Traditional medicinal plant use in Northern Peru: tracking two thousand years of healing culture

This paper examines the traditional use of medicinal plants in Northern Peru, with special focus on the Departments of Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Cajamarca, and San Martin. Northern Peru represents the center of the old Central Andean "Health Axis," stretching from Ecuador to Bolivia. The roots of traditional healing practices in this region go at least as far back as the Moche period (AC 100–800). Although about 50% of the plants in use reported in the colonial period have disappeared from the popular pharmacopoeia, the plant knowledge of the population is much more extensive than in other parts of the Andean region. 510 plant species used for medicinal purposes were collected, identified and their vernacular names, traditional uses and applications recorded. The families best represented were Asteraceae with 69 species, Fabaceae (35), Lamiaceae (25), and Solanaceae (21). Euphorbiaceae had twelve species, and Apiaceae and Poaceae 11 species. The highest number of species was used for the treatment of "magical/ritual" ailments (207 species), followed by respiratory disorders (95), problems of the urinary tract (85), infections of female organs (66), liver ailments (61), inflammations (59), stomach problems (51) and rheumatism (45). Most of the plants used (83%) were native to Peru. Fresh plants, often collected wild, were used in two thirds of all cases, and the most common applications included the ingestion of herb decoctions or the application of plant material as poultices

Health for sale: the medicinal plant markets in Trujillo and Chiclayo, Northern Peru

Traditional methods of healing have been beneficial in many countries with or without access to conventional allopathic medicine. In the United States, these traditional practices are increasingly being sought after for illnesses that cannot be easily treated by allopathic medicine. More and more people are becoming interested in the knowledge maintained by traditional healers and in the diversity of medicinal plants that flourish in areas like Northern Peru. While scientific studies of medicinal plants are underway, concern has arisen over the preservation of both the large diversity of medicinal plants and the traditional knowledge of healing methods that accompanies them. To promote further conservation work, this study attempted to document the sources of the most popular and rarest medicinal plants sold in the markets of Trujillo (Mayorista and Hermelinda) and Chiclayo (Modelo and Moshoqueque), as well as to create an inventory of the plants sold in these markets, which will serve as a basis for comparison with future inventories. Individual markets and market stalls were subjected to cluster analysis based on the diversity of the medicinal plants they carry. The results show that markets were grouped based on the presence of: (1) common exotic medicinal plants; (2) plants used by laypeople for self-medication related to common ailments ("everyday remedies"); (3) specialized medicinal plants used by curanderos or traditional healers; and (4) highly "specialized" plants used for magical purposes. The plant trade in the study areas seems to correspond well with the specific health care demands from clientele in those areas. The specific market patterns of plant diversity observed in the present study represent a foundation for comparative market research in Peru and elsewhere

Shadows of the colonial past – diverging plant use in Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador

This paper examines the traditional use of medicinal plants in Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador, with special focus on the Departments of Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Cajamarca, and San Martin, and in Loja province, with special focus on the development since the early colonial period. Northern Peru represents the locus of the old Central Andean "Health Axis." The roots of traditional healing practices in this region go as far back as the Cupisnique culture early in the first millennium BC

Antiphospholipid syndrome; its implication in cardiovascular diseases: a review

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS) is a rare syndrome mainly characterized by several hyper-coagulable complications and therefore, implicated in the operated cardiac surgery patient. APLS comprises clinical features such as arterial or venous thromboses, valve disease, coronary artery disease, intracardiac thrombus formation, pulmonary hypertension and dilated cardiomyopathy. The most commonly affected valve is the mitral, followed by the aortic and tricuspid valve. For APLS diagnosis essential is the detection of so-called antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) as anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) or lupus anticoagulant (LA). Minor alterations in the anticoagulation, infection, and surgical stress may trigger widespread thrombosis. The incidence of thrombosis is highest during the following perioperative periods: preoperatively during the withdrawal of warfarin, postoperatively during the period of hypercoagulability despite warfarin or heparin therapy, or postoperatively before adequate anticoagulation achievement. Cardiac valvular pathology includes irregular thickening of the valve leaflets due to deposition of immune complexes that may lead to vegetations and valve dysfunction; a significant risk factor for stroke. Patients with APLS are at increased risk for thrombosis and adequate anticoagulation is of vital importance during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). A successful outcome requires multidisciplinary management in order to prevent thrombotic or bleeding complications and to manage perioperative anticoagulation. More work and reporting on anticoagulation management and adjuvant therapy in patients with APLS during extracorporeal circulation are necessary

