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Water clusters in liquid organic matrices of different polarity. J Mol Liq 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
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2
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Volkov AA, Chuchupal SV. Dielectric spectra of liquid water: Ultrabroadband modeling and interpretation. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.120044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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3
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Demangeat JL. Water proton NMR relaxation revisited: Ultrahighly diluted aqueous solutions beyond Avogadro’s limit prepared by iterative centesimal dilution under shaking cannot be considered as pure solvent. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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4
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CRISTONI SIMONE, LARINI MARTINA, MADAMA SIMONE, ZORLONI ILARIA, DONATO KEVIN, PAOLACCI STEFANO, BERTELLI MATTEO. Ion mobility mass spectrometry with surface activated chemical ionisation as a method for studying the domain of water clusters. JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND HYGIENE 2022; 63:E289-E296. [PMID: 36479485 PMCID: PMC9710415 DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2s3.2771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Water holds great relevance in various biological and biochemical systems. Water behaves as an excellent solvent, a reactant, a product and a catalyst of the reaction. The organisation of the water molecules, synergised by hydrogen bonds, builds up the structure of the water clusters. These water clusters significantly influence biological functions. To study the domain of water clusters using Ion mobility mass spectrometry with surface activated chemical ionisation. The experimental analysis was aimed to determine the water behaviour in terms of cluster formation before and after the application of a physical effect, namely low-frequency irradiation. A sanist platform-based spectrometer, manufactured by ISB srl with SACI version for protein analysis, was used as the equipment. Furthermore, for samples, we used pure de-ionised water, a part of which was used virgin, and another part was irradiated. Ion-mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) procedure was adopted as the experimental method. An electromagnetic frequency fields generator was used to subject the test samples to electromagnetic radiations between 7 Hz to 80 Hz. The presence of neutral water species was confirmed in the water samples. For the same m/z, water ion clusters in the untreated water were found to have a much higher intensity than the electromagnetically treated water. The presence of a water cluster near the (M+H)+ in electromagnetically treated dilute arginine solution was also confirmed. It is possible to detect water ion clusters by using Ion mobility mass spectrometry and SACI with low surface potential (47 V). The water cluster formation and its characteristics were found to be different in the treated and non-treated water. The electromagnetic radiations of low frequency seem to affect the hydrogen bonds of the water molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - MARTINA LARINI
- ISB Ion Source & Biotechnologies srl, Bresso (MI), Italy
| | - SIMONE MADAMA
- ISB Ion Source & Biotechnologies srl, Bresso (MI), Italy
| | - ILARIA ZORLONI
- ISB Ion Source & Biotechnologies srl, Bresso (MI), Italy
| | | | | | - MATTEO BERTELLI
- MAGI Euregio, Bolzano, Italy
- MAGI’S LAB, Rovereto (TN), Italy
- MAGISNAT, Peachtree Corners (GA), USA
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Kalliantas D, Kallianta M, Kordatos K, Karagianni CS. Micro-nano particulate compositions of Hypericum perforatum L in ultra high diluted succussed solution medicinal products. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06604. [PMID: 33981871 PMCID: PMC8082213 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The fact that many patients all over the world use homeopathic ultra high diluted succussed medicinal products, makes very interesting an explanation about the structure of them since until now only unconfirmed hypotheses are made. The present study focuses on the still unanswered questions about what happens with the chemical composition and the physicochemical properties of these products using Hypericum Perforatum L as a representative paradigm. All samples were prepared according to manufacturing procedures described mainly in S. Hahnemann's “Organon” and were examined by SEM, XRD, FTIR, DLS micro Mastersizer, DLS nano Zetasizer, UV-Vis and TEM. Measurements of electrical conductivity and pH were effectuated by the appropriate devices. During trituration of source material in alpha-lactose monohydrate some functional chemical groups present in source material disappeared and some others new ones came in view at the end of the process. A differentiation upon physicochemical properties between the source material and final triturating product was viewed, as well as micro-nanoparticles in colloidal form in all potencies derived trituration or extraction origin were present. The findings showed that the whole preparation process leads to the creation of micro nanoparticles something that for solid origin these products are created by trituration and for extract origin products these nanoparticles exist from the beginning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris Kalliantas
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, NTUA, GR15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Meletia Kallianta
- School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Kordatos
- Department of Chemical Sciences, School of Chemical Engineering, NTUA, GR15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Chaido Stefania Karagianni
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, NTUA, GR15780 Athens, Greece
- Corresponding author.
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Mishra P, Mittal AK, Rajput SK, Sinha JK. Cognition and memory impairment attenuation via reduction of oxidative stress in acute and chronic mice models of epilepsy using antiepileptogenic Nux vomica. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 267:113509. [PMID: 33141053 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Ethnopharmacological relevance Processed Nux vomica seed extracts and homeopathic medicinal preparations (HMPs) are widely used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine for respiratory, digestive, neurological and behavioral disorders. Antioxidant property of Nux vomica is well known and recent investigation has highlighted the anticonvulsant potential of its homeopathic formulation. AIM OF THE STUDY To explore the anticonvulsant and antiepileptogenic potential of Nux vomica HMPs (6CH, 12CH and 30CH potency) in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced acute and chronic experimental seizure models in mice and investigate their effects on cognition, memory, motor activity and oxidative stress markers in kindled animals. MATERIALS AND METHODS Acute seizures were induced in the animals through 70 mg/kg (i.p.) administration of PTZ followed by the evaluation of latency and duration of Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS). Subconvulsive PTZ doses (35 mg/kg, i.p.) induced kindling in 29 days, which was followed by assessment of cognition, memory and motor impairment through validated behavioral techniques. The status of oxidative stress was estimated through measurement of MDA, GSH and SOD. RESULTS HMPs delayed the latency and reduced the duration of GTCS in acute model signifying possible regulation of GABAergic neurotransmission. Kindling was significantly hindered by the HMPs that justified the ameliorated cognition, memory and motor activity impairment. The HMPs attenuated lipid peroxidation by reducing MDA level and strengthened the antioxidant mechanism by enhancing the GSH and SOD levels in the kindled animals. CONCLUSIONS Nux vomica HMPs showed anticonvulsant and antiepileptogenic potency in acute and chronic models of epilepsy. The test drugs attenuated behavioral impairment and reduced the oxidative stress against PTZ induced kindling owing to which they can be further explored for their cellular and molecular mechanism(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Mishra
- Amity Institute of Neuropsychology and Neurosciences (AINN), Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201303, India
| | - Amit Kumar Mittal
- Amity Institute of Indian System of Medicine (AIISM), Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201303, India
| | - Satyendra Kumar Rajput
- Amity Institute of Indian System of Medicine (AIISM), Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201303, India; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gurukul Kangri (deemed to be University), Haridwar, Uttrakhand, 249404, India.
| | - Jitendra Kumar Sinha
- Amity Institute of Neuropsychology and Neurosciences (AINN), Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201303, India.
