Intergrative Health Care Method Based on Combined Complementary Medical Practices: Rehabilitative Acupuncture,Homeopathy and Chiropractic

Background

There are various models of health care, such as the epidemiological, psychosocial, sociological, economic, systemic of Neuman, cognitive medicine or ecological, ayurvedic, supraparadigmatic among others. All of them are seeking to combine one or more elements to integrate a model of health care. The article presents a systemic approach to health care with complementary medicines such as rehabilitative acupuncture, homeopathy and chiropractic through the application of a method of holistic care and integrated approach.

Materials and Methods

There was a participatory action research in January 2012 to January 2013, with a comprehensive approach in 64 patients using the clinical method. We included the environmental aspects, biological, emotional, and behavioral to identify, recognize and integrate the form of manifestation of the disease. Later, it was ordered in a coherent way the etiologic factors, precipitating factors and identified the vulnerability of the patients as well as the structural alterations, classifying them in immediate, mediate and late. Referred to the three disciplines: rehabilitative acupuncture, homeopathy and chiropractic to be seen doing references and against-references between them, evaluating the current state of health and each meeting by noting the clinical and behavioral changes submitted and thus the area of attention to which would be forwarded to continue their treatment.

Results

64 patients rotated by the 3 areas taking an average of 30 meetings with rehabilitative acupuncture, 12 with homeopathy and 10 with chiropractic. The changes were submitted clinical attitudinal, behavioral, clinical and organic.

Conclusions

The model of care was multifaceted and interdisciplinary with a therapeutic approach of individualization and a holistic view to carry out a comprehensive diagnosis and provide quality health care to the population.     

Antibacterial and Anti-biofilm Activity of AH Plus with Chlorhexidine and Cetrimide

Introduction

The use of root canal filling materials with antibacterial activity can be considered beneficial to reduce the remaining microorganisms in the root canal system, where Enterococcus faecalis is often found, and prevent recurrent infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and capacity for inhibiting E. faecalis biofilm formation of AH Plus, alone and mixed with chlorhexidine (CHX), cetrimide (CTR), and combinations of the two.

Methods

AH Plus alone and mixed with 1% and 2% CHX, 0.1%–0.5% CTR, and combinations of both were tested to assess antimicrobial activity by a modified direct contact test and determine inhibition of E. faecalis biofilm formation at 24 hours. The results were expressed as log₁₀ viable counts. Eradication and inhibition of biofilm formation were understood as no bacterial growth or log₁₀ reduction = 5 with respect to the control (AH Plus alone).

Results

AH Plus + CHX showed a low antimicrobial activity with respect to the control (at 2%, log₁₀ reduction = 1.30). None of the tested concentrations achieved eradication or inhibition of biofilm. AH Plus + CTR showed a direct relationship of concentration-antimicrobial effect, reaching a log₁₀ reduction of 2.92 at 0.5% and inhibition of biofilm formation at 0.2%. With the combination CHX + CTR, lower concentrations were needed for the same effect, and eradication and inhibition of biofilm were achieved.

Conclusions

The addition of CHX, CTR, or some combination of both to AH Plus confers it with bactericidal and anti-biofilm activity against E. faecalis.     

Dental anomaly pattern (DAP): Agenesis of mandibular second premolar,distal angulation of its antimere and delayed tooth formation

Objective:To test the null hypotheses that children with unilateral agenesis of the mandibular second premolar (MnP2) do not show (1) greater distal angulation of the unerupted antimere and (2) delayed tooth formation compared with children without agenesis.Materials and Methods:Panoramic radiographs of 38 patients with unilateral aplasia of MnP2 were retrospectively examined and compared to a non-agenesic control group of 82 patients. Ages ranged from 8 to 15 years. Contralateral mandibular deciduous second molars were present for all participants. Each unerupted MnP2 was traced, and its developmental stage and angulation were recorded (measured with the distal angle and the premolar-molar angle). Dental age was evaluated using the Haavikko method. Student''s t-test was performed to identify significant differences between the compared groups. The significance level for statistical testing was set at P < .05.Results:The results indicated a 9.5° decrease in the distal angle and a 13.2° increase in the premolar-molar angle for the unerupted MnP2 in the agenesis sample. This was a highly statistically significant difference (P < .001 and P < .0001, respectively) compared with the MnP2 inclinations in the control sample. The delay in dental age was significantly greater in patients with agenesis (2.1 years) compared with the delay in the control group (1.5 years) (P < .001).Conclusion:Both null hypotheses are rejected. The results of this study statistically support the hypothesis that aplasia of MnP2, distally displaced MnP2s, and delayed tooth formation are part of a genetically related pattern of dental anomalies.     

