Effects of homeopathy in mice experimentally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the action of homeopathic treatment on mice experimentally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.

Methods: Eighty adult male C57BL/6 inbred mice were randomly allocated to five groups treated with biotherapy (nosode) of T. cruzi 12dH (12×) pre- and post-infection; Phosphorus 12dH post-infection; infected control treated with control solution and uninfected control. The biotherapy was prepared by the Costa method from the blood of mice experimentally infected with the Y strain of T. cruzi. Phosphorus was used because of its clinical and reportorial similarity to Chagas disease. T. cruzi (10⁴) sanguineous forms were inoculated intraperitoneally per animal. Parasitaemia was monitored, leukocyte and serological responses were evaluated at 0, 7, 14 and 42 days after infection. The prepatent and patent periods of parasitaemia, maximum of parasitaemia, day of maximum parasitaemia and mortality rates were compared between groups.

Results: A significantly shorter period of patent parasitaemia was observed in the group treated with the biotherapy before infection (p < 0.05) than in the other groups. This group also had the lowest parasitaemias values at 9, 13, 15 (p < 0.05), 17 (p < 0.05), 22, 24 and 28 days, a lower rate of mortality and a significant increase of lymphocytes compared to the infected control group. The Phosphorus group had the longest period of patent parasitaemia, higher maximum parasitaemia, and a significant reduction of lymphocyte numbers, but no mortality. The infected control group had the highest mortality rate (not statistically significant), and the highest IgG titres at 42 days post-infection (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The results suggest that pre-treatment with biotherapy modulates host immune response to T. cruzi, mainly during the acute phase of the infection. Phosphorus shows an action on the pathogenicity by T. cruzi infection. Homeopathic treatment of T. cruzi infection should be further investigated.

Keywords

Chagas disease - Trypanosoma cruzi - Mice - Homeopathy - Biotherapy - Nosode - Phosphorus

• References

• 1 Brener Z., Gazzinelli R.T. Immunological control of Trypanosoma cruzi infection and pathogenesis of Chagas disease. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 1997; 114: 103-110.
• 2 Tarleton R.L. Parasite persistence in the aetiology of Chagas disease. Int J Parasitol 2001; 31: 550-554.
• 3 Bastide M., Lagache A., Lemaire-Misonne C. Le paradigme des signifiants: schème d'information applicable à l'Immunologie et à l'Homéopathie. Rev Int Sistémique 1995; 9: 237-249.
• 4 Wynn S.G. Studies on use of homeopathy in animals. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1998; 212: 719-724.
• 5 Jonas W.B., Dilnner D.K. Protection of mice from tularemia infection with ultra-low, serial agitated dilution prepared from Franciscella tularensis infected tissue. J Scient Explor 2000; 14: 35-52.
• 6 Neill H. Homeopathic nosodes. Vet Rec 1993; 133: 48.
• 7 Marino A.P., Silva A.A., Santos P.V. et al. CC-chemokine receptors: a potential therapeutic target for Trypanosoma cruzi-elicited myocarditis. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2005; 1: 93-96.
• 8 Hahnemann S. Doenças Crônicas. 2nd edn. São Paulo: GEHSP Benoit Mure; 1835. 202 pp.
• 9 Andrade MAM, Nascimento MM, Carillo Jr., R. Estudo da Origem Diatésica da Doença de Chagas. In: IV Congresso da Associação Brasileira de Reciclagem e Assistência em Homeopatia, 2005. Anais. São Paulo, 2005.
• 10 Costa R. Homeopatia Atualizada. Petrópolis: Editora Vozes; 1988.
• 11 Camargo M.E. Improved technique of indirect immunofluorescence for serological diagnosis for toxoplasmosis. Rev Inst Med Trop São Paulo 1964; 3: 117-118.
• 12 Clarke John Henry. Clinical repertory of materia medica. London: Homeopathic Publishing Company; 1904.
• 13 Boerick W. Manual de Matéria Médica Homeopática. 1st edn. São Paulo: Robe Editorial; 1997. 429 p.
• 14 Carillo Jr. R. Homeopatia, Medicina Interna e Terapêutica. 1st edn. São Paulo: Ed. Santos; 2000.
• 15 Brener Z., Andrade Z.A., Barral-Netto M. Trypanosoma cruzi e Doença de Chagas. 2nd edn. Rio de Janeiro: Guanabara Koogan; 2000. 431 p.
• 16 Hunter C.A., Ellis-Neyes L.A., Slifer T. et al. IL-10 is required to prevent immune hyperactivity during infection with Trypanosoma cruzi . J Immunol 1997; 158: 3311-3316.
• 17 Machado HHS. Eficácia anti-helmíntica de Medicamentos Convencional e Homeopáticos sobre Trichostrongylus colubriformis em coelhos infectados experimentalmente. Msc dissertation, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, 2003.
• 18 Heine H., Schmolz M. Immunoregulation via ‘bystander suppression’ needs minute amounts of substances—a basis for homeopathic therapy?. Med Hyphotheses 2000; 54: 392-393.
• 19 Abrahamsohn I.A., Coffman R.L. Cytokine and nitric oxide regulation of the immunosuppression in Trypanosoma cruzi infection. J Immunol 1995; 155: 3955-3963.
• 20 Hernandez-Becerril N., Nava A., Reyes P.A. et al. IgG subclass reactivity to Trypanosoma cruzi in chronic chagasic patients. Arch Cardiol Mex 2001; 71: 199-205.
• 21 Zauza P.L., Borges-Pereira J. Sera levels of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi IgG in the course of chronic chagasic cardiopathy in 10 years. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2001; 34: 399-405.
• 22 Morgan J., Dias J.C., Gontijo E.D. et al. Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibody isotype profiles in patients with different clinical manifestations of Chagas' disease. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1996; 55: 355-359.