Homeopathic medicines cause Th1 predominance and induce spleen and megakaryocytes changes in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania infantum

Cajueiro, Ana Paula Bacellar; Goma, Ester Puna; Santos, Hílton Antônio Mata dos; Rodrigues, Igor A.; Toma, Helena Keiko; Araújo, Silvana Márques de; Bonamin, Leoni Villano; Gomes, Nelson Brêtas de Noronha; Castelo-Branco, Morgana T.; Dias, Edilma Paraguai de Souza; Pyrrho, Alexandre dos Santos; Holandino, Carla

doi:10.1016/j.cyto.2017.02.010

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…The effects of homeopathic medicines in relation to the vehicle (placebo) may be seen in studies performed in-vivo or in standard clinical trials. 8,9,[14][15][16][19][20][21][22][23] However, characterizing the specificity of such effects is even more important in refined studies designed in-vitro, 44 since it is known that the succussion itself can promote changes in the solvent organization, including the generation of different oxygenderived radicals, mainly when water is used. [45][46][47] Macrophage cultures are very sensitive for detecting the effect of high dilutions but are also sensitive for detecting such solvent changes as well, concerning elements related to cell oxidative metabolism.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using various models of macrophage challenge with other micro-organisms, our team has previously shown that highly diluted medicines, instead of killing the micro-organisms, facilitate the organization of a more effective pattern of macrophage response and arrest the parasite's life cycle. [8][9][10][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] For this reason, a similar model was designed herein to explain the clinical results, and avoiding new in-vivo experiments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Homeopathic Phosphorus on Encephalitozoon cuniculi-Infected Macrophages In-Vitro

et al. 2019

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Introduction Encephalitozoon cuniculi (E. cuniculi), a fungus that acts as an intracellular pathogen, causes a marked neurological syndrome in many host species and is a zoonotic concern. Although no well-established treatment for this syndrome is known, previous successful clinical experience using homeopathic phosphorus has been described in which symptom remission with no mortality occurred in 40/42 animals by means of unknown immunological mechanisms. The latter observation was the main motivation for this study. Objective To verify, in an in-vitro model, if macrophages infected with E. cuniculi can change in function after treatment with different potencies of phosphorus. Materials and Methods RAW 264.7 macrophages were infected with E. cuniculi in-vitro and treated with various homeopathic potencies of phosphorus. The vehicle was used as a control solution (0.06% succussed ethanol). After 1 and 24 hours, the following parameters were analyzed: parasite internalization (by the Calcofluor staining method), lysosome activity (by the acridine orange method), cytokine/chemokine production (by the MAGPIX system), and cell ultrastructure. Automatic image analysis was used when applicable, and the experiments were performed in triplicate. Results Treatment with vehicle alone increased interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha and monocyte chemotactic protein -1 production (p ≤ 0.05) and reduced the number of internalized parasites (p ≤ 0.001). A progressive and time-dependent increase in RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted) and lysosome activity (p ≤ 0.002) was observed only after treatment with the highest potency of phosphorus (Phos 200cH), together with decreased apoptosis rate, intense parasite digestion, and the presence of non-internalized spores. Conclusions Phos 200 cH has a modulatory action on the activity of infected macrophages, especially a specific increase in RANTES, a key element in the prognosis of E. cuniculi-infected and of immunosuppressed patients bearing infections.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Homeopathic Phosphorus on Encephalitozoon cuniculi-Infected Macrophages In-Vitro

et al. 2019

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“…This Th1 predominance was also observed in BioLi 30X and Antimonium crudum 30X treated animals, where a high IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio was detected with reduction in megakaryocytes/spleen changes due to immunomodulation, thus controlling the infection process. 41 Similarly, experiments conducted on the blocking of PDL-1 accessory proteins expressed on the surface of T cells in inbred BALB/c mice led to a significant reduction in the parasite load and increased the levels of protective type CD4 þ and CD8 þ T cell-mediated immune response. 42 Histopathology VL, a distinctive immunosuppressive disease, is characterised by severe hepatomegaly and splenomegaly during the acute phase of illness.…”

