IPN researchers apply therapeutics to reduce triglyceride and cholesterol levels

• They´ll evaluate whether after five weeks of treatment the expression of the gene and protein related to triglyceride and cholesterol metabolism is modified

• The Secretary of Public Education, Delfina Gomez Alvarez, stressed that the IPN has shown knowledge, great research and discoveries

• Higher education institutions can make great contributions to society because of their ability to generate science: Arturo Reyes Sandoval

Researchers from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) carry out a study to reduce the levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood of patients aged between 20 and 70 years, to whom they apply, in specific points of the body Electroacupuncture combined with Moxibustion, since, among other oriental therapies, these have demonstrated their effectiveness for this purpose, which is supported by the evidence reported in various scientific research articles.

In this context, the Secretary of Public Education, Delfina Gomez Alvarez, believes that the National Polytechnic Institute has shown knowledge, great research and discoveries that have benefited mexicans.

In turn, the IPN´s General Director, Arturo Reyes Sandoval, stressed that higher education institutions can make great contributions to society because of the capacity they have to generate science.

The experts of the National School of Medicine and Homeopathy (ENMH, for its acronym in Spanish) recently published in the International Journal of Acupuncture, of the Elsevier publishing house, the results of the bibliographic review carried out; now they will be able to use this knowledge, so they will combine both therapeutics to treat dyslipidemias.

To deepen the mechanism of action of moxibustion and electroacupuncture, they will evaluate the blood serum of patients before and after treatment, thus checking if the level of triglycerides and cholesterol is reduced; In addition, they will corroborate whether it increases AV Apolipoprotein (related to triglyceride metabolism), as well as the expression of the APOA5 gene that synthesizes it.

The research group is made up of Dr. Flavia Becerril Chavez, specialist in acupuncture, the doctors in Molecular Biomedicine Olivia Medel Flores and Virginia Sanchez Monroy, as well as the doctors and students of the specialty in Human Acupuncture, Marta Lucia Barrueta Flores, Ingrid Joselin Jaimes Esquivel and Mariana Palmas Trejo, who seek through this study to offer an effective treatment, economical and without side effects.

Marta Barrueta and Ingrid Jaimes explained that when applying electroacupuncture they will stimulate the nerve terminals of the acupuncture points (Zusanli E36, Fenglong E40, Yinlingquan B9 and Sanyinjiao B6), while at the point (Zusanli E3 and Shenque RM8) they will apply heat by means of a moxa cigar (made with the Artemisa vulgaris plant).

Although treatment has already begun with some patients, they mentioned that others who wish to participate have yet to be recruited. "For the protocol we will form two groups, each of 30 people. To the first we will apply the techniques already mentioned, while the second will be the control group and we will prescribe tablets of bezafibrate (allopathic drug), with the purpose of comparing results.

The treatment will be applied twice a week for 5 weeks. For more information, interested persons should send an email to the addresses ingridjaimes66@gmail.com, luciabarruetaf260894@gmail.com or mariana.kpt@gmail.com, through which they will indicate if they are candidates to participate in the research protocol, which is carried out at the Acupuncture Clinic of the National School of Medicine and Homeopathy, located at 239 Guillermo Massieu Av, La Escalera, Gustavo A. Madero, 07320 Mexico City.