Biological Actions, Electrical Conductance and Silicon-Containing Microparticles of Arsenicum Album Prepared in Plastic and Glass Vials.

INTRODUCTION: According to the "silica hypothesis" formulated to explain homeopathy, the information of starting materials would be transferred to cells by silica nanoparticles detached from the glassware walls by serial dilution and agitation through epitaxy. We compared the biological activity, electrical current and silicon microparticle content (by means of scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) of high dilutions (HDs) of arsenic prepared in plastic and glass vials to investigate the role of silica in their biological effects in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Co-cultures of macrophages and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were treated with different HDs of arsenic prepared in plastic and glass vials. Macrophage morphology, phagocytosis index, nitric oxide (NO), and cytokine production were evaluated. RESULTS: Measurable amounts of silicon microparticles were detected only in the HDs prepared in glass vials, but ultra-centrifugation eliminated them. Specific and non-specific results were observed. Non-specific pro-inflammatory effects were seen in all dilutions prepared in plastic vials, including elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, NO and macrophage phagocytic index. Only the 200th centesimal dilution of arsenic produced specific decrease in interleukin-6 production in macrophages, and it was independent of the vial type or the presence of microparticles of silica in the medicine samples. The nature of the vials had an impact on the electric flow in the respective fluids. CONCLUSION: The non-specific, pro-inflammatory effects might be attributed to organic residuals detached from the vials' plastic walls during manipulation. Instead, specific silica-independent effects of the homeopathic medicine can be attributed to the decrease of interleukin-6 after treatment with the 200th centesimal dilution of arsenic.

M1 homeopathic complex trigger effective responses against Leishmania (L) amazonensis in vivo and in vitro.

Leishmaniasis is a term referring to a range of clinical conditions caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, Trypanosomatidae family, Kinetoplastida order that is transmitted by the bite of certain species of mosquitoes Phlebotominae subfamily. These parasites infect hosts wild and domestic mammals, considered as natural reservoirs and can also infect humans. Leishmania are obligate intramacrophage protozoa that have exclusively intracellular life style. This suggests that the amastigotes possess mechanisms to avoid killing by host cells. Cutaneous leishmaniasis, the most common form of the disease, causes ulcers on exposed parts of the body, leading to disfigurement, permanent scars, and stigma and in some cases disability. Many studies concluded that the cytokines profile and immune system of host have fundamental role in humans and animals natural self-healing. Conventional treatments are far from ideals and the search for new therapeutic alternatives is considered a strategic priority line of research by the World Health Organization. A promising approach in the field of basic research in homeopathy is the treatment of experimental infections with homeopathic drugs prepared from natural substances associations highly diluted, which comprise a combination of several different compounds considered as useful for a symptom or disease. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of M1, a complex homeopathic product, in macrophage-Leishmania interaction in vitro and in vivo. It was used RAW cells lineage and BALB/c mice as a host for the promastigotes of L. amazonensis (WHOM/BR/75/Josefa). Several biochemical and morphological parameters were determined. Together, the harmonic results obtained in this study indicate that, in general, the highly diluted products trigger rapid and effective responses by living organisms, cells and mice, against Leishmania, by altering cytokines profile, by NO increasing (p<0.05), by decreasing parasitic load (p<0.001), and modifying classical maturation and biogenesis of parasitophorous vacuoles (p<0.001). M1 complex decreased endocytic index (p<0.001), and the % of infected macrophages (p<0.05), preventing the development of lesions (p<0.05) caused by L. amazonensis by increasing Th1 response (p<0.05). Therefore the M1complex can be a good candidate for a complementary therapy to conventional treatments, since all the parameters observed in vitro and in vivo improved. It could be an interesting clinical tool in association to a classical anti-parasitic treatment, maybe resulting in better quality of life to the patients, with less toxicity.

Immunomodulation of Homeopathic Thymulin 5CH in a BCG-Induced Granuloma Model.

The present study analyzed the immune modulation mechanisms of thymulin 5CH in a granuloma experimental model. Male adult Balb/c mice were inoculated with BCG into the footpad to induce granuloma, which was quantitatively evaluated. The phenotypic characterization of phagocyte, T- and B-lymphocyte populations in the peritoneum, and local lymph node was done by flow cytometry. During all experimental periods, thymulin 5CH and vehicle (control) were given ad libitum to mice, diluted into the drinking water (1.6 × 10(-17) M). After 7 days from inoculation, thymulin-treated mice presented reduction in the number of epithelioid cytokeratine-positive cells (P = 0.0001) in the lesion, in relation to young phagocytes. After 21 days, the differentiation of B1 peritoneal stem cells into phagocytes reached the peak, being higher in thymulin-treated mice (P = 0.0001). Simultaneously, the score of infected phagocytes in the lesion decreased (P = 0.001), and the number of B1-derived phagocytes, CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in the local lymph node increased in relation to control (P = 0.0001). No difference was seen on the CD25+ Treg cells. The results show that thymulin 5CH treatment is able to improve the granuloma inflammatory process and the infection remission, by modulating local and systemic phagocyte differentiation.