Ultra high dilution of triiodothyronine modifies cellular apoptosis in Rana catesbeiana tadpole tail in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Ultra High Dilutions (UHD) are diluted beyond the Avogadro limit with dynamization (dilution with succussion). The process of anuran amphibian metamorphosis is controlled by thyroid hormones, including the resorption of the tadpole tail. METHODS: A randomized and blinded study was performed to investigate the influence of triiodothyronine (T3) 5·10(-24)M (10cH) on apoptosis induced by T3 100 nM in Rana catesbeiana tadpoles' tail tips, in vitro. Explants were randomized to three groups: control: no T3 in pharmacological or UHD dose; test: T3 100 nM and challenged with T3 10cH (UHD); positive control: T3 100 nM, treated with unsuccussed ethanol. The apoptotic index and the area of explants of test and control groups at the first and final day of the experiment were compared by t-test. RESULTS: There was no difference in tail tip area between test and control groups, but a significantly higher (p<0.01) index of apoptosis in explants of the test group. CONCLUSION: This data suggest that T3 10cH modifies the effect of T3 at pharmacological dose, opening new perspectives for further studies and investigation of the dose-effect curve.

A randomized controlled trial of homeopathic treatment of weaned piglets in a commercial swine herd.

AIM: To evaluate the zootechnic performance and occurrence of diarrhea in piglets in the week post-weaning comparing supplementation with sucrose saline which contained or did not contain added homeopathic medicine. METHOD: Animals were randomly divided into three groups of 24 piglets each. The control group did not receive any treatment. Another group received sucrose saline, and the third group received sucrose saline with homeopathic medicine added, in the period of zero to seven days post-weaning. The homeopathic treatment consisted of Echinacea angustifolia, Avena sativa, Ignatia amara, Calcarea carbonica, all 6cH. Piglets were weighed daily for weight gain or loss, and observed for diarrhea and feed intake. RESULTS: Animals receiving sucrose saline alone and sucrose saline with homeopathy had less weight loss than control (p=0.017, p=0.0001 respectively). There was no statistical difference in relation to overall incidence of diarrhea or food consumption. These data suggest that the supplementation with sucrose saline with added homeopathic medicine in the first seven days post-weaning may be an useful option to reduce weight loss in weaned piglets.

Silicea terra200cH evaluated by two different spectroscopy methods: a pilot study

Spectroscopy has been shown to bea useful method to study the physicochemical properties of homeopathic preparations. Aim: In this pilot study, we comparedtwo methods (photon scattering and visible-light spectroscopy) in the physicalevaluation of Silicea terra200cH. Methodology: Italian test: Two sampleshave been examinedand compared: Silicea terra200cH and Sac lac200cH, both preparedin water solution, diluted and succussed according to German Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia(Cemon Lab, Italy).Lactose was includedbecause the first 3 potencies of Silicea terraaremadeby trituration in lactosepowder.Measurements were made using an innovative Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) camera developedby Daniele Gullà, called MIRA/CORA(proprietary name). Slight variations in chrominance and luminance due to micro-vibrational 3D phenomenawere analyzed.Allmeasurements have been performed in a dark room at a constant temperature of 22°C +/-0,2°C usingafilter with very narrow spectral bands (10 nm).The measurements have been repeated three times on both Silicea terra200cH and Sac lac200cHwithin a few minutes aftereach other.Brazilian test: In the second test, performed in Brazil, variations in absorbance were used to identify Silicea terra200cH compared with Sac lac200cH andcompared withanother control solution of non-succussed 30% alcohol, using six solvatochromic dyes, following the method developed by Cartwright [1,2]. Both homeopathic samples were imported from Italy(the same sample bottles used in the Italian test),in Brazil they have beendiluted 1:100 in 30% hydro-alcoholic solution, and submitted to 100 succussions using an automatic mechanical arm (Denise, AUTIC, Brazil) prior to being tested. Samples were inserted into dyes solutions and evaluated by visible spectroscopy (FEMTO Spectrophotometer, Brazil). Dyes were prepared in ethanol P.A., according to previous established methods [3]. Three series in triplicate were performed and the results were analyzed by ANOVA / Tukey, comparing both samples and the unsuccussed 30% hydroalcoholic control solution.Results: Italian test: Measurements of the mean entropy of the signals, statistically elaborated with T Student test,yielded a two tailed p value < 0.05, where the entropy of the signal recorded from the Silicea terra200cHsample was statistically lower than the 200cH Sac lacsample.Brazilian test: Among all tested dyes, only BDN(4-(Bis-(4-(dimethylamino)-phenyl)methylene)-1(4H)-naphthalenone) showed aninteraction with Silicea terra200cH, reproducing the conclusions obtained in [3].Conclusions: Two different spectroscopic methods were able to show signal differences betweenSilicea terra200cH andSac lac200cH, suggesting that changes in solvent organization could be involved in the homeopathic signaling process, along withchanges in dipole moments of solvent and dyes. The results are potentially in line witha recent publishedpaper [4], that supportsthe propositionthatthe lower entropy of the verum signal compared with controls could beexplained by increased coherent vibrations of the verum sample, as theoretically explained in previous literature [5].

Therapeutic and pathogenetic animal models for Dolichos pruriens.

