Homeopathy最新文献

Background:  Homeopathic repertories are essential tools in remedy diagnosis, helping practitioners match patient symptoms with those produced by remedies. However, repertories often need to be revised due to omissions, misinterpretations, and incomplete representation of remedy symptoms. Despite their importance, the sensitivity of repertories - their ability to correctly identify remedies based on corresponding rubrics - has never been systematically estimated. Addressing this gap is crucial to ensuring repertories' accuracy, reliability and validity in homeopathic practice.

Methods:  We adopted the sensitivity formula used in medical diagnostics, where true positives indicate correct remedy identification and false negatives represent failures. This method was applied to Kent's repertory for Allium cepa using symptoms from Hering's Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica. We extracted the rubrics and identified the non-representing rubrics and omissions. We created a Python script that generated combinations of rubrics based on Allen's 'three-legged stool rule'. We calculated the sensitivity as the ratio of true positives to total combinations.

Results:  Of the 525 symptoms of Allium cepa, we extracted 364 rubrics from Kent's repertory, with 161 symptoms omitted. Among the extracted rubrics, 111 failed to represent Allium cepa. The Python script generated 23,979,550 combinations, of which 21,050,260 (87.78%) were false negatives, and 2,929,290 (12.2%) were true positives.

Conclusion:  The sensitivity of Kent's repertory for Allium cepa was estimated as 12.2%. The method can thus effectively estimate the sensitivity for given remedies in a homeopathic repertory. Applying this method to other remedies would enhance a repertory's diagnostic accuracy and could lead to the development of artificial intelligence-driven tools for repertorial analysis.

Introduction:  The control of cyanobacterial toxicity and growth by homeopathic potencies was described in Part 1 of this two-part report. Here, a parallel approach characterized the physico-chemical features of the potencies used and the liquid media treated with them, correlating these results with their respective biological effects.

Objectives:  Our objective was to establish if physico-chemical parameters can track homeopathic potencies in seawater or artificial seawater medium (ASM)-1 and to discover whether these parameters correlate with previously described biological effects.

Method:  Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp) cysts were cultivated in seawater challenged with Raphidiopsis raciborskii extract and treated with different homeopathic potencies chosen from a screening process. Cultures of R. raciborskii maintained in ASM-1 were also treated with previously screened homeopathic potencies, and their growth was monitored as a function of time. The physico-chemical properties of the treated media (seawater or ASM-1) were evaluated by their interaction with solvatochromic dyes and changes in pH, conductivity and temperature.

Results:  Coumarin 7 was found to be a marker for Nitric acidum 6cH and Isotherapic (R. raciborskii extract) 200cH in seawater (analysis of variance [ANOVA], p = 0.0015). Nile red was found to be a marker for Nitric acidum 200cH and Mercurius solubilis 30cH in ASM-1 (ANOVA, p ≤ 0.001). An increase in pH of ASM-1 and endothermic effects were observed after these treatments (two-way ANOVA, p = 0.0001). Seawater and ASM-1 to which potencies had been added were also subjected to a constant unidirectional 2,400 Gauss static magnetic field and found to have enhanced effects on the solvatochromic dyes tested.

Conclusion:  Homeopathic potencies were specifically traceable in aqueous media using solvatochromic dyes, especially when the samples were subjected to a magnetic field. Results from monitoring other physical parameters, such as pH and temperature, were less specific in relation to potency tracking. However, potency-induced endothermic effects might provide valuable thermodynamic data relating to the nature of potencies.

Introduction:  Cyanobacteria are microorganisms found in many parts of the world and several genera, such as Raphidiopsis raciborskii, are producers of cyanotoxins. Homeopathic potencies have been found to modulate toxicity in different biological models, and the present study endeavors to discover whether this might also be the case with cyanobacteria.

Objectives:  Our objective was to investigate the possible effects of homeopathic potencies on the resilience of Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp) embryos to saxitoxin (STX; cyanotoxin) and on controlling the growth of R. raciborskii in vitro.