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Boehm TMSA, Klinger CJ, Udraite L, Mueller RS. [Effects of a homeopathic medication on clinical signs of canine atopic dermatitis]. TIERAERZTLICHE PRAXIS AUSGABE KLEINTIERE HEIMTIERE 2020; 48:245-248. [PMID: 32823347 DOI: 10.1055/a-1193-3733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A commercially available medication containing homeopathic ingredients showed first signs of success in atopic dermatitis in dogs. The aim of this case series was to evaluate the effect of the preparation in a larger number of dogs with atopic dermatitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Ten atopic dogs received the oral homoeopathic combination preparation daily for 3 weeks according to the manufacturer's specifications. The diagnosis of atopic dermatitis was made previously by medical history, clinical examination and exclusion of differential diagnoses. Skin infections with bacteria and yeasts were excluded by clinical examination and cytological evaluation of impression smears. In food-allergic dogs, an elimination diet was fed at least 2 months prior and during the entire study period. Patients with suspected or confirmed flea allergy received flea control for at least 1 month prior to and during the study. The clinical signs were evaluated before and after therapy using a validated Pruritus Visual Analogue Acale (PVAS) and the Canine Atopic Dermatitis Lesion Index (CADLI). The coat quality was assessed by the owners. Possible adverse effects were recorded at the recheck. RESULTS There were no significant changes in the lesion score (Wilcoxon test, p = 1.0), pruritus score (paired t test, p = 0.34) and coat quality (paired t test, p = 0.34) over the duration of treatment. Only one patient showed a slight improvement in itching and coat quality. No side effects were observed. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE In this case series, the tested homoeopathic preparation did not show a positive effect on the clinical signs of canine atopic dermatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura Udraite
- Medizinische Kleintierklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
| | - Ralf S Mueller
- Medizinische Kleintierklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
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Matos LC, Santos SC, Anderson JG, Machado J, Greten HJ, Monteiro FJ. Can measurements be physically conditioned by thought? Further observations following a focused intention experiment. JOURNAL OF COMPLEMENTARY & INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE 2020; 17:/j/jcim.ahead-of-print/jcim-2017-0056/jcim-2017-0056.xml. [PMID: 32229689 DOI: 10.1515/jcim-2017-0056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Background The biofield is a controversial concept among the scientific community. Some aspects of this phenomenon relate to measurable factors of mainstream science such as electromagnetics, while others, involving nonlocal interventions, intention, and consciousness, seem to produce physical changes through mechanisms that are still unknown, making the outcomes of many studies not fully explained by our current state of scientific understanding. This study explored the hypothetical effects of intention on the conditioning of a pH system with continuous data acquisition for real-time measurements. As a follow-up study, those effects were related to changes in the physicochemical properties of water samples chosen as a target in a previous large-scale intervention of focused intention. Methods The intention experiments were conducted under controlled conditions from the 8th to September 11, 2015. During this period, 286 qualified biofield therapy practitioners meditated at a distance with the intention of changing the vibrational state of the water molecules contained in specific flasks. Several variables were evaluated, including the magnetic field and ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) radiation from 175 to 954 nm near the experimental spot, as well as Raman spectra, pH, and electrical conductivity of all the water samples. After this period, real-time pH measurements of water samples were taken with the same equipment and under the same experimental conditions, except for the practitioners' awareness of those experiments, and without their focused intention. Real-time pH, electrical conductivity and the concentration of cations and anions measured by ion chromatography in the water samples were used to test the proposed hypothesis. Results Real-time pH was responsive during the intention experiments and after this period. Further continuous measurements performed after the 11th September showed that the pH variations overtime kept a systematic and consistent tendency similar to the one observed during the experimental activities involving focused intention. After the replacement of the electrode internal electrolyte, this behavior was no longer verified, and the pH was stable as the initial tests to evaluate the equipment sensitivity. Conclusions After the experimental period involving focused intention, the pH system maintained a systematic and consistent behavior while measuring the pH of new water samples. An eventual intention-mediated conditioning of the pH measurement system occurred because of changes in the properties of the electrode internal electrolyte.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luís Carlos Matos
- Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Porto 4200-465, Portugal
| | | | - Joel G Anderson
- College of Nursing, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, U S A
| | - Jorge Machado
- ICBAS - Biomedical Science Institute of Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Lagodzinskaya GV, Laptinskaya TV, Kazakov AI. Supramolecular structuring of aqueous solutions of strong acids: manifestations in light scattering, NMR, and oxidation kinetics. Does liquid have a drop-like nature? Russ Chem Bull 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11172-018-2358-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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10
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Foucaud Y, Badawi M, Filippov LO, Filippova IV, Lebègue S. Surface Properties of Fluorite in Presence of Water: An Atomistic Investigation. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:6829-6836. [PMID: 29709180 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b02717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Density functional theory simulations, including a correction for dispersive interactions, were performed to investigate the adsorption of water on the main cleavage plane of the fluorite, namely, the (111) surface. In the case of a single molecule of water, we observe that the molecular form is preferred over the dissociated one, and absorbs on the surface with an energy of -55 kJ mol-1, including a significant contribution from the dispersion forces. Also, we show that the substitution of a fluorine atom by a hydroxyl group on the surface of fluorite is not energetically favorable. Then, the hydration of the surface in function of the coverage by water molecules was studied in a systematic way. It was shown that the geometries involving the formation of a cluster of water molecules on the surface, with half of the molecules adsorbed, are the most favorable. Finally, ab initio molecular dynamics conducted at 300 K confirms the trends observed at 0 K, albeit the adsorption energies are reduced by about 10 kJ mol-1. Also, we observe that once put in the interaction with a large number of water molecules, half of the calcium atoms at the surface are in close interaction with a water molecule, whereas the rest of the molecules are further away but present a relatively well-defined structure showing similarities with the one of water clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Foucaud
- Laboratoire GeoRessources , Université de Lorraine, UMR 7359-CNRS , 2 rue du Doyen Marcel Roubault , 54 505 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France
| | - Michaël Badawi
- Laboratoire Physique et Chimie Théoriques , Université de Lorraine, UMR 7019-CNRS , BP239, Boulevard des Aiguillettes , 54 506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France
| | - Lev O Filippov
- Laboratoire GeoRessources , Université de Lorraine, UMR 7359-CNRS , 2 rue du Doyen Marcel Roubault , 54 505 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France
| | - Inna V Filippova
- Laboratoire GeoRessources , Université de Lorraine, UMR 7359-CNRS , 2 rue du Doyen Marcel Roubault , 54 505 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France
| | - Sébastien Lebègue