Tissue alterations in urethral and vaginal walls related to multiparity in rabbits

In rodents, vaginal distention after delivery or experimental manipulation affects innervations as well as the amount of striated/smooth musculature or collagen in both the urethra and vagina. These changes are associated with modifications in excretory and reproductive processes. Although successive and consecutive vaginal deliveries (multiparity) affect the contractile and functional properties of the female lower urogenital tract (LUT), its impact on LUT morphometry, including persistency, has been barely studied. The caudal urethra (CU) and cranial (V1) and caudal (V2) pelvic vaginal regions were excised from young and adult nulliparous (YN and AN, respectively) and multiparous (YM and AM, respectively) rabbits. Tissues were histologically processed and stained with Masson's trichrome. The thickness of the tissue layers and areas covered by tissue components were measured and compared using two‐way ANOVA followed by Student‐Newmann‐Keuls tests to determine statistical differences (P ≤ 0.05). Compared to YN, YM, and AN tissues showed a reduction in the thickness of the epithelium, as well as in areas covered by striated musculature, collagen, and blood vessels of the LUT. In comparison with YM, only some morphometric changes were recovered in the AM group. Our study shows that multiparity and age can be associated with epithelial and muscular atrophy of urethral and vaginal walls. The morphometry of the LUT between young and adult female rabbits varies with multiparity. These findings may help to better understand the effects of multiparity on young and adult females and its correlation with the development of pelvic dysfunctions. Anat Rec, 297:1963–1970, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Gracilaria changii(Rhodophyta) alleviates bisphenol A-induced adverse reproductive abnormalities in mice

Objective: To evaluate the potential of Gracilaria changii extract in ameliorating the potential adverse effects of bisphenol A. Methods: The antioxidant capacity of Gracilaria changii extracted using different solvents(methanol, ethanol, and aqueous) was studied. The mice were administered by oral gavage with bisphenol A(60 mg/kg body weight) for 6 weeks with or without Gracilaria changii aqueous extract. Thereafter, the mice were either euthanized for histology and immunohistochemistry studies or mated to evaluate the pregnancy rate. Results: Gracilaria changii aqueous extract showed the highest antioxidant properties compared with extract using methanol and ethanol. The aqueous extract of Gracilaria changii improved the uterus index and uterine lipid peroxidation after bisphenol A exposure, although the uterine expressions of estrogen receptors and complement C3 were not improved. Histological evaluation of the uterus during the estrus stage has revealed that the extract could mitigate bisphenol A-induced adverse effects in the uterus as there was a lower percentage of mice showing abnormalities like decreased eosin staining in the myometrium, and decrease in the number of eosinophil and endometrial glands in the endometrium. Besides, Gracilaria changii aqueous extract improved the pregnancy rate of mice administered with bisphenol A. Conclusions: Gracilaria changii extract protects against bisphenol A-induced female reproductive abnormalities in mice which may be mediated via modulation of eosinophil migration, endometrial gland formation, and protein expressions associated with prostaglandins in the myometrium.     

Detection of Zika virus in paired urine and amniotic fluid samples from symptomatic and asymptomatic women and their babies during a disease outbreak: association with neurological symptoms in newborns

Paired maternal and newborn urine and amniotic fluid from 138 subjects collected during a Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak was analyzed for ZIKV by gene amplification (RT-qPCR), and the findings were correlated with clinical symptoms and neurological anomalies in the babies. ZIKV was detected in 1 of 9 symptomatic women (11.1%) and in 19 of 129 asymptomatic women (14.7%). Neurological manifestations were present in 19 babies (13.7%), 10 of 20 (50%) positive and 9 of 119 (7.6%) negative (p < 0.001) for ZIKV. Twelve (8.6%) urines collected during gestation were ZIKV-positive; only 2 remained positive for ZIKV postpartum. Six (4.1%) newborn urines collected within 1 day of delivery were ZIKV-positive cases. In 3 of these cases, ZIKV was detected in mother’s urine pre- and postpartum and in both mother’s urine and babies’ urine. Four of the amniotic fluid samples (2.9%) were ZIKV-positive. Among ZIKV-negative babies with neurological sequel, 87.5% were female; in contrast, 72.7% ZIKV-positive babies with neurological abnormalities were male (p = 0.019). We conclude that during a ZIKV outbreak, clinical symptoms and ZIKV detection in biological fluids are poor predictors of infection and adverse neurologic sequel in newborns.     

Genomic landscape of advanced endometrial cancer analyzed by targeted next-generation sequencing and the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) dataset

ObjectiveRecent studies have detailed the genomic landscape of endometrial cancer (EC); however, no study has focused on genetic alterations in advanced EC. We performed genomic profiling of patients with advanced EC using targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS).MethodsArchival tissue samples from 21 patients diagnosed with stage III and IV EC were obtained and subjected to NGS. Our data and the cancer genome atlas dataset were combined, and somatic mutation patterns were analyzed and compared according to the stage and histological type. Additionally, survival effects of specific mutated genes were analyzed.ResultsSomatic mutation patterns of 38 genes were identified in 263 EC samples, and the most commonly mutated genes were PTEN and PIK3CA. PTEN was the most common in endometrioid histology, while PPP2R1A was the most commonly mutated gene in serous histology. The mutation rates of PPP2R1A and TP53 were significantly higher in advanced EC sample than in stage I samples (22.5% vs. 4.3% [p<0.001] and 8.4% vs. 1.4% [p=0.021], respectively). Survival analysis of the total population and endometrioid subgroup revealed that patients with PPP2R1A mutations had significantly shorter survival than did those without mutations (p=0.005 and p<0.001, respectively).ConclusionPPP2R1A mutations might have a role in dismal prognosis of advanced EC.