Haloperidol-induced catalepsy in mice and rats suppressed by orally pre-administered potentized Agaricus

Suppression of alpha adrenergic agonist-induced catalepsy in mice by potentized Agaricus muscarius

Agaricus muscarius 30c, a potentized homoeopathic drug prepared by successive dilution with 90% ethanol followed by sonication in 30 steps, suppressed catalepsy induced by alpha adrenergic agonists in Swiss albino mice. Agaricus produced anticataleptic effect when it was administered orally and no such effect when administered intraperitoneally. The alpha 1 agonist phenylephrine and alpha 2 agonist clonidine were administered intraperitoneally to mice at a dose of 2 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg, respectively. Mice were pretreated orally with Agaricus muscarius 30c. The action of Agaricus is thought to be mediated through ororeceptors.

The rat in basic therapeutic research in homeopathy

The Similia Principle, the basis of homeopathy, implies that substances initiating symptoms when applied to healthy biological systems can be utilized as remedies to treat a diseased system with similar symptoms. Depending whether the remedy substance was of the same type as the etiologic agent, treatment is classified as either homologous or heterologous. The intact rat is the biological system most utilized in basic science homeopathic research. The Homeopathy Basic Research experiments (HomBRex) database (about 1300 experiments on model biological systems in homeopathic research) was analyzed for homologous and heterologous treatments of disease states of intact rats. The relationship between the Similia Principle and hormesis is discussed.

Therapeutic and pathogenetic animal models for Dolichos pruriens

The therapeutic and pathogenetic effects of Dolichos pruriens were evaluated using experimental models in rats. In the therapeutic experiment Wistar rats were housed in a heated environment (25+/-3 degrees C) to induce itch, and treated with ascending potencies D. pruriens (6 cH, 9 cH, 12 cH and 30 cH), each for 10 days. The positive control group received vehicle (ethanol 30% in water). The negative control group received no treatment and were kept at a standard temperature. In the pathogenetic experiment, all animals were kept at a temperature of 20+/-3 degrees C and treated for 30 consecutive days with D. pruriens 6 or 30 cH, or ethanol vehicle, or no treatment. The experiments were performed blind. The statistical analysis used Bartlett's test, followed by ANOVA/Tuckey-Krammer or Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn. The results point to the existence of therapeutic effects, with inhibition of the itching, skin lesions and fur thinning produced by heat, more evident in later observations, with the 9 12, and 30 cH potencies (Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn; P=0.001). No changes were observed in the other parameters, such as open field activity and laterality of the itching. In the pathogenetic experiment, no changes were observed in any parameters examined. We conclude that the proposed experimental model demonstrates the therapeutic effect of D. pruriens, but not its pathogenetic effects.