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Homeopathy
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1786035
Original Research Article

Ultradiluted Homeopathic Medicines Cause Apoptosis in RPMI-8226 Multiple Myeloma Cells in vitro: a Pilot Study

Buket Altinok Gunes 
1   Vocational School of Health Services, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
2   Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
,
Murat Kilic 
1   Vocational School of Health Services, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
,
Tulin Ozkan 
2   Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
,
Nurbanu Gonulkirmaz 
2   Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
,
Nurcihan Guven 
3   Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey
,
Asuman Sunguroglu 
2   Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
› Author Affiliations Funding This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
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Abstract

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common type of cancer among hematological malignancies and is difficult to treat. Although controversial in nature, homeopathy's effects have been tested on a wide range of cancer cell types in vitro, as well as clinically. However, homeopathic medicines have yet to be tested in MM cells. In this preliminary study, we investigated the effects of Arsenicum album, Hecla lava, Carcinosinum and Carboneum sulphuratum 200C on a human MM cell line.

Methods The RPMI-8226 MM cell line was cultured in vitro for up to 96 hours and treated with each of four homeopathic preparations. The spectrophotometric 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, flow cytometric Annexin V-PE/7-actinomycin D (7-AAD) and propidium iodide (PI) staining were each used to examine cell viability, apoptosis and cell cycle, respectively.

Results The MTT assay showed that all four homeopathic preparations reduced cell viability over time when compared to the control group cells, especially at 72 and 96 hours whereby only 50% of cells remained viable. Similarly, after 96 hours of treatment, the proportion of viable cells was significantly decreased and the proportion of early apoptotic (Annexin-V-PE +/7AAD-) cells was significantly increased for all four homeopathic preparations. Based on the PI-staining cell cycle data, cells treated with Hecla lava and Carboneum sulphuratum showed a statistically significant accumulation in the sub-G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle (p < 0.05).

Conclusion This is the first study to demonstrate that each of four homeopathic medicines causes apoptosis in a MM cell line. Further exploration of the potential of Arsenicum album, Hecla lava, Carcinosinum and Carboneum sulphuratum as a complementary therapeutic option in MM is warranted.

Keywords

homeopathy - cytotoxicity - apoptosis - cell cycle arrest - multiple myeloma


Publication History

Received: 31 August 2023

Accepted: 12 February 2024

Article published online:
26 June 2024

© 2024. Faculty of Homeopathy. This article is published by Thieme.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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