Receptor binding of gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists that inhibit release of gonadotropin-II and growth hormone in goldfish, Carassius auratus

In goldfish, GnRH stimulates gonadotropin-II (GTH-II) and growth hormone (GH) release. The two native forms of GnRH, salmon GnRH (sGnRH) and chicken GnRH-II (cGnRH-II), bind to two classes of GnRH binding sites: high- affinity/low-capacity sites and low-affinity/high-capacity sites. Our previous in vitro perifusion studies of goldfish pituitary fragments showed that [Ac-Δ3-Pro1, 4FD-Phe2, D-Trp3,6]-mGnRH (analog E), [Ac-Δ3- Pro1, 4FD-Phe2, D-Trp3,6]-sGnRH (analog C), and [Ac-D(2)Nal1, 4Cl-D- Phe2, D-(3)Pal3,6]-cGnRH-II (analog N) inhibited both sGnRH- and cGnRH- II-stimulated GTH-II and GH release. Interestingly, analog C stimulated GH release but not GTH-II release. The objectives of the present study were 1) to test the site of action of GnRH antagonists in goldfish, 2) to test the relationship between receptor binding affinity of antagonists and their in vitro inhibitory potencies and apparent duration of action, and 3) to compare the binding characteristics of analog C with its differential action on GTH- II and GH release. As in previous studies, analog E suppressed sGnRH- stimulated GTH-II and GH release from perifused pituitary fragments. Similarly, analog E suppressed both sGnRH- and cGnRH-II-stimulated GTH-II and GH release from perifused dispersed goldfish pituitary cells, indicating the direct action of GnRH antagonists at the pituitary cell level. In the receptor binding studies, analog E displaced 125I-[D-Arg6, Pro9NHEt]- sGnRH (sGnRH-A) from crude goldfish pituitary membrane preparations in a dose-dependent manner. The binding affinities to high-affinity GnRH binding sites of analog E, analog C, and analog N were significantly higher than those of native sGnRH and sGnRH-A. The rank order of high affinity was analog N ≥ C > E, and binding affinity had no positive relation with the inhibitory effects of these analogs on GTH-II or GH release in vitro. In conclusion, GnRH antagonists inhibit native GnRH-stimulated GTH-II and GH release by competitively binding to binding sites at the pituitary cells, although there was no positive relation between receptor binding affinity and in vitro GTH- II or GH release-inhibiting potency of the analogs tested.published_or_final_versio

Differential actions of a mammalian gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist on gonadotropin-II and growth hormone release in goldfish, Carassius auratus

In goldfish the two native forms of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) salmon GnRH (sGnRH) and chicken GnRH-II (cGnRH-II), stimulate both gonadotropin-II (GTH-II) and growth hormone (GH) release. Modifications of GnRH structure at positions 1, 2, 3, and 6 often result in an antagonist in goldfish, an observation well documented in mammalian studies. In a preliminary study in goldfish, a mammalian GnRH antagonist, [Ac-D(2)Nal 1, 4Cl-D-Phe 2, D(3)-Pal 3,6, Arg 5, D-Ala 10]-mGnRH (analog L) weakly stimulated GTH-II release, and strongly inhibited GH release. The objectives of the present study were to study the dose-related actions of analog L on GTH-II and GH release in the goldfish, the specificity of inhibition of native GnRH actions, and to test whether analog L can act directly on goldfish pituitary cells. In a goldfish pituitary fragments perifusion system, analog L at different concentrations, given as 2-min pulses or as 30-min prolonged treatments, stimulated GTH-II and inhibited GH release in a dose-dependent manner. Analog L at 2 μM concentration (45 min) significantly suppressed sGnRH- and cGnRH-II-stimulated GTH-II as well as GH release. Analog L specifically inhibited GnRH-stimulated GH release, without having any significant effects on the GH release induced by either SKF38393, a dopamine D1 receptor agonist, or thyrotropin-releasing hormone. The GTH-II stimulatory and GH-inhibitory actions of analog L were significantly suppressed by a 'true' GnRH antagonist (Ac-Δ 3-Pro 1, 4FD-Phe 2, D-Trp 3,6)-mGnRH. Further, analog L stimulated GTH-II release and suppressed GH release from the enzymatically dispersed goldfish pituitary cells, indicating the direct actions of analog L at the pituitary cell level. Analog L also displaced 125I-(D-Arg 6, Pro 9 NHEt)-sGnRH bound to crude goldfish pituitary membrane preparations in a dose-related manner. In conclusion, contrary to its action as a potent GnRH antagonist in mammals, analog L has GTH-II stimulatory action in goldfish. Analog L by acting via GnRH receptors at the pituitary cell level differentially acts on GTH-II and GH release, suggesting functional differences in the properties of the GnRH receptors on GTH and GH cells. Analog L also specifically inhibits sGnRH and cGnRH-II actions on GTH-II and GH release.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

