Search

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a rare but high-mortality drug hypersensitivity reaction, that requires early diagnosis and timely management. We present the case of a 32-year-old female patient with diagnosis of epilepsy and organic schizophreniform disorder, secondary to viral encephalitis, treated with multiple drugs, who presented diffuse habon-type skin rash, facial edema, fever, lymphadenopathy, leukocytosis with eosinophilia, and elevated transaminases, approximately 3 weeks after addition extended-release carbamazepine to her usual therapy. This drug was discontinue. Antihistamines and glucocorticoids were administered orally. Subsequently, the patient showed remarkable improvement.

Early stages of atherosclerosis are characterizated for the uptake of oxidate low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) by inflammatory macrophages in the arteries, promoting the foam cell formation. Drimys winteri is a native tree of Chile that produce drimane sesquiterpenoids, here it was evaluated the inhibitory foam cell formation by the total extract of barks of Drimys winteri and isodrimeninol, a sesquiterpenoid isolated from the tree. The results showed that Dw and isodrimeninol inhibited the foam cell formation on macrophage M1, by Oil Red O staining. Moreover, Dw reduced the gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α, in contrast to isodrimeninol that showed not effect on the gene expression of this cytokine, also Dw enhanced the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, in more significant manner than isodrimeninol at 20 μg/mL. While, Dw and isodrimeninol significantly reduced the expression of IL1-β at concentrations of 20 μg/mL, but not affecting the MMP-9 levels, assessed by RT-qPCR. In conclusion, Drimys winteri and isodrimeninol induce anti-atherosclerotic effects, inhibiting foam cell formation, as well as promoting anti-inflammatory responses. This study confirm the relevance of this tree as a medicinal source for the Mapuche people, and suggesting that Drimys winteri could be used in early stages of atherosclerosis.

Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease that is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi and represents a serious health problem, especially in Latin America. The clinical treatment of Chagas disease is based on two nitroderivatives that present severe side effects and important limitations. In folk medicine, natural products, including sesquiterpenoids, have been employed for the treatment of different parasitic diseases. In this study, the trypanocidal activity of compounds isolated from the Chilean plants Drimys winteri, Podanthus mitiqui and Maytenus boaria on three T. cruzi evolutive forms (epimastigote, trypomastigote and amastigote) was evaluated. Total extracts and seven isolated sesquiterpenoids were assayed on trypomastigotes and epimastigotes. Polygodial (Pgd) from D. winteri, total extract from P. mitiqui (PmTE) and the germacrane erioflorin (Efr) from P. mitiqui were the most bioactive substances. Pgd, Efr and PmTE also presented strong effects on intracellular amastigotes and low host toxicity. Many ultrastructural effects of these substances, including reservosome disruption, cytosolic vacuolization, autophagic phenotype and mitochondrial swelling (in the case of Pgd), were observed. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential in treated epimastigotes and an increase in ROS production and high plasma membrane permeability after treatment with Pgd. The promising trypanocidal activity of these natural sesquiterpenoids may be a good starting point for the development of alternative treatmentsforChagas disease.

Objetivo: Determinar la frecuencia y tipos de hábitos higiénicos vulvo-vaginales en mujeres chilenas. Métodos: Estudio de corte transversal en 271 usuarias adultas que asistieron a centros ginecológicos primarios del sistema público y privado. Médico aplicó una encuesta de 7 preguntas con alternativas de respuestas cerradas para pesquisar la frecuencia y tipo de hábitos higiénicos íntimos. Se realizó estadística descriptiva utilizando modelos univariados y multivariados, expresando la magnitud de asociación como Odds Ratio. Se seleccionaron los modelos multivariados con mayor varianza mediante selección por pasos. Resultados: Un 25% lava sus genitales una vez/día, 32% dos veces/día, 28% tres veces/día y 13% cuatro o más veces/día. Las mujeres del sistema público tienden a un aseo genital con frecuencias de dos a tres veces al día, mientras que las del sistema privado mayormente una y dos veces al día. El 56% de las mujeres, especialmente aquellas atendidas en consultas privadas, utiliza algún otro elemento adicional al agua, preferentemente jabones especiales. Las mujeres mayores y postmenopáusicas se asociaron a lavados genitales con elementos adicionales al agua. Las diabéticas presentaron una probabilidad 3 veces mayor de usar un jabón especial que las no diabéticas. Conclusiones: Mujeres chilenas de ambos sistemas de atención, realizan aseo íntimo con una frecuencia entre una y tres veces al día en el 85% de las encuestadas. El 56% de ellas y el 75,6% de las que consultan en el sistema privado utilizan para el aseo genital algún otro elemento adicional al agua, preferentemente jabones especiales. Objective: To determine frequency and types of vulvovaginal hygienic habits that Chilean women have. Methods: Cross-sectional study in 271 adult women who attended primary gynecological centers of public and private systems. A survey of 7 questions with closed-answer alternatives was undertaken by a physician in order to determine frequency and type of intimate hygiene. Descriptive statistics were performed by using univariate and multivariate models, expressing the magnitude of association as Odds Ratio. Multivariate models with higher variance were selected by stepwise selection. Results: 25% washed their genitals once a day, 32% twice a day, 28% three times a day and 13% four or more times a day. Women attending public centers tend to wash their genitals two or three times a day, while the ones attending private centers do this mostly once or twice a day. 56% of women - especially those treated in private centers - use additional elements apart from water, preferably special soaps. Older and postmenopausal women were associated with the use of additional elements other than water. Diabetics were 3 times more likely to use a special soap than non-diabetics. Conclusions: 85% of chilean women of both health-care systems perform intimate hygiene between one and three times a day; 56% of them and 75.6% of those attending private centers use elements other than water, preferably special soaps.

Lobelia tupa, also called devil's tobacco, is a native plant from the center-south of Chile which has been used by the native people of Chile as a hallucinogenic and anesthetic plant. A new piperidine alkaloid, called pentylsedinine, which comprises five carbons in the side chain, was isolated from the aerial part of L. tupa, along with lobeline and lobelanidine. The structure was established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. While lobeline is a neutral antagonist at alpha 3 beta 2/alpha 3 beta 4 nAChR and alpha 7 nAChR, both lobelanidine and pentylsedinine act as partial agonists at nAChR