- Laboratoire Physique et Chimie Théoriques , Université de Lorraine, UMR 7019-CNRS , BP239, Boulevard des Aiguillettes , 54 506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France
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11
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Bellavite P, Bonafini C, Marzotto M. Experimental neuropharmacology of Gelsemium sempervirens: Recent advances and debated issues. J Ayurveda Integr Med 2018; 9:69-74. [PMID: 29428604 PMCID: PMC5884012 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaim.2017.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Gelsemium sempervirens L. (Gelsemium) is traditionally used for its anxiolytic-like properties and its action mechanism in laboratory models are under scrutiny. Evidence from rodent models was reported suggesting the existence of a high sensitivity of central nervous system to anxiolytic power of Gelsemium extracts and Homeopathic dilutions. In vitro investigation of extremely low doses of this plant extract showed a modulation of gene expression of human neurocytes. These studies were criticized in a few commentaries, generated a debate in literature and were followed by further experimental studies from various laboratories. Toxic doses of Gelsemium cause neurological signs characterized by marked weakness and convulsions, while ultra-low doses or high Homeopathic dilutions counteract seizures induced by lithium and pilocarpine, decrease anxiety after stress and increases the anti-stress allopregnanolone hormone, through glycine receptors. Low (non-Homeopathic) doses of this plant or its alkaloids decrease neuropathic pain and c-Fos expression in mice brain and oxidative stress. Due to the complexity of the matter, several aspects deserve interpretation and the main controversial topics, with a focus on the issues of high dilution pharmacology, are discussed and clarified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Bellavite
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| | - Clara Bonafini
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 8, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Marta Marzotto
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 8, 37134 Verona, Italy
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12
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Basu A, Suresh AK, Kane SG, Bellare JR. A review of machines and devices to potentize homeopathic medicines. HOMEOPATHY 2018; 106:240-249. [DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 09/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Potentization, consisting of serial dilution and succussion, is a key step in the manufacture of homeopathic medicines. Originally prescribed as a manual process, several attempts at mechanization have been published, patented and even commercialised in order to remove the human element and introduce reproducibility without drudgery. Various machines have been used over the years to prepare homeopathic medicines. Although these machines follow the same principles, i.e. energetically mixing the medicines and diluting them significantly, their mode of operation is different from each other.
Methods:
This review paper surveys the main methods of preparation of homeopathic medicines. The main machines discussed are: Boericke's potentizer, Tyler Kent's instrument, John Alphonse's machine and the fluxion potentizer, which were used in the past, as well as more recent potentizers like arm-and-weight instruments, the K-Tronic potentizer and Quinn's machine. We review the construction and operating principle of each of these machines, along with their advantages and limitations. A scheme for relative performance assessment of these machines is proposed based on the parameters mechanical efficiency, physico-chemical efficiency, turbulence generation, energy dissipation, and accuracy of dilution.
Results:
Quinn's machine and the arm-and-weight potentizer perform well for generating turbulence due to high impaction forces, while John Alphonse's machine is much more accurate in diluting the homeopathic medicines at every step.
Conclusions:
Both the commercial potentizers, Quinn's machine and the K-Tronic potentizer, are completely automated and therefore reduce the manual labour and variation in succussive forces during each step, which may produce uniformity in physico-chemical changes within the resulting homeopathic medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhirup Basu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Adi Shankaracharya Marg, Powai, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India
| | - Akkihebbal Krishnamurthy Suresh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Adi Shankaracharya Marg, Powai, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Adi Shankaracharya Marg, Powai, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India
| | - Shantaram Govind Kane
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Adi Shankaracharya Marg, Powai, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India
| | - Jayesh Ramesh Bellare
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Adi Shankaracharya Marg, Powai, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Adi Shankaracharya Marg, Powai, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India
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13
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Bergquist PE. Therapeutic Homeopathy. Integr Med (Encinitas) 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-35868-2.00115-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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14
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Matos LC, Santos SC, Anderson JG, Machado J, Greten HJ, Monteiro FJ. Instrumental Measurements of Water and the Surrounding Space During a Randomized Blinded Controlled Trial of Focused Intention. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med 2017; 22:675-686. [PMID: 28497700 PMCID: PMC5871280 DOI: 10.1177/2156587217707117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The main goal of this work was the assessment of measurable interactions induced by focused intention, frequently used in biofield practices such as Healing Touch and Reiki. Water, as the main component of the human body, was chosen as a model. Intention experiments were performed over 4 different days at a scheduled interval, during which 286 trained biofield practitioners from several countries were instructed to meditate with the intention to change the molecular vibrational state of water samples selected by a blinded operator. The experimental protocol was randomized, blinded, and controlled; the measured variables included Raman spectra and the pH and electrical conductance of the water, as well as the magnetic field and UV-VIS (ultraviolet-visible) radiation near the experimental spot. Although a direct causal relationship cannot be established, some measurements of the water samples, as well as the magnetic field and radiation near the experimental spot, were responsive during the experimental period.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jorge Machado
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Porto, Portugal
| | - Henry Johannes Greten
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Porto, Portugal
- German Society of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Heidelberg, Germany
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15
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Hibou F. Could the study of cavitation luminescence be useful in high dilution research? HOMEOPATHY 2017; 106:181-190. [PMID: 28844291 DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2017.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2011] [Revised: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cavitation in agitated liquids has been discussed for over five decades as a phenomenon that could play a role in the appearance of structural changes in the solvent of potentised dilutions. However, its lack of specificity as well as the absence of experimental confirmation have so far confined the idea to theory. The light emission associated with cavitational bubble collapse can be used to detect and study cavitation in fluids. The phenomenon has been extensively studied when driven by ultrasound, where it is called sonoluminescence. Sonoluminescence spectra reflect extremely high temperature and pressure in the collapsing bubbles and are parameter sensitive. This article tries to examine whether, despite objections and difficulties, the detection or the study of cavitational luminescence in solutions during potentisation could be useful as a physical tool in high dilution research.