Method:  A. franciscana cysts were cultivated in seawater in 96-well plates to evaluate the hatching rate and vitality, plus the gene expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs), after being challenged with R. raciborskii extract containing 2.5 µg/L of STX and treated with different homeopathic potencies. Untreated wells were used as controls ("base-line"). Potencies were chosen from a screening process based on seven selected homeopathic preparations according to the similitude of STX symptoms (Sulphur, Zincum metallicum, Nitric acidum, Plumbum metallicum, Mercurius solubilis, Phosphoric acidum, Isotherapic from R. raciborskii extract; all at 6cH, 30cH and 200cH). Cultures of R. raciborskii maintained in an artificial seawater medium were equally treated with screened homeopathic potencies selected from the same list but specifically for their growth control as a function of time.

Results:  A 15% lower rate of hatching of A. franciscana cysts was observed after treatment with Nitric acidum 6cH in comparison with baseline (p = 0.05). A complete toxicity reversal was seen after treatment with Isotherapic 200cH, with a 23-fold increase of Hsp 26 gene expression (p = 0.023) and a 24-fold increase of p26 gene expression (p ≤ 0.001) in relation to baseline. Nitric acidum 200cH and Mercurius solubilis 30cH limited the exponential growth of cyanobacteria up to 95% and 85% respectively (p ≤ 0.003) in relation to baseline. Succussed water presented only a transitory 50% inhibition effect.

Conclusion:  Isotherapic 200cH improved A. franciscana bioresilience to STX; Nitric acidum 200cH and Mercurius solubilis 30cH showed the optimal performance on limiting R. raciborskii growth. The results point to the potential of homeopathic potencies to mitigate environmental problems related to water quality.

Background:  Carduus marianus is a Mediterranean plant used for treating liver diseases. One of its properties is that it inhibits fat peroxidation, which can contribute toward the prevention of metabolites that are harmful to the liver.

Objective:  The aim of this study was to describe the treatment of fatty liver disease in an axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum).

Methods:  An approximately 6-year-old female specimen of A. mexicanum, of length 21 cm and weight 153 g, presented edema in the rostral region and inappetence. Ultrasound showed hepatopathy and a gallbladder stone. A globule of C. marianus 6cH was diluted in 30 mL distilled water and administered in spray form over the animal twice a day.

Results:  Twenty days after the beginning of the treatment, improvement of the facial edema and return of appetite were observed. Ultrasound showed improvement in the appearance of the liver and reduction in the size of the gallstone. The Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homeopathy score was +9 in this case, thus suggesting a causal relationship between the use of homeopathic medicine and the clinical outcome.

Conclusion:  C. marianus 6cH appeared to be effective in treating fatty liver disease and gallstone in this specimen of A. mexicanum.

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.

Background:  Uterine fibroids are benign gynecological tumours that arise in the uterine smooth muscle tissue and are characterized by the production of excessive quantities of extracellular matrix. Various therapeutic options, from medical management to surgical intervention, exist for uterine fibroids, for which homeopathy has emerged as a promising therapeutic option in patient-centered care.

Case history:  A 40-year-old woman presented with complaints of heavy menstrual bleeding, with pain in the pelvic region and back. She was diagnosed as a case of bulky uterus with uterine fibroid. The patient opted for homeopathic management and was prescribed Thuja occidentalis based on individualization, miasmatic analysis and repertorial totality.

Results:  After treatment, there was regression in size of the fibroid within 5 months, with complete resolution and restoration of the uterus to normal size within 9 months. Changes were validated through ultrasonography, which added objective evidence to the positive outcome. The Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homeopathy (MONARCH) inventory total score was +9, which indicated causal attribution of clinical outcome to the homeopathic intervention.

Conclusion:  This case study has illustrated the clinical benefits of homeopathy in the management of a patient with uterine fibroids, reaffirming the need for further research to explore its value as a therapeutic option for individuals seeking alternative or complementary approaches for appropriate medical conditions.