1 A Computational Intelligence Approach To Railway Track Intervention Planning

Summary. Railway track intervention planning is the process of specifying the location and time of required maintenance and renewal activities. To facilitate the process, decision support tools have been developed and typically use an expert system based approach with rules specified by track maintenance engineers. However, due to the complex interrelated nature of component deterioration it is problematic for an engineer, using a rule based approach, to consider all combinations of possible deterioration mechanisms. To address this, this chapter describes an approach to intervention planning which uses a variety of computational intelligence techniques. The proposed system learns rules for maintenance from historical data and incorporates future data as they become available thus improving the performance of the system over time. A failure type determination function analyses historical deterioration patterns of sections of track, and a Rival Penalized Competitive Learning algorithm determines possible failure types. A generalized two stage evolutionary algorithm is used to produce curve functions for this purpose. The approach is illustrated using an example with real data which demonstrates that the proposed methodology is suitable and effective for the task in hand. 2 Derek Bartram, Michael Burrow, and Xin Yao 1.

Neuropeptide-Y stimulates growth hormone and gonadotropin-II secretion in the goldfish pituitary: Involvement of both presynaptic and pituitary cell actions

We have previously reported that neuropeptide-Y (NPY) stimulates GH and gonadotropin-II (GtH-II) release from perifused pituitary fragments in the goldfish. Since the teleost pituitary is directly innervated by neurosecretory terminals from the brain, we further investigated the possible sites of action of NPY. Both synthetic human NPY and NPY-(18-36), an agonist selective for the NPY Y2-receptor, stimulated GH and GtH-II release from the pituitary fragments; the magnitude of the response to NPY (18-36) was smaller than that to the whole molecule of NPY. NPY also stimulated the release of GH and GtH-II from perifused dispersed pituitary cells. In contrast, NPY-(18- 36) had no effect on either GH or GtH-II release from dispersed pituitary cells. These data suggest that Y2 action is not direct at the level of pituitary cells, but may be indirect through actions on nerve terminals in the pituitary. The hypothesis that the action of NPY on GH and GtH-II release is mediated in part by GnRH was then tested. Both NPY and NPY-(18-36) stimulated the GnRH release from preoptic-anterior hypothalamic slices and pituitary fragments with similar potency. Furthermore, a GnRH antagonist significantly reduced the effects of NPY on both GH and GtH-II release in perifused pituitary fragments. Similar to previous findings, NPY, when given at 55-min intervals, desensitized the hormone responses in pituitary fragments. Similarly, the same treatment with NPY in perifused dispersed pituitary cells induced desensitization of GH and GtH-II responses. Together, these results suggest that 1) more than one type of NPY receptors are present in the goldfish pituitary; and 2) NPY has at least two sites of action in the pituitary. One site of action is the pituitary cells, where NPY directly stimulates GH and GtH-II secretion; the second is the nerve terminals, where NPY presynaptically stimulates GnRH release via Y2-like receptors, and GnRH, in turn, stimulates GH and GtH-II release.link_to_subscribed_fulltex