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

Luciane Costa Dalboni; Cideli de Paula Coelho; Renata Rossettini Palombo Pedro; Michelle Sanchez Correia; Fabiana Rodrigues de Santana; Thayná Neves Cardoso; Sandra Augusta G. Pinto; Anuska M. Alvares-Saraiva; Maristela Dutra-Correa; Giovani B. Peres; Carla Holandino; André Rossi; Amarilys de Toledo César; Silvia Waisse; Leoni Villano Bonamin

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1670675

Homeopathy, Table of Contents

Homeopathy 2019; 108(01): 012-023
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1670675

Original Research Article

The Faculty of Homeopathy

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

Luciane Costa Dalboni

¹Research Center, Graduating Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista – UNIP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

,

Cideli de Paula Coelho

¹Research Center, Graduating Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista – UNIP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

²Graduating Program of Animal Medicine and Welfare, Universidade de Santo Amaro – UNISA, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

,

Renata Rossettini Palombo Pedro

¹Research Center, Graduating Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista – UNIP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

,

Michelle Sanchez Correia

¹Research Center, Graduating Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista – UNIP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

,

Fabiana Rodrigues de Santana

¹Research Center, Graduating Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista – UNIP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

,

Thayná Neves Cardoso

¹Research Center, Graduating Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista – UNIP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

,

Sandra Augusta G. Pinto

¹Research Center, Graduating Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista – UNIP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

,

Anuska M. Alvares-Saraiva

¹Research Center, Graduating Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista – UNIP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

,

Maristela Dutra-Correa

¹Research Center, Graduating Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista – UNIP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

,

Giovani B. Peres

¹Research Center, Graduating Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista – UNIP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

,

Carla Holandino

³Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

,

André Rossi

³Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

,

Amarilys de Toledo César

⁴Farmácia HN Cristiano, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

,

Silvia Waisse

⁵Graduating Program of History of Science, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

,

Leoni Villano Bonamin

¹Research Center, Graduating Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista – UNIP, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

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.

Keywords

arsenic - macrophages - microparticles - conductance - silicon - homeopathy

Full Text

References

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Fig. 1 Flow-chart of the study design and the main results.