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16
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Lees P, Pelligand L, Whiting M, Chambers D, Toutain PL, Whitehead ML. Comparison of veterinary drugs and veterinary homeopathy: part 2. Vet Rec 2017; 181:198-207. [PMID: 28821700 PMCID: PMC5738588 DOI: 10.1136/vr.104279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Part 2 of this narrative review outlines the theoretical and practical bases for assessing the efficacy and effectiveness of conventional medicines and homeopathic products. Known and postulated mechanisms of action are critically reviewed. The evidence for clinical efficacy of products in both categories, in the form of practitioner experience, meta-analysis and systematic reviews of clinical trial results, is discussed. The review also addresses problems and pitfalls in assessing data, and the ethical and negative aspects of pharmacology and homeopathy in veterinary medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - M Whiting
- Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Campus, Hatfield, Hertfordshire
| | - D Chambers
- Hall Manor, Kelly, Lifton, Devon PL16 0HQ, UK
| | - P-L Toutain
- Toxalim, Ecole Nationale Veterinaire de Toulouse, France
| | - M L Whitehead
- Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital, Banbury Road, Chipping Norton, Oxon OX7 5SY, UK
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17
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Bunkin NF, Shkirin AV, Lyakhov GA, Kobelev AV, Penkov NV, Ugraitskaya SV, Fesenko EE. Droplet-like heterogeneity of aqueous tetrahydrofuran solutions at the submicrometer scale. J Chem Phys 2017; 145:184501. [PMID: 27846700 DOI: 10.1063/1.4966187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A droplet formation in aqueous solutions of tetrahydrofuran (THF) has been experimentally detected at the submicrometer scale using two independent laser diagnostic techniques (dynamic light scattering and laser phase microscopy) and described in terms of THF-water intermolecular hydrogen bonding. It is shown that the nanodroplets have a mean size of 300 nm, their refractive index is higher than that of the ambient liquid, and they are highly enriched with THF molecules. The maximum of light scattering intensity falls within the THF concentration range 2-8 mol. %, which corresponds to the volume number density of the nanodroplets ∼1010-1011 cm-3. A theoretical explanation of forming the nanodroplets with a high content of THF, which is based on a model of dichotomous noise being applied to the so-termed "twinkling" hydrogen bonds and involves spinodal decomposition in the unstable region enclosed within the dichotomous binodal, is proposed. The parameters of hydrogen bonds in the molecular system "water-THF" were found, and the phase diagram of the solution with allowance for cross-linking hydrogen bonds was constructed.
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Affiliation(s)
- N F Bunkin
- Bauman State Technical University, 2nd Baumanskaya ul. 5, Moscow 105005, Russia
| | - A V Shkirin
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Vavilova 38, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - G A Lyakhov
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Vavilova 38, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - A V Kobelev
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Institutskaya 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - N V Penkov
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Institutskaya 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - S V Ugraitskaya
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Institutskaya 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - E E Fesenko
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Institutskaya 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
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Comparison of homeopathic globules prepared from high and ultra-high dilutions of various starting materials by ultraviolet light spectroscopy. Complement Ther Med 2016; 24:111-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2015.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Effectiveness and Safety of Arnica montana in Post-Surgical Setting, Pain and Inflammation. Am J Ther 2016; 23:e184-97. [DOI: 10.1097/mjt.0000000000000036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Update on preliminary elements of a theory of ultra high dilutions. HOMEOPATHY 2015; 104:337-42. [PMID: 26678740 DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2015.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The different mechanisms: A. of the interaction between the molecular mother substance and the solvent water or ethanol B. of the storage of molecule-specific information in the solvent. C. the physiological basis of the sensitivity of the living organism towards an ultra high dilution (UHD). D. the mechanism of the interaction of the test dilution with the organism are largely unknown. Several ideas have been postulated, and experiments to test them carried out in physics and in biology. METHOD The authors revisited a 1994 contribution on 'preliminary elements of a theory on UHDs' and updated it with regard to more recent literature and research findings. RESULTS Although the experimental basis can still be questioned in most cases, remarkable fundamental observations have been made to explain the effects of UHDs. For some topics in question, it appears that information specific properties of the diluted substance to be transferred is stored by means electromagnetic fields. The interaction between the UHD and the organism seems to be electromagnetic in nature. The transmission of information from (bio-)molecules to the UHD is of special interest. Again, electromagnetic actions and vector potential fields appear to be implicated. CONCLUSION The mechanisms of information storage and transfer in UHDs are far from fully understood, but progress has been made at experimental and theoretical levels.
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Demangeat JL. Gas nanobubbles and aqueous nanostructures: the crucial role of dynamization. HOMEOPATHY 2015; 104:101-15. [PMID: 25869975 DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2015.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Revised: 12/24/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Nanobubbles (NBs) have been a subject of intensive research over the past decade. Their peculiar characteristics, including extremely low buoyancy, longevity, enhanced solubility of oxygen in water, zeta potentials and burst during collapse, have led to many applications in the industrial, biological and medical fields. NBs may form spontaneously from dissolved gas but the process is greatly enhanced by gas supersaturation and mechanical actions such as dynamization. Therefore, the formation of NBs during the preparation of homeopathic dilutions under atmospheric pressure cannot be ignored. I suggested in 2009 the involvement of NBs in nanometric superstructures revealed in high dilutions using NMR relaxation. These superstructures seemed to increase in size with dilution, well into the ultramolecular range (>12c). I report here new experiments that confirm the involvement of NBs and prove the crucial role of dynamization to create superstructures specific to the solute. A second dynamization was shown to enhance or regenerate these superstructures. I postulate that superstructures result from a nucleation process of NBs around the solute, with shells of highly organized water (with ions and silicates if any) which protect the solute against out-diffusion and behave as nucleation centres for further dilution steps. The sampling tip may play an active role by catching the superstructures and thus carry the encaged solute across the dilution range, possibly up to the ultramolecular range. The superstructures were not observed at low dilution, probably because of a destructuring of the solvent by the solute and/or of an inadequate gas/solute ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Louis Demangeat
- Nuclear Medicine Department, General Hospital, PO Box 40252, F-67504 Haguenau Cedex, France.