Section: T Cells and Subsetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Iodium 30c on Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis

et al. 2020

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Background Leishmaniasis is one of several neglected tropical diseases that warrant serious attention. A disease of socio-economically poor people, it demands safer and cheaper drugs that help to overcome the limitations faced by the existing anti-leishmanials. Complementary or traditional medicines might be a good option, with an added advantage that resistance may not develop against these drugs. Thus, the present investigation was performed to evaluate the anti-leishmanial efficacy of an ultra-diluted homeopathic medicine (Iodium 30c) in experimental visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Methods Compliant with strict ethical standards in animal experimentation, the study was performed in-vivo in inbred BALB/c mice which were injected intravenously with 1 × 107 promastigotes of Leishmania donovani before (therapeutic) or after (prophylactic) treatment with Iodium 30c for 30 days. In other groups of mice (n = 6 per group), amphotericin B served as positive control, infected animals as the disease control, while the naïve controls included normal animals; animals receiving only Iodium 30c or Alcohol 30c served as sham controls. The anti-leishmanial efficacy was assessed by determining the hepatic parasite load and analysing percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Biochemical analysis and histological studies were performed to check any toxicities. Results Iodium-treated animals showed a significantly reduced parasite load (to 1503 ± 39 Leishman Donovan Units, LDU) as compared with the infected controls (4489 ± 256 LDU) (p < 0.05): thus, the mean therapeutic efficacy of Iodium 30c was 66.5%. In addition, the population of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was significantly increased (p < 0.05) after treatment. No toxicity was observed, as evidenced from biochemical and histopathological studies of the liver and kidneys. Efficacy of Iodium 30c prophylaxis was 58.3%, while the therapeutic efficacy of amphotericin B was 85.9%. Conclusion This original study has shown that Iodium 30c had significant impact in controlling parasite replication in experimental VL, though the effect was less than that using standard pharmaceutical treatment.

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“…36 In addition, AC 30dH showed a modulatory effect on the immune response in mice infected with Leishmania infantum. 37 In the present study, different ultra-high dilutions of AC have been analyzed with respect to their effect on the spectra of several solvatochromic dyes. This analytical method has also been applied to the supernatant (SN) of cell cultures previously treated with AC in different dilutions, whose biological effects are described above.…”

Section: ) Electromagnetic Field Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Antimonium crudum Activity Using Solvatochromic Dyes

et al. 2019

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Background The mechanism by which highly diluted and agitated solutions have their effect is still unknown, but the development in recent years of new methods identifying changes in water and solute dipole moments is providing insights into potential modes of action. Objective The objective of the current study was to compare the biological effects of Antimonium crudum (AC) previously obtained by our group and already described in the literature with now measurable physico-chemical effects on solvatochromic dyes. Methods Different dilutions of AC and succussed water have been characterized with respect to their effect on the visible spectra of the solvatochromic dyes methylene violet (MV), a pyridinium phenolate (ET33), and a dimethylamino naphthalenone (BDN) compared with in-vitro action against Leishmania amazonensis-infected macrophages. Results Dye responses varied according to the dye used and the level of AC dilution and results were found to corroborate previously published in-vivo and in-vitro effects of AC. In addition, a very significant enhancement in the absorbance increase of MV was seen using the supernatant from AC 200cH-treated cells (15%; p < 0.0001) over that seen with AC 200cH itself (4%; p = 0.034), suggesting the amplification of ultra-high dilution effects by biological systems. Furthermore, supernatants from AC-treated cells increased the range of dilutions of AC that were capable of producing effects on the spectra of MV. The effect of AC dilutions on dye ET33 was eliminated by a weak electric current passed through potency solutions. Conclusion The data confirm a correspondence between the biological effects of dilutions of AC in-vitro and physico-chemical effects on solvatochromic dyes as measured by changes in their visible spectra. Results also indicate high dilutions of AC are sensitive to exposure to electric currents and biological systems.

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Homeopathic medicines cause Th1 predominance and induce spleen and megakaryocytes changes in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania infantum

Cited by 13 publications

References 10 publications

Effects of Homeopathic Phosphorus on Encephalitozoon cuniculi-Infected Macrophages In-Vitro

Effects of Homeopathic Phosphorus on Encephalitozoon cuniculi-Infected Macrophages In-Vitro

The Effect of Iodium 30c on Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis

Characterization of Antimonium crudum Activity Using Solvatochromic Dyes

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