Assays of homeopathic remedies in rodent behavioural and psychopathological models

Abstract

The first part of this paper reviews the effects of homeopathic remedies on several models of anxiety-like behaviours developed and described in rodents. The existing literature in this field comprises some fifteen exploratory studies, often published in non-indexed and non-peer-reviewed journals. Only a few results have been confirmed by multiple laboratories, and concern Ignatia, Gelsemium, Chamomilla (in homeopathic dilutions/potencies). Nevertheless, there are some interesting results pointing to the possible efficacy of other remedies, and confirming a statistically significant effect of high dilutions of neurotrophic molecules and antibodies. In the second part of this paper we report some recent results obtained in our laboratory, testing Aconitum, Nux vomica, Belladonna, Argentum nitricum, Tabacum (all 5CH potency) and Gelsemium (5, 7, 9 and 30CH potencies) on mice using ethological models of behaviour. The test was performed using coded drugs and controls in double blind (operations and calculations). After an initial screening that showed all the tested remedies (except for Belladonna) to have some effects on the behavioural parameters (light-dark test and open-field test), but with high experimental variability, we focused our study on Gelsemium, and carried out two complete series of experiments. The results showed that Gelsemium had several effects on the exploratory behaviour of mice, which in some models were highly statistically significant (p < 0.001), in all the dilutions/dynamizations used, but with complex differences according to the experimental conditions and test performed. Finally, some methodological issues of animal research in this field of homeopathy are discussed. The "Gelsemium model" - encompassing experimental studies in vitro and in vivo from different laboratories and with different methods, including significant effects of its major active principle gelsemine - may play a pivotal rule for investigations on other homeopathic remedies.

Sterotipik Davranış Bozukluğu Gösteren 17 Atın Homeopati ile Tedavisi

“…This implies that a homeopathic remedy must be chosen by taking into consideration the organism as a whole, including personality and behaviour, and not merely the symptoms in the affected organ system. Solid statistical evidence demonstrates that the effects of the different potency levels investigated (5CH, 7CH, 30CH) do not follow a classical dose-response relationship regarding their mere dilution level, confirming a phenomenon frequently observed with high homeopathic dilutions in other laboratory models [30] . In our study the symptoms of two horses (horse 8, 10) with circling were reduced considerably but not completely disappeared.…”

Animal models of homeopathic treatment

“…9 Again other researchers notably Bellavite's group have used a similar method, although with different homeopathic medicines, and reported broadly similar results. 10 So in these two areas there is the beginning of a replicated body of literature.…”

On Gelsemium and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in Anxiety and Experimental Neurology

“…Raw alcoholic extracts from Gelsemium sempervirens showed the ability to modify the response of mice in behavioural tests and reduce anxiety [15]. In this research, the anxiolytic property related to Gelsemium extracts has been quite exclusively associated with the alkaloid gelsemine [13, 15, 16]; yet, Gelsemium plants contain many further alkaloids with anxiolytic potential [12], thus suggesting that the anti-anxiety activity of Gelsemium sempervirens may come indifferently from gelsemine, koumine, or gelsevirine or a complex mixture of several active alkaloids [13]. Actually, plants from the genus Gelsemium are considered a source of potential anxiolytic substances [12].…”

“…Gelsemine was supposed to be the only active principle working in Gelsemium extracts on the simple basis of previous in vitro pharmacological evidence• BIAS 4. Adverse effects not evaluatedSolvent and test samples Gelsemium extracts were used as a 30 % EtOH/water mixture and further diluted with EtOH and water to have test samples[14–16, 20, 21]A [8, 9, 18]B [10, 19]• BIAS 5. Refs [15, 16, 20, 21] started from a raw EtOH/H2O Gelsemium extract containing 30 % alcohol (~50 mM EtOH), then a 1:100 dilution into water with 30 % EtOH and a 1.100 dilution into water (1:10,000) followed.…”