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Bellavite P, Marzotto M, Olioso D, Moratti E, Conforti A. High-dilution effects revisited. 1. Physicochemical aspects. HOMEOPATHY 2014; 103:4-21. [PMID: 24439452 DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2013.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Revised: 06/26/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Several lines of evidence suggest that homeopathic high dilutions (HDs) can effectively have a pharmacological action, and so cannot be considered merely placebos. However, until now there has been no unified explanation for these observations within the dominant paradigm of the dose-response effect. Here the possible scenarios for the physicochemical nature of HDs are reviewed. A number of theoretical and experimental approaches, including quantum physics, conductometric and spectroscopic measurements, thermoluminescence, and model simulations investigated the peculiar features of diluted/succussed solutions. The heterogeneous composition of water could be affected by interactive phenomena such as coherence, epitaxy and formation of colloidal nanobubbles containing gaseous inclusions of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, silica and, possibly, the original material of the remedy. It is likely that the molecules of active substance act as nucleation centres, amplifying the formation of supramolecular structures and imparting order to the solvent. Three major models for how this happens are currently being investigated: the water clusters or clathrates, the coherent domains postulated by quantum electrodynamics, and the formation of nanoparticles from the original solute plus solvent components. Other theoretical approaches based on quantum entanglement and on fractal-type self-organization of water clusters are more speculative and hypothetical. The problem of the physicochemical nature of HDs is still far from to be clarified but current evidence strongly supports the notion that the structuring of water and its solutes at the nanoscale can play a key role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Bellavite
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| | - Marta Marzotto
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Debora Olioso
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Moratti
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Anita Conforti
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Verona, Piazza L.A. Scuro 10, 37134 Verona, Italy
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Marzotto M, Olioso D, Brizzi M, Tononi P, Cristofoletti M, Bellavite P. Extreme sensitivity of gene expression in human SH-SY5Y neurocytes to ultra-low doses of Gelsemium sempervirens. Altern Ther Health Med 2014; 14:104. [PMID: 24642002 PMCID: PMC3999908 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Background Gelsemium sempervirens L. (Gelsemium s.) is a traditional medicinal plant, employed as an anxiolytic at ultra-low doses and animal models recently confirmed this activity. However the mechanisms by which it might operate on the nervous system are largely unknown. This work investigates the gene expression of a human neurocyte cell line treated with increasing dilutions of Gelsemium s. extract. Methods Starting from the crude extract, six 100 × (centesimal, c) dilutions of Gelsemium s. (2c, 3c, 4c, 5c, 9c and 30c) were prepared according to the French homeopathic pharmacopoeia. Human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were exposed for 24 h to test dilutions, and their transcriptome compared by microarray to that of cells treated with control vehicle solutions. Results Exposure to the Gelsemium s. 2c dilution (the highest dose employed, corresponding to a gelsemine concentration of 6.5 × 10-9 M) significantly changed the expression of 56 genes, of which 49 were down-regulated and 7 were overexpressed. Several of the down-regulated genes belonged to G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathways, calcium homeostasis, inflammatory response and neuropeptide receptors. Fisher exact test, applied to the group of 49 genes down-regulated by Gelsemium s. 2c, showed that the direction of effects was significantly maintained across the treatment with high homeopathic dilutions, even though the size of the differences was distributed in a small range. Conclusions The study shows that Gelsemium s., a medicinal plant used in traditional remedies and homeopathy, modulates a series of genes involved in neuronal function. A small, but statistically significant, response was detected even to very low doses/high dilutions (up to 30c), indicating that the human neurocyte genome is extremely sensitive to this regulation.
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Bell IR, Boyer NN. Homeopathic medications as clinical alternatives for symptomatic care of acute otitis media and upper respiratory infections in children. Glob Adv Health Med 2014; 2:32-43. [PMID: 24381823 PMCID: PMC3833578 DOI: 10.7453/gahmj.2013.2.1.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The public health and individual risks of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and conventional over-the-counter symptomatic drugs in pediatric treatment of acute otitis media (AOM) and upper respiratory infections (URIs) are significant. Clinical research suggests that over-the-counter homeopathic medicines offer pragmatic treatment alternatives to conventional drugs for symptom relief in children with uncomplicated AOM or URIs. Homeopathy is a controversial but demonstrably safe and effective 200-year-old whole system of complementary and alternative medicine used worldwide. Numerous clinical studies demonstrate that homeopathy accelerates early symptom relief in acute illnesses at much lower risk than conventional drug approaches. Evidence-based advantages for homeopathy include lower antibiotic fill rates during watchful waiting in otitis media, fewer and less serious side effects, absence of drug-drug interactions, and reduced parental sick leave from work. Emerging evidence from basic and preclinical science research counter the skeptics' claims that homeopathic remedies are biologically inert placebos. Consumers already accept and use homeopathic medicines for self care, as evidenced by annual US consumer expenditures of $2.9 billion on homeopathic remedies. Homeopathy appears equivalent to and safer than conventional standard care in comparative effectiveness trials, but additional well-designed efficacy trials are indicated. Nonetheless, the existing research evidence on safety supports pragmatic use of homeopathy in order to “first do no harm” in the early symptom management of otherwise uncomplicated AOM and URIs in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris R Bell
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, The University of Arizona College of Medicine and College of Nursing, The University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
| | - Nancy N Boyer
- Private Practice, Rochester, New York, United States
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Miranda AR, Vannucci A, Pontuschka WM. Impedance spectroscopy of water in comparison with high dilutions of lithium chloride. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1179/143307511x13109310554445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A R Miranda
- Physics InstituteUniversity of São Paulo, 05508-090, SP, Brazil
| | - A Vannucci
- Physics InstituteUniversity of São Paulo, 05508-090, SP, Brazil
| | - W M Pontuschka
- Physics InstituteUniversity of São Paulo, 05508-090, SP, Brazil
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Bell IR, Howerter A, Jackson N, Aickin M, Bootzin RR, Brooks AJ. Nonlinear dynamical systems effects of homeopathic remedies on multiscale entropy and correlation dimension of slow wave sleep EEG in young adults with histories of coffee-induced insomnia. HOMEOPATHY 2012; 101:182-92. [PMID: 22818237 DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2012.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2012] [Revised: 05/11/2012] [Accepted: 05/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Investigators of homeopathy have proposed that nonlinear dynamical systems (NDS) and complex systems science offer conceptual and analytic tools for evaluating homeopathic remedy effects. Previous animal studies demonstrate that homeopathic medicines alter delta electroencephalographic (EEG) slow wave sleep. The present study extended findings of remedy-related sleep stage alterations in human subjects by testing the feasibility of using two different NDS analytic approaches to assess remedy effects on human slow wave sleep EEG. METHODS Subjects (N=54) were young adult male and female college students with a history of coffee-related insomnia who participated in a larger 4-week study of the polysomnographic effects of homeopathic medicines on home-based all-night sleep recordings. Subjects took one bedtime dose of a homeopathic remedy (Coffea cruda or Nux vomica 30c). We computed multiscale entropy (MSE) and the correlation dimension (Mekler-D2) for stages 3 and 4 slow wave sleep EEG sampled in artifact-free 2-min segments during the first two rapid-eye-movement (REM) cycles for remedy and post-remedy nights, controlling for placebo and post-placebo night effects. RESULTS MSE results indicate significant, remedy-specific directional effects, especially later in the night (REM cycle 2) (CC: remedy night increases and post-remedy night decreases in MSE at multiple sites for both stages 3 and 4 in both REM cycles; NV: remedy night decreases and post-remedy night increases, mainly in stage 3 REM cycle 2 MSE). D2 analyses yielded more sporadic and inconsistent findings. CONCLUSIONS Homeopathic medicines Coffea cruda and Nux vomica in 30c potencies alter short-term nonlinear dynamic parameters of slow wave sleep EEG in healthy young adults. MSE may provide a more sensitive NDS analytic method than D2 for evaluating homeopathic remedy effects on human sleep EEG patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris R Bell
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, The University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA.
