternative medicine, health foods and what are often called New Age therapies.     

Evaluation of the prevalence and economic burden of adverse drug reactions presenting to the medical emergency department of a tertiary referral centre: a prospective study

Background  

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are now recognized as an important cause of hospital admissions, with a proportion ranging from 0.9–7.9%. They also constitute a significant economic burden. We thus aimed at determining the prevalence and the economic burden of ADRs presenting to Medical Emergency Department (ED) of a tertiary referral center in India     

Description of Lamellodiscus confusus n. sp, (Monogenea: Diplectanidae), parasite of Sarpa salpa (Teleostei: Sparidae)

Lamellodiscus confusus n. sp., a diplectanid gill parasite of Sarpa salpa Linnaeus, 1758 (Sparidae) from the coast of Algeria, is described. This monogenean has been previously reported in Sarpa salpa, by various authors, under the name L. ignoratus. L. confusus n. sp. is included (among other Lamellodiscus of Mediterranean sparids) in the "ignoratus" sub-group (Amine & Euzet, 2005). L. confusus n. sp. can be distinguished from L. ignoratus by the shape and size of the haptoral ventral bar and the male copulatory organ. For comparison, illustrations of the ventral bar and the male copulatory organ of all Mediterranean species of the "ignoratus" sub-group are provided. The question of the host specificity of L. ignoratus is discussed.     

Protein Disulfide Isomerase Is Required for Platelet-derived Growth Factor-induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration, Nox1 NADPH Oxidase Expression, and RhoGTPase Activation

Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell (VSMC) migration into vessel neointima is a therapeutic target for atherosclerosis and postinjury restenosis. Nox1 NADPH oxidase-derived oxidants synergize with growth factors to support VSMC migration. We previously described the interaction between NADPH oxidases and the endoplasmic reticulum redox chaperone protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) in many cell types. However, physiological implications, as well as mechanisms of such association, are yet unclear. We show here that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) promoted subcellular redistribution of PDI concomitant to Nox1-dependent reactive oxygen species production and that siRNA-mediated PDI silencing inhibited such reactive oxygen species production, while nearly totally suppressing the increase in Nox1 expression, with no change in Nox4. Furthermore, PDI silencing inhibited PDGF-induced VSMC migration assessed by distinct methods, whereas PDI overexpression increased spontaneous basal VSMC migration. To address possible mechanisms of PDI effects, we searched for PDI interactome by systems biology analysis of physical protein-protein interaction networks, which indicated convergence with small GTPases and their regulator RhoGDI. PDI silencing decreased PDGF-induced Rac1 and RhoA activities, without changing their expression. PDI co-immunoprecipitated with RhoGDI at base line, whereas such association was decreased after PDGF. Also, PDI co-immunoprecipitated with Rac1 and RhoA in a PDGF-independent way and displayed detectable spots of perinuclear co-localization with Rac1 and RhoGDI. Moreover, PDI silencing promoted strong cytoskeletal changes: disorganization of stress fibers, decreased number of focal adhesions, and reduced number of RhoGDI-containing vesicular recycling adhesion structures. Overall, these data suggest that PDI is required to support Nox1/redox and GTPase-dependent VSMC migration.     

MVL-PLA2, a phospholipase A2 from Macrovipera lebetina transmediterranea venom,inhibits tumor cells adhesion and migration

Here, we report the purification and characterization of an acidic Asp49 phospholipase A2, named MVL-PLA2, with a molecular mass of 13,626.64 Da. The complete MVL-PLA2 cDNA was cloned from Macrovipera lebetina transmediterranea venom gland cDNA library. MVL-PLA2 possesses 122 amino acid residues, including 14 cysteines, and belongs to group II snake venom phospholipase A2 enzymes. MVL-PLA2 was not cytotoxic up to 2 μM and completely abolished cell adhesion and migration of various human tumor cells. Chemical modification with p-bromophenacyl bromide abolished the enzymatic activity of MVL-PLA2 without affecting its anti-tumor effect, suggesting the presence of ‘pharmacological sites’ distinct from the catalytic site in snake venom phospholipase A2. We demonstrated for the first time that the anti-tumor effect of MVL-PLA2 was mediated by α5β1 and αv-containing integrins. This finding may serve as starting point for structure–function relationship studies leading to design a new generation of specific anti-cancer drugs.     

