Potentized Mercuric chloride and Nux vomica facilitate water permeability in erythrocytes of a fresh-water catfish Clarius batrachus under acute ethanol intoxication.

OBJECTIVES: The primary biomolecular target of a homeopathic potency is unknown. If it is a plasma membrane protein such as water-channel protein, the drug would alter water permeation in cells. Therefore, the objective is to see if potentized homeopathic drugs like Mercuric chloride 30c and Nux vomica 30c could alter permeation of water through the erythrocytes of a fresh water fish under acute ethanol intoxication. LOCATION: The work was carried out in the Zoology Laboratory of Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India. SUBJECT: Live freshwater catfish. DESIGN: Erythrocytes collected from fish with and without ethanol intoxication were incubated in distilled water at 30 degrees C for 30 minutes with Ethanol 30c (control), Merc cor 30c (test 1), and Nux vomica 30c (test 2). Merc cor 30c and Nux vom 30c were prepared by successive dilution of the respective mother tinctures with 90% ethanol (1:100) followed by sonication at 20 kHz for 30 seconds in 30 steps. Ethanol 30c was prepared in the same way from 90% ethanol diluted with 90% ethanol. In another experiment, fish were pretreated with Ethanol 30c and Nux vom 30c followed by ethanol injection at 2 g/kg of body weight. Then their erythrocytes were tested in vitro with the same potencies. After centrifugation of blood samples, fluid part was removed, erythrocyte pellets dried in a BioChemical Oxygen Demand (BOD; Atlas Surgical, New Delhi, India) incubator at 90 degrees C for 12 hours and intracellular water content measured. RESULTS: Red blood cells (RBCs) from ethanol-injected fish permeated more water than those from normal fish. Water permeation was enhanced with Merc cor 30c and Nux vom 30c. RBCs from fish pretreated with Nux vom 30c imbibed more water in in vitro treatments than those from fish pretreated with Ethanol 30c. CONCLUSION: Because water channel proteins or aquaporins are mainly responsible for water transport through the plasma membrane of RBCs, it is thought that potentized drugs interact with these proteins, thereby facilitating water influx in the cells.

Hypophysiotropic neurons in the hypothalamus of the catfish Clarias batrachus: a cobaltous lysine and HRP study.

Seven hypothalamic nuclei and several isolated perikarya that send projections to the pituitary gland were identified following administration of cobaltous lysine or horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to severed hypophysial stalks of previously hypophysectomized catfish, Clarias batrachus. Retrogradely labelled neurons were identified in the nucleus preopticus periventricularis, suprachiasmatic nucleus, paraventricular and supraoptic divisions of the magnocellular nucleus preopticus (NPO) and nucleus lateralis tuberis. A few neurons in the paraventricular subdivision of the NPO, however, remained unfilled; these may project to extrahypophysial sites. Three other nuclei contributing to the innervation of the pituitary gland include the paraventricular organ, nucleus recessus lateralis (NRL) and nucleus recessus posterioris (NRP), all of which contain cerebrospinal fluid-contacting aminergic neurons. These three neuronal aggregations were retrogradely labelled with cobaltous lysine but not with HRP. Isolated neurons displaying hypophysial connections were identified in the organon vasculosum laminae terminalis area, in the nucleus hypothalamicus ventromedialis, and in the vicinity of the NRL and NRP. Thus the present study reveals that hypothalamic projections to the pituitary gland of catfish have their origin in several peptidergic and aminergic nuclei and perikarya hitherto unreported.