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Aqueous Nanofluid as a Two-Phase Coolant for PWR. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS 2012. [DOI: 10.1155/2012/214381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Density fluctuations in liquid water consist of two topological kinds of instant molecular clusters. The dense ones have helical hydrogen bonds and the nondense ones are tetrahedral clusters with ice-like hydrogen bonds of water molecules. Helical ordering of protons in the dense water clusters can participate in coherent vibrations. The ramified interface of such incompatible structural elements induces clustering impurities in any aqueous solution. These additives can enhance a heat transfer of water as a two-phase coolant for PWR due to natural forming of nanoparticles with a thermal conductivity higher than water. The aqueous nanofluid as a new condensed matter has a great potential for cooling applications. It is a mixture of liquid water and dispersed phase of extremely fine quasi-solid particles usually less than 50 nm in size with the high thermal conductivity. An alternative approach is the formation of gaseous (oxygen or hydrogen) nanoparticles in density fluctuations of water. It is possible to obtain stable nanobubbles that can considerably exceed the molecular solubility of oxygen (hydrogen) in water. Such a nanofluid can convert the liquid water in the nonstoichiometric state and change its reduction-oxidation (RedOx) potential similarly to adding oxidants (or antioxidants) for applying 2D water chemistry to aqueous coolant.
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Bergquist PE. Therapeutic Homeopathy. Integr Med (Encinitas) 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-1-4377-1793-8.00095-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Chirumbolo S. Molecules and nanoparticles in extreme homeopathic dilutions: is Avogadro's Constant a dogma? HOMEOPATHY 2011; 100:107-8. [PMID: 21784325 DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2011.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2010] [Accepted: 02/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Chikramane PS, Suresh AK, Bellare JR, Kane SG. Extreme homeopathic dilutions retain starting materials: A nanoparticulate perspective. HOMEOPATHY 2011; 99:231-42. [PMID: 20970092 DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2010.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2009] [Revised: 04/22/2010] [Accepted: 05/22/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Homeopathy is controversial because medicines in high potencies such as 30c and 200c involve huge dilution factors (10⁶⁰ and 10⁴⁰⁰ respectively) which are many orders of magnitude greater than Avogadro's number, so that theoretically there should be no measurable remnants of the starting materials. No hypothesis which predicts the retention of properties of starting materials has been proposed nor has any physical entity been shown to exist in these high potency medicines. Using market samples of metal-derived medicines from reputable manufacturers, we have demonstrated for the first time by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction and chemical analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), the presence of physical entities in these extreme dilutions, in the form of nanoparticles of the starting metals and their aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Satish Chikramane
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Adi Shankaracharya Marg, Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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Bell IR, Howerter A, Jackson N, Aickin M, Baldwin CM, Bootzin RR. Effects of homeopathic medicines on polysomnographic sleep of young adults with histories of coffee-related insomnia. Sleep Med 2010; 12:505-11. [PMID: 20673648 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2010.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2009] [Revised: 03/15/2010] [Accepted: 03/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Homeopathy, a common form of alternative medicine worldwide, relies on subjective patient reports for diagnosis and treatment. Polysomnography offers a modern methodology for evaluating the objective effects of taking homeopathic remedies that clinicians claim exert effects on sleep quality in susceptible individuals. Animal studies have previously shown changes in non rapid eye movement sleep with certain homeopathic remedies. METHODS Young adults of both sexes (ages 18-31) with above-average scores on standardized personality scales for either cynical hostility or anxiety sensitivity (but not both) and a history of coffee-induced insomnia participated in the month-long study. At-home polysomnographic recordings were obtained on successive pairs of nights once per week for a total of eight recordings (nights 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23). Subjects (N=54) received placebo pellets on night 8 (single-blind) and verum pellets on night 22 (double-blind) in 30c doses of one of two homeopathic remedies, Nux Vomica or Coffea Cruda. Subjects completed daily morning sleep diaries and weekly Pittsburgh sleep quality index scales, as well as profile of mood states scales at bedtime on polysomnography nights. RESULTS Verum remedies significantly increased PSG total sleep time and NREM, as well as awakenings and stage changes. Changes in actigraphic and self-rated scale effects were not significant. CONCLUSIONS The study demonstrated the feasibility of using in-home, all-night sleep recordings to study homeopathic remedy effects. Findings are similar though not identical to those reported in animals with the same remedies. Possible mechanisms include initial disruption of the nonlinear dynamics of sleep patterns by the verum remedies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris R Bell
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA.
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Bellavite P, Chirumbolo S, Marzotto M. Hormesis and its relationship with homeopathy. Hum Exp Toxicol 2010; 29:573-9. [DOI: 10.1177/0960327110369771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Homeopathy is an ancient and complex therapeutic method that is rediscovering its scientific foundations. Hormesis is a frequently observed phenomenon that has been rigorously reported with precise dose-response curves. The therapeutic method based on the principle of ‘like cures like’ should not be confused with hormesis, which has several different implications from those of homeopathy. Yet, because both these approaches to nature and medicine are very broad in scope, they do end up having some points of contact. Thus, the well-established and consolidated field of hormesis can help cast light, through its ideas and research methods, on the possible mechanisms of action of remedies in ultra-low doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Bellavite
- Department of Pathology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy,
| | | | - Marta Marzotto
- Department of Pathology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Inhibition of basophil activation by histamine: a sensitive and reproducible model for the study of the biological activity of high dilutions. HOMEOPATHY 2010; 98:186-97. [PMID: 19945674 DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2009.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2009] [Revised: 09/21/2009] [Accepted: 09/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND At the beginning of this series of experiments we were looking for a model based on the use of purified commercially available compounds based on a fully described and accepted pharmacological model to study of the biological effect of high dilutions. Negative feedback induced by histamine, a major pro-inflammatory mediator, on basophils and mast cells activation via an H2 receptor me these criteria. The simplest way of measuring basophil activation in the early 1980's was the human basophil activation test (HBDT). OBJECTIVES Our major goal was first to study the biological effect of centesimal histamine dilutions beyond the Avogadro limit, on the staining properties of human basophils activated by an allergen extract initially house dust mite, then an anti-IgE and N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP). Technical development over the 25 years of our work led us to replace the manual basophil counting by flow cytometry. The main advantages were automation and observer independence. Using this latter protocol our aim was to confirm the existence of this phenomenon and to check its specificity by testing, under the same conditions, inactive analogues of histamine and histamine antagonists. More recently, we developed an animal model (mouse basophils) to study the effect of histamine on histamine release. METHODS AND RESULTS For the HBDT model basophils were obtained by sedimentation of human blood taken on EDTA and stained with Alcian blue. Results were expressed in percentage activation. Histamine dilutions tested were freshly prepared in the lab by successive centesimal dilutions and vortexing. Water controls were prepared in the same way. For the flow cytometric protocol basophils were first labeled by an anti-IgE FITC (basophil marker) and an anti-CD63 (basophil activation marker). Results were expressed in percentage of CD63 positive basophils. Another flow cytometric protocol has been developed more recently, based on basophil labeling by anti-IgE FITC (fluorescein isothiocyanate) and anti-CD203 PE (another human basophil activation marker). Results were expressed in mean fluorescence intensity of the CD203c positive population (MFI-CD203c) and an activation index calculated by an algorithm. For the mouse basophil model, histamine was measured spectrofluorimetrically. The main results obtained over 28 years of work was the demonstration of a reproducible inhibition of human basophil activation by high dilutions of histamine, the effect peaks in the range of 15-17CH. The effect was not significant when histamine was replaced by histidine (a histamine precursor) or cimetidine (histamine H2 receptor antagonist) was added to the incubation medium. These results were confirmed by flow cytometry. Using the latter technique, we also showed that 4-Methyl histamine (H2 agonist) induced a similar effect, in contrast to 1-Methyl histamine, an inactive histamine metabolite. Using the mouse model, we showed that histamine high dilutions, in the same range of dilutions, inhibited histamine release. CONCLUSIONS Successively, using different models to study of human and murine basophil activation, we demonstrated that high dilutions of histamine, in the range of 15-17CH induce a reproducible biological effect. This phenomenon has been confirmed by a multi-center study using the HBDT model and by at least three independent laboratories by flow cytometry. The specificity of the observed effect was confirmed, versus the water controls at the same dilution level by the absence of biological activity of inactive compounds such as histidine and 1-Methyl histamine and by the reversibility of this effect in the presence of a histamine receptor H2 antagonist.