Hypothalamic response to leptin changes during a hormonally induced estrous cycle in rats

The leptin system regulates body fat mass through a feedback loop between adipose tissue and the hypothalamus. To test if leptin responsiveness may be regulated we assayed hypothalamic response to leptin during the estrous cycle; when changes in food intake are known to occur. Immature rats were treated with pregnant mare’s serum gonadotropin (PMSG) to induce synchronized follicular development, ovulation and corpus luteum formation. Leptin response was estimated by measuring the in vitro induction of tis11, a primary response gene activated by STAT3-dependent cytokines in hypothalamic explants after leptin stimulation. In addition, mRNA levels of the suppressor cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3), a possible mediator of leptin resistance, were analyzed. Serum leptin levels did not change between days 2 and day 3 (corresponding to proestrus and estrus, respectively) but the response to leptin was higher on day 2 than on day 3 (p=0.05). Food intake displayed a tendency towards downregulation between day 1 and day 2 (p=0.057), and a tendency towards upregulation between day 2 and day 3 (p=0.072), although the body weight increased on day of the study (p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in hypothalamic expression of SOCS-3 between day 2 and day 3. In conclusion, we have shown that leptin responsiveness changes during a hormonally induced estrous cycle in rats. Our data suggest that a change in the hypothalamic response to leptin may cause the cyclic feeding behavior seen in rats.     

The Cutting Balloon--a new technology?

The Cutting Balloon consists of a standard balloon dilatation catheter with four microtome-sharp blades that incise the plaque and minimize arterial wall trauma. It was used in 31 patients; nine had calcified arteries, ten had non-compliant lesions, three had in-stent restenosis and nine had aorto-ostial lesions. Seventeen lesions were predilated, 28 were post-dilated and 18 required stent implantation. The procedure was very effective in aorto-ostial lesions, non-compliant lesions that were not responsive to high-pressure balloon dilatation, and was partially successful in calcified arteries. It has a very specific niche in selected lesions.     

An alternate pathway for recruiting template RNA to the brome mosaic virus RNA replication complex

The multidomain RNA replication protein 1a of brome mosaic virus (BMV), a positive-strand RNA virus in the alphavirus-like superfamily, plays key roles in assembly and function of the viral RNA replication complex. 1a, which encodes RNA capping and helicase-like domains, localizes to endoplasmic reticulum membranes, recruits BMV 2a polymerase and viral RNA templates, and forms membrane-bound, capsid-like spherules in which RNA replication occurs. cis-acting signals necessary and sufficient for RNA recruitment by 1a have been mapped in BMV genomic RNA2 and RNA3. Both signals comprise an extended stem-loop whose apex matches the conserved sequence and structure of the TPsiC stem-loop in tRNAs (box B). Mutations show that this box B motif is crucial to 1a responsiveness of wild-type RNA2 and RNA3. We report here that, unexpectedly, some chimeric mRNAs expressing the 2a polymerase open reading frame from RNA2 were recruited by 1a to the replication complex and served as templates for negative-strand RNA synthesis, despite lacking the normally essential, box B-containing 5' signal. Further studies showed that this template recruitment required high-efficiency translation of the RNA templates. Moreover, multiple small frameshifting insertion or deletion mutations throughout the N-terminal region of the open reading frame inhibited this template recruitment, while an in-frame insertion did not. Providing 2a in trans did not restore template recruitment of RNAs with frameshift mutations. Only those deletions in the N-terminal region of 2a that abolished 2a interaction with 1a abolished template recruitment of the RNA. These and other results indicate that this alternate pathway for 1a-dependent RNA recruitment involves 1a interaction with the translating mRNA via the 1a-interactive N-terminal region of the nascent 2a polypeptide. Interaction with nascent 2a also may be involved in 1a recruitment of 2a polymerase to membranes.