Highly diluted medication reduces tissue parasitism and inflammation in mice infected by Trypanosoma cruzi.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of Kalium causticum, Conium maculatum, and Lycopodium clavatum 13cH in mice infected by Trypanosoma cruzi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a blind, controlled, randomized study, 102 male Swiss mice, 8 weeks old, were inoculated with 1400 trypomastigotes of the Y strain of T. cruzi and distributed into the following groups: CI (treated with 7% hydroalcoholic solution), Ca (treated with Kalium causticum 13cH), Co (treated with Conium maculatum 13cH), and Ly (treated with Lycopodium clavatum 13cH). The treatments were performed 48 h before and 48, 96, and 144 h after infection. The medication was repertorized and prepared in 13cH, according to Brazilian Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia. The following parameters were evaluated: infectivity, prepatent period, parasitemia peak, total parasitemia, tissue tropism, inflammatory infiltrate, and survival. Statistical analysis was conduced considering 5% of significance. RESULTS: The prepatent period was greater in the Ly group than in the CI group (p = 0.02). The number of trypomastigotes on the 8th day after infection was lower in the Ca group than in the CI group (p < 0.05). Total parasitemia was significantly lower in the Ca, Co, and Ly groups than in the CI group. On the 12th day after infection, the Ca, Co, and Ly groups had fewer nests and amastigotes/nest in the heart than the CI group (p < 0.05). Decreases in the number of nests and amastigotes in the intestine were observed in the Ly group compared with the CI group (p < 0.05). In the liver (day 12), Ly significantly prevented the formation of inflammatory foci compared with the other groups. In skeletal muscle, Co and Ly decreased the formation of inflammatory foci compared with CI (p < 0.05). Ly afforded greater animal survival compared with CI, Ca, and Co (p < 0.05). The animals in the Co group died prematurely compared with the CI group (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Ly with 13cH potency had significantly more benefits in the treatment of mice infected with T. cruzi, reducing the number of blood parasites, amastigote nests in tissue, and the number of amastigotes per nest and increasing animal survival.

Trypanosoma cruzi: biotherapy made from trypomastigote modulates the inflammatory response.

UNLABELLED: This study evaluates the effect of Trypanosoma cruzi biotherapy 17dH (BIOT) on mice of different ages, infected with the protozoa concerned. METHOD: Performing a blind, controlled, randomized by drawing experiment, 110 animals four or eight-week-old, Swiss, male mice were divided into infected control treated hydroalcoholic 7% (CI-4 = 34 or CI-8 = 21 animals) and infected control treated with biotherapy 17dH-0.2 mL/animal/20 consecutive days/oral regimen (BIOT-4 = 33 or BIOT-8 = 21 animals). Animals were inoculated intraperitoneally with 1400 trypomastigote, T. cruzi Y-strain. Parasitological, immunological and histopathologic parameters were evaluated statistically, using Statistica-8.0 and R 3.0.2 program to analysis of survival. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee for Animal Experimentation/UEM. RESULTS: Four-week-old mice showed no statistical difference in parasitemia (P = 0.5718) between the treated and control group. Eight-week-old mice from the treated group had a higher parasite peak (P = 0.0424) and higher parasitemia (P < 0.005) than the control. To both groups of 4 and 8 weeks of age, treated or untreated, survival of mice was higher in the treated group than in the control, although it was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.32, 0.55 respectively). Four-week-old mice displayed a spleen section with a number of amastigote nests significantly higher in BIOT-4 than CI-4 (P = 0.01). In eight-week-old mice the number of amastigote nests (P < 0.001) and inflammatory foci (P < 0.06-10% significance) in the liver section were smaller in BIOT-8 than CI-8. Spleen giant cells were significantly higher in CI-8 than in BIOT-8 (P < 0.01). Eight-week-old animals treated with biotherapy showed higher parasitemia and lower tissue parasitism. Opposite pattern was observed in four-week-old animals. CONCLUSION: There is a difference of high diluted medication effect in four and eight-week-old mice. In the group of animals 8 weeks the immunomodulatory effect seems to have been higher. Hence, treatment with the medicine produced from T. cruzi modulates the inflammatory response with increased apoptosis and decreased serum levels of TGF-ß.

Efeito de um bioterápico 7DH de Toxoplasma gondii em camundongos infectados com o protozoário / Effect of 7DH biotherapic of Toxoplasma gondii in mice infected with the protozoan

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii worldwide distributed [1]. In both, men and animals, the infection with T. gondii can lead to important pathologies [2]. The study of alternative treatments is important to set new therapeutic protocols, especially for the prevention of congenital toxoplasmosis.Mice pre-infection treated with biotherapic 7DH, presented bigger clinical alterations, which were measured visually and statistically compared to the control group. There was a biological effect of the biotherapic, with an increase in the number of cysts compared to the control group, without statistical significance. The group 7DH showed a significant reduction of intraocular pressure and fundoscopic analysis showed a larger number of animals without ocular changes, without statistical significance. The sample size should be reevaluated for better data interpretation and decision on the effects of the biotherapic 7DH T. gondii.(AU)

