High-dilution effects revisited. 2. Pharmacodynamic mechanisms.
The pharmacodynamics aspects of homeopathic remedies are appraised by laboratory studies on the biological effects at various levels (cellular, molecular and systemic). The major question is how these medicines may work in the body. The possible answers concern the identification of biological targets, the means of drug-receptor interactions, the mechanisms of signal transmission and amplification, and the models of inversion of effects according to the traditional 'simile' rule. These problems are handled by two experimental and theoretical lines, according to the doses or dilutions considered (low-medium versus high dilutions). Homeopathic formulations in low-medium dilutions, containing molecules in the range of ultra-low doses, exploit the extreme sensitivity of biological systems to exogenous and endogenous signals. Their effects are interpreted in the framework of hormesis theories and paradoxical pharmacology. The hypotheses regarding the action mechanisms of highly diluted/dynamized solutions (beyond Avogadro-Loschmidt limit) variously invoke sensitivity to bioelectromagnetic information, participation of water chains in signalling, and regulation of bifurcation points of systemic networks. High-dilution pharmacology is emerging as a pioneering subject in the domain of nanomedicine and is providing greater plausibility to the puzzling claims of homeopathy.
Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy. Electronic address: paolo.bellavite@univr.it.
Paolo
P
Bellavite
Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
Marta
M
Marzotto
Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
Debora
D
Olioso
Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
Elisabetta
E
Moratti
Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Verona, Piazza L.A. Scuro 10, 37134 Verona, Italy.
Anita
A
Conforti
D000818:Animals; D015870:Gene Expression; D006705:Homeopathy; D059165:Hormesis; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles; D049490:Systems Biology; D014867:Water
D014867:Water
Biophysics; High dilutions; Homeopathic potencies; Hormesis; Nanopharmacology; Similia rule; Systems biology; Water clusters; Water coherence domains