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Milgrom LR. Falling trees, fractals, and sophistry: some philosophical "biohazards" en route to reconciling biomedicine and homeopathy. J Altern Complement Med 2009; 15:1247-54. [PMID: 19922258 DOI: 10.1089/acm.2009.0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Reconciling biomedical science and homeopathy might usefully begin by examining their various observational stances. This depends significantly on preconceptions about the nature of reality (e.g., whether it exists externally, independent of observers, or whether it is to some extent correlated nondeterministically with observation). METHODS Based on known observables, a rudimentary fractal model of the universe is proposed consisting of a series of self-similar integrated levels of reality, or "wholes" contained one within another like a set of Russian dolls. This model suggests possible contextualization of homeopathy and biomedicine's observational stances. RESULTS The fractal model bears compelling similarities to the ancient Hermetic tradition encapsulated in the phrase, "As above; so below." In the context of this model, homeopathy's observational stance includes a multidimensional range of symptoms from across several "levels of wholeness." In contrast, biomedicine's stance corresponds to exclusive observation of separate symptoms, each originating from one physical level of reality. CONCLUSIONS Pragmatic reconciliation of these two viewpoints is possible if it is realized that they are not contradictory but complementary; that each has its place in the therapeutic scheme of things, and that it should be possible to move freely between each type of observational stance as the patient's circumstances dictate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel R Milgrom
- Programme for Advanced Homeopathic Studies, London, United Kingdom.
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Chirumbolo S, Brizzi M, Ortolani R, Vella A, Bellavite P. Inhibition of CD203c membrane up-regulation in human basophils by high dilutions of histamine: a controlled replication study. Inflamm Res 2009; 58:755-64. [PMID: 19418203 PMCID: PMC2759025 DOI: 10.1007/s00011-009-0044-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2008] [Revised: 04/03/2009] [Accepted: 04/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous research suggests that human basophil activation may be inhibited by histamine even at extremely low doses (high dilutions). However, uncertainties about the nature of the phenomenon and its reproducibility mean that further, rigorously controlled studies are necessary. METHODS Serial 1:100 (v:v) histamine dilutions (centesimal dilutions, C) and water controls were tested on human basophil responsiveness to anti-IgE antibodies, using flow cytometry. Each dilution step was followed by vertical mechanical shaking (also designed as succussion) at 20 strokes/s. Basophil-enriched buffy coats from healthy blood donors were incubated with 10(-4) mol/l histamine (2C) and with serially diluted preparations from 10(-20) mol/l (10C) to 10(-32) mol/l (16C), then incubated for 30 min with 1 mug/ml goat monoclonal anti-human IgE and basophils stained for immunophenotyping. RESULTS Membrane up-regulation of CD203c, which in these experimental conditions proved to be a more consistent activation marker than CD63, was significantly inhibited in samples treated with histamine at the dilutions of 2C (P = 0.001), 12C (P = 0.047), 14C (P = 0.003), 15C (P = 0.036) and 16C (P = 0.009). Control water dilutions/succussions did not show any significant effect. CONCLUSION Using a strictly standardized flow cytometry protocol and a new dilution/succussion procedure, we have shown that low and high dilutions of histamine inhibit CD203c up-regulation in anti-IgE stimulated basophils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Chirumbolo
- Department of Morphological and Biomedical Science, University of Verona, Piazza L.A: Scuro, 10, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Maurizio Brizzi
- “P. Fortunati” Institute of Statistics, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Riccardo Ortolani
- Department of Pathology-Immunology Section, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Antonio Vella
- Department of Pathology-Immunology Section, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Paolo Bellavite
- Department of Morphological and Biomedical Science, University of Verona, Piazza L.A: Scuro, 10, 37134 Verona, Italy
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Bellavite P, Magnani P, Marzotto M, Conforti A. Assays of homeopathic remedies in rodent behavioural and psychopathological models. HOMEOPATHY 2009; 98:208-27. [PMID: 19945676 DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2009.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2009] [Revised: 09/07/2009] [Accepted: 09/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The first part of this paper reviews the effects of homeopathic remedies on several models of anxiety-like behaviours developed and described in rodents. The existing literature in this field comprises some fifteen exploratory studies, often published in non-indexed and non-peer-reviewed journals. Only a few results have been confirmed by multiple laboratories, and concern Ignatia, Gelsemium, Chamomilla (in homeopathic dilutions/potencies). Nevertheless, there are some interesting results pointing to the possible efficacy of other remedies, and confirming a statistically significant effect of high dilutions of neurotrophic molecules and antibodies. In the second part of this paper we report some recent results obtained in our laboratory, testing Aconitum, Nux vomica, Belladonna, Argentum nitricum, Tabacum (all 5CH potency) and Gelsemium (5, 7, 9 and 30CH potencies) on mice using ethological models of behaviour. The test was performed using coded drugs and controls in double blind (operations and calculations). After an initial screening that showed all the tested remedies (except for Belladonna) to have some effects on the behavioural parameters (light-dark test and open-field test), but with high experimental variability, we focused our study on Gelsemium, and carried out two complete series of experiments. The results showed that Gelsemium had several effects on the exploratory behaviour of mice, which in some models were highly statistically significant (p < 0.001), in all the dilutions/dynamizations used, but with complex differences according to the experimental conditions and test performed. Finally, some methodological issues of animal research in this field of homeopathy are discussed. The "Gelsemium model" - encompassing experimental studies in vitro and in vivo from different laboratories and with different methods, including significant effects of its major active principle gelsemine - may play a pivotal rule for investigations on other homeopathic remedies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Bellavite
- Department of Morphological Biomedical Sciences, University of Verona, Italy.