The therapeutic and pathogenetic effects of Dolichos pruriens were evaluated using experimental models in rats. In the therapeutic experiment Wistar rats were housed in a heated environment (25+/-3 degrees C) to induce itch, and treated with ascending potencies D. pruriens (6 cH, 9 cH, 12 cH and 30 cH), each for 10 days. The positive control group received vehicle (ethanol 30% in water). The negative control group received no treatment and were kept at a standard temperature. In the pathogenetic experiment, all animals were kept at a temperature of 20+/-3 degrees C and treated for 30 consecutive days with D. pruriens 6 or 30 cH, or ethanol vehicle, or no treatment. The experiments were performed blind. The statistical analysis used Bartlett's test, followed by ANOVA/Tuckey-Krammer or Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn. The results point to the existence of therapeutic effects, with inhibition of the itching, skin lesions and fur thinning produced by heat, more evident in later observations, with the 9 12, and 30 cH potencies (Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn; P=0.001). No changes were observed in the other parameters, such as open field activity and laterality of the itching. In the pathogenetic experiment, no changes were observed in any parameters examined. We conclude that the proposed experimental model demonstrates the therapeutic effect of D. pruriens, but not its pathogenetic effects.

Very high dilutions of dexamethasone inhibit its pharmacological effects in vivo.

We evaluated the interaction of dexamethasone 10(-17) and 10(-33) M (equivalent to 7cH and 15cH) with dexamethasone in pharmacological concentrations, using as experimental models: acute inflammation induced by carrageenan, Ehrlich ascitic tumour, and migration of tumour infiltrating leukocytes (TIL). Male adult BALB/c mice (n=7 per group) were used in all experiments. Carrageenan (1%) was injected into the footpad for oedema evaluation and into the peritoneal cavity (i.p.), for differential counting of inflammatory cells. Ehrlich ascitic tumour cells (10(7) viable cells/ml) were injected i.p. and tumour cells were counted after 6 days, by the Trypan blue exclusion method. The differential TIL was counted using smears stained by hematoxylin-eosin. Treatments were made immediately after carrageenan inoculation or once a day, during Ehrlich tumour development, until the animals were killed. Animals were treated with the following preparations: (1) phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution; (2) dexamethasone (0.5 mg/kg for inflammation model or 4mg/kg for tumour model) mixed with dexamethasone 7cH or 15cH; (3) dexamethasone (same doses) mixed in PBS. Homeopathic dexamethasone partially blocked the anti-inflammatory effect of pharmacological dexamethasone with regard to paw oedema (two-way ANOVA, P < 0.0008) and polymorphonuclear cell migration (chi2, P=0.0001). No important differences were observed between experimental and control groups, in relation to Ehrlich tumour cells viability or count, or bodyweight, but potentised dexamethasone restored control levels of TIL viability, compared to mice treated with pharmacological doses of dexamethasone (chi2, P< or = 0.001). The results demonstrate that a potentised substance may change its own pharmacological effects and suggest that ultradilutions effects act mostly on host response.

Effect of Atropa belladonna and Echinacea angustifolia in homeopathic dilution on experimental peritonitis.

Atropa belladonna and Echinacea angustifolia have been used in homeopathy as modulators of inflammatory processes, in simple potency or 'accord of potencies', as recommended by homotoxicology. We evaluated their effects on leukocyte migration and macrophage activity induced by experimental peritonitis in vivo. Mice were injected (i.p.) with LPS (1.0mg/kg) and treated (0.3ml/10g/day, s.c.) with different commercial forms of these medicines. Echinacea angustifolia D4--a simple potency preparation--and Belladonna Homaccord, Belladonna Injeel, Belladonna Injeel Forte, Echinacea Injeel and Echinacea Injeel Forte--all in 'accord of potencies'--were tested. The association of A. belladonna and E. angustifolia in 'accord of potencies' produced an increase of polymorphonuclear cell migration (Kruskal-Wallis, P = 0.03) and a decrease of mononuclear cell percentages (Kruskal-Wallis, P < or = 0.04), when compared with control, mainly in preparations containing low potencies. The proportion of degenerate leukocytes was lower in the treated groups, compared to a control group (P < or = 0.05). The treated groups showed increased phagocytosis (P < or = 0.05), mainly in preparations containing high potencies. Our results suggest that A. belladonna and E. angustifolia, when prepared in 'accord of potencies', modulate peritoneal inflammatory reaction and have a cytoprotective action on leukocytes.

Action of Causticum in inflammatory models.

The anti-inflammatory effect of Causticum was evaluated using acute and chronic inflammatory models in vivo. The administration of concentrated Causticum solution into the hind paw of rats produced an inflammatory reaction with oedema formation within the first hour, showing that Causticum acts as an oedematogenic agent. Carrageenin induced rat paw oedema was significantly inhibited (P<0.05) in the group treated with Causticum 30cH solution compared to control. Groups treated with potentized Causticum (6cH, 12cH, 30cH and 200cH), showed significant inhibition (P<0.05) of the inflammation pre-induced by carrageenin. However pre-treatment with Causticum 30cH for 6 days (0.5 ml, daily) did not significantly inhibit granulation using an implantation method.

Efeitos da administraçäo da Arnica montana (tintura-mäe e preparaçöes dinamizadas 6CH) na atividade de diferentes agentes flogísticos em ratos / Effects of Arnica montana administration (mother tincture and 6CH dinamized preparations) in the activity of diferent \"flogistic\" agents in rats

Neste trabalho, elaboramos um estudo comparativo entre o potencial anti-inflamatório da Arnica tintura-mäe e da Arnica 6CH, frente a injeçöes de diversos agentes flogísticos no coxim plantar de ratos albinos Wistar. Os animais foram inoculados no tecido subcutâneo da pata 0,06ml de carragenina 1 por cento, ou histamina 2,5 por cento (associada ou näo à prostaglandina E, 3 por cento), ou bradicinina 0,01 por cento e o edema inflamatório foi avaliado pelo método da pletismografia