title: A morphometric and molecular study of the apoptosis observed on tadpoles' tail explants under the exposition of triiodothyronine in different homeopathic dilutions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As a therapeutic system, homeopathy is supported by: i) similitude and experimentation in healthy individuals, ii) potentization. A challenge for researchers consists in looking for signals in water (or vehicle) to explain the storage of information in extremely high dilutions and the transfer of such information to the living systems. Anuran amphibian metamorphosis is controlled by thyroid hormones (TH), including the resorption of the tadpole tail. Apoptosis is a genetically regulated form of cell death that can be triggered by various extracellular and intracellular stimuli resulting in coordinated activation of a family of cysteine proteases called caspases.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was blind and randomized. It performed in three stages: I) the identification of the most effective T3 homeopathic dilution to induce apoptotic reactions in Rana (Lithobates) catesbeianus tadpole tail explants stimulated by T3 in substantial, II) study of different controls and III) detection in explants under the action of the most effective dilution of T3, as established in Stage I.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference between tail macroscopic dimensions between the groups. T3 10cH decreased the expression of caspase 3/7 mRNA, in explants treated with T3 20 nM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present experiment is in agreement with the hypothesis that T3, at a 10cH homeopathic dilution, changes the metamorphosis molecular network.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Histomorphometry and Lung Genomics, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: centralanimal@uol.com.br.
authors.forename: José Roberto Pereira
authors.initials: JRP
authors.lastname: Guedes
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Clinics Hospital, University of São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: socarrasco2@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Solange
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carrasco
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Department of São Paulo State, Aquaculture Research Center, Fisheries Institute, Brazil. Electronic address: claudia@pesca.sp.gov.br.
authors.forename: Cláudia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Research and Technology Center, University Paulista, Brazil; Laboratory of Pathology, University of Santo Amaro, Brazil. Electronic address: leonibonamin@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Leoni V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Bonamin
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Clinics Hospital, University of São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: cgs@usp.br.
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goldenstein-Schainberg
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Histomorphometry and Lung Genomics, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: vanessamartins@usp.br.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Histomorphometry and Lung Genomics, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: vcapelozzi@lim05.fm.usp.br.
authors.forename: Vera L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Capelozzi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006705:Homeopathy; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects*; D008419:Materia Medica / Q000737:chemistry*; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological / Q000187:drug effects*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011892:Rana catesbeiana; D013623:Tail / Q000187:drug effects; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008419:Materia Medica; D014284:Triiodothyronine
keywords: Apoