Review of plants with hepatoprotective activity evaluated in Mexico

Liver diseases represent a major health problem around the world. in Mexico these are the 5th leading cause of death in the economically active population. in Mexico, it is estimated that about 60% of the population uses some medicine from plants to treat their illnesses. The purpose of this work was to search for medicinal plants in Mexico that have been evaluated for their hepatoprotective effect in different models. in this review we found only 13 plants evaluated for hepatoprotective activity: Amole tuber, Cochlospermum vitifolium, Heterotheca inuloides, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Leucophyllum frutescens, Prostechea michuacana, Psidium Guajava, Rosmarinus officinalis, Verbena Carolin, Centaurea americana, Juglans mollis, Krameria ramossisima and Turnera diffusa. This study describes the studies conducted in Mexico for each of them and the international literature reports of pharmacological and phytochemical studies.

Laryngeal amyloidosis: An uncommon cause of dysphonia

Introduction: Amyloidosis is used to describe a range of disorders deined by extracellular deposition of abnormal protein ibrils. The larynx is the most common site of localized amyloidosis in the head and neck region and constitutes less than 1% of benign laryngeal lesions. Hoarseness is the most common symptom. Objective: Prospective clinical evaluation of patients with localized laryngeal amyloidosis. Clinical cases: Presented are 4 cases of patients with localized laryngeal amyloidosis who were treated at the Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Department at the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital in Monterrey, Mexico. Three patients underwent phonomicrosurgery by direct microlaryngoscopy with the removal of the amyloid implantation using a cold knife excision with great results. In each patient the major site of involvement was the supraglottis with a small focus on the false vocal cord. A medical work-up, including a complete blood count (CBC), a basic metabolic panel, urinalysis, liver function test, chest X-ray and physical examination were performed to rule out the presence of systemic disease; no amyloidosis or signs of systemic disease were found. Congo red staining conirms the diagnosis of amyloidosis in all surgical specimens. Conclusions: In laryngeal amyloidosis, the treatment should be directed toward the improvement of the voice and the maintenance of the airway.