Bioterápico 200 DH causa redução do parasitismo cerebral em camundongos infectados com Toxoplasma gondii / Biotherapic 200 DH reduces cerebral parasitism in mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis that represents a serious public health problem, worldwide distributed. Pregnant women are part of the most risky group due to congenital sequels. The necessity of a preventive treatment for congenital infections is of great importance [1] Biotherapics, highly diluted medicines prepared with T. gondii according to the Brazilian Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia [2], is an important prevention strategy, ensuring a safe and cheap approach to protozoan infections [3]. However, little is known about the effects of different potencies and treatment schedules.The highly diluted biotherapic 200DH T. gondii caused mortality in one animal in group however caused no significant difference other clinical and parasitological parameters evaluated although there was a decrease of parasitism brain of mice infected with the protozoan compared to control group.(AU)

Influência da idade e esquema de tratamento na parasitemia de camundongos infectados pelo Trypanosoma cruzi tratados com bioterápico de alta potência / Influence of age and ways of treatment in the parasitemia in mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi treated with high potency biotherapy

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The infection of mice by Trypanosoma cruzi is well known, making this a good model for understanding the effect of highly diluted medications. Mice of different ages show different responses to biotherapic T. cruzi [1]. Other data from our laboratory using biotherapic treatment at low potencies show that long lasting treatment has a better effect in mice infected with T. cruzi. However, the use of high potency biotherapics in mice of different ages infected with T. cruzi has not been analysed yet.Conclusion: The age and the ways of treatment used are important factors to be considered when using a highly diluted medication. The clinical use of these results in humans, should take into consideration the allometric system of medication dosage which takes into account the metabolic rate of each organism.(AU)

Introdução: A infecção murina pelo Trypanosoma cruzi é bem conhecida, fazendo deste um bom modelo para o entendimento do efeito de medicamentos ultradiluídos. Camundongos de diferentes idades mostram diferentes respostas a bioterápico de T. cruzi [1]. Outros dados do nosso laboratório utilizando tratamento com bioterápico em baixas potências mostram que o tratamento prolongado exerce melhor efeito em camundongos infectados pelo T. cruzi. No entanto, a utilização de bioterápicos em alta potência em camundongos de diferentes idades infectados pelo T. cruzi ainda não foi explorada.Conclusão: A idade e o esquema de tratamento utilizado são fatores importantes a serem considerados na utilização de medicamento ultradiluído. A utilização clínica destes resultados em humanos, deve considerar o sistema alométrico de dosagem de medicamentos que leva em conta a taxa metabólica de cada organismo.(AU)

Homeopatia: significância estatística versus tamanho da amostra em experimento com Toxoplasma gondii / Homeopathy: statistical significance versus the sample size in experiments with Toxoplasma gondii

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis that represents a serious public health problem, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, which affects 20-90% of the world human population [1,2]. It is a serious problem especially when considering the congenital transmission due to congenital sequels. Treatment with highly diluted substances is one of the alternative/complementary medicines most employed in the world [3,4]. The current ethical rules regarding the number of animals used in animal experimental protocols with the use of more conservative statistical methods [5] can not enhance the biological effects of highly diluted substances observed by the experience of the researcher.}Conclusion: Bootstrap seems to be an interesting methodology for the analysis of data obtained from experiments with highly diluted substances. Experiments involving highly diluted substances and infection of mice with T. gondii should be better work with experimental groups using 17 animals at least.(AU)

Introdução: A toxoplasmose é uma zoonose causada pelo Toxoplasma gondii, que atinge de 20-90% da população humana mundial [1,2] sendo um sério problema de saúde pública, sobretudo ao se considerar a transmissão congênita com suas conseqüências e seqüelas. O tratamento com substâncias ultradiluídas é uma das práticas alternativas / complementares mais empregadas no mundo [3,4]. As regras éticas atuais quanto ao número de animais utilizados nos protocolos de experimentação animal juntamente com o uso de métodos estatísticos mais conservadores [5] não conseguem valorizar efeitos biológicos de substâncias ultra-diluídas percebidos pela experiência do pesquisador.Conclusão: O Bootstrap mostrou ser uma metodologia interessante para a análise de dados derivados de experimentos com substâncias ultra-diluídas. Experimentos envolvendo substâncias ultra-diluídas e a infecção de camundongos pelo T. gondii deveriam trabalhar com grupos experimentais utilizando, no mínimo, 17 animais.(AU)

Bioterápico 17DH de Trypanosoma cruzi diminui alterações histopatológicas em camundongos infectados pelo protozoário / Biotherapic of Trypanosoma cruzi 17x controlled histopathological alterations in mice infected by this protozoon

Introduction: about 10 million people worldwide suffer from Chagas? disease [1]. The World Health Organization (WHO) has explicitly acknowledged the significance of this condition and supports the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by health systems integrated with conventional treatments. Even so, one century after its discovery it still represents a global challenge [1,2]. Biotherapics are ultradiluted medicines and the infection of mice by Trypanosoma cruzi is an excellent model to understand their effect [3,4]. At 8 weeks, mice are physiologically more developed than at age 4 weeks, including a more competent immune system [5].Conclusion: there is a difference in the effect of the ultradiluted medicine between mice 4- and 8-week old. Eight-week old animals treated with biotherapic exhibited lower tissue parasitism, which is the opposite of what was observed in 4-week old animals.(AU)