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Beruto DT, Botter R, Converti A. Effect of vacuum and of strong adsorbed water films on micropore formation in aluminum hydroxide xerogel powders. J Colloid Interface Sci 2009; 330:97-104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2008.10.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2008] [Revised: 10/07/2008] [Accepted: 10/10/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Rao ML, Roy R, Bell I. Characterization of the structure of ultra dilute sols with remarkable biological properties. MATERIALS LETTERS 2008; 62:1487. [PMID: 20165549 PMCID: PMC2822343 DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2007.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Most natural waters are probably "ultra dilute": aquasols. While the composition of such waters is routinely characterized thoroughly with respect to composition, very little attention has been paid to the solid phases which are certainly suspended in most, if not all, such. Our recent work having established the importance of the structure of water on its properties, [[1]; R. Roy, W.A. Tiller, I. Bell, M.R. Hoover; Mater Res Innov. 9 (2005) 577.] we have examined the structures of many waters with easily demonstrated (e.g. silver aquasols) or long-claimed (e.g. homeopathic remedies) biological effects. The results show that such materials can be easily distinguished from the pure solvent, and from each other, by the use of UV-VIS and Raman spectroscopy, while FTIR is insensitive to these differences. This opens up a whole new field of endeavor for inorganic materials scientists interested in biological effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rustum Roy
- Evan Pugh Professor of the Solid State, Emeritus, and Materials Research Laboratory at Penn State, USA, Research Professor, School of Materials, Arizona State University, USA
| | - Iris Bell
- Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry, Family and Community Medicine, and Public Health, Director of Research, Program in Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona, USA
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Milgrom LR. Conspicuous by its absence: the Memory of Water, macro-entanglement, and the possibility of homeopathy. HOMEOPATHY 2008; 96:209-19. [PMID: 17678819 DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2007.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2007] [Revised: 05/08/2007] [Accepted: 05/14/2007] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In order to fully comprehend its therapeutic mode of action, homeopathy might require both 'local' bio-molecular mechanisms, such as memory of water and 'non-local' macro-entanglement, such as patient-practitioner-remedy (PPR) descriptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Milgrom
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
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Rao ML, Roy R, Bell IR, Hoover R. The defining role of structure (including epitaxy) in the plausibility of homeopathy. HOMEOPATHY 2007; 96:175-82. [PMID: 17678814 DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2007.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2007] [Accepted: 03/27/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The key stumbling block to serious consideration of homeopathy is the presumed "implausibility" of biological activity for homeopathic medicines in which the source material is diluted past Avogadro's number of molecules. Such an argument relies heavily on the assumptions of elementary chemistry (and biochemistry), in which the material composition of a solution, (dilution factors and ligand-receptor interactions), is the essential consideration. In contrast, materials science focuses on the three-dimensional complex network structure of the condensed phase of water itself, rather than the original solute molecules. The nanoheterogenous structure of water can be determined by interactive phenomena such as epitaxy (the transmission of structural information from the surface of one material to another without the transfer of any matter), temperature-pressure processes during succussion, and formation of colloidal nanobubbles containing gaseous inclusions of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and possibly the remedy source material. Preliminary data obtained using Raman and Ultra-Violet-Visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy illustrate the ability to distinguish two different homeopathic medicines (Nux vomica and Natrum muriaticum) from one another and to differentiate, within a given medicine, the 6c, 12c, and 30c potencies. Materials science concepts and experimental tools offer a new approach to contemporary science, for making significant advances in the basic science studies of homeopathic medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manju Lata Rao
- The Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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Rey L. Can low-temperature thermoluminescence cast light on the nature of ultra-high dilutions? HOMEOPATHY 2007; 96:170-4. [PMID: 17678813 DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2007.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2007] [Revised: 05/08/2007] [Accepted: 05/16/2007] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Low-temperature thermoluminescence has been used in attempt to understand the particular structure of ultra high dilutions. Samples are activated by irradiation after freezing at the temperature of liquid nitrogen (77 degrees K). Experimental results show that, in the course of rewarming, the thermoluminescent glow is susbtantially different between dilutions of different substances. It is suggested that the dispersed gas phase might play a role in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Rey
- Chemin de Verdonnet 2, CH-1010 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Munar A, Gamboa OA, Ortiz NI. Homeopathy for osteoarthritis. Hippokratia 2007. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd006402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andres Munar
- National University of Colombia; Research Subdivision, National Institute of Cancerology, Academic Group of Alternative Therapeutics; Cr. 12 No. 10-19 Sur Ap. 301 Bogota Colombia
| | - Oscar A Gamboa
- National Institute of Cancerology; Spec. Statistic, Research Subdivision; Cr. 53 No. 69-17 Bogota Colombia
| | - Nathalia I Ortiz
- National Institute of Cancerology; Spec. Public Health Management, Research Subdivision; Cr. 3 No. 11-55 Ap. 107 Bogota Colombia
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Zheng JM, Chin WC, Khijniak E, Khijniak E, Pollack GH. Surfaces and interfacial water: evidence that hydrophilic surfaces have long-range impact. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2006; 127:19-27. [PMID: 16952332 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2006.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2006] [Accepted: 07/18/2006] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
It is generally thought that the impact of surfaces on the contiguous aqueous phase extends to a distance of no more than a few water-molecule layers. Older studies, on the other hand, suggest a more extensive impact. We report here that colloidal and molecular solutes suspended in aqueous solution are profoundly and extensively excluded from the vicinity of various hydrophilic surfaces. The width of the solute-free zone is typically several hundred microns. Such large exclusion zones were observed in the vicinity of many types of surface including artificial and natural hydrogels, biological tissues, hydrophilic polymers, monolayers, and ion-exchange beads, as well as with a variety of solutes. Using microscopic observations, as well as measurements of electrical potential and UV-Vis absorption-spectra, infrared imaging, and NMR imaging, we find that the solute-free zone is a physically distinct and less mobile phase of water that can co-exist indefinitely with the contiguous solute-containing phase. The extensiveness of this modified zone is impressive, and carries broad implication for surface-molecule interactions in many realms, including cellular recognition, biomaterial-surface antifouling, bioseparation technologies, and other areas of biology, physics and chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Ming Zheng
- Department of Bioengineering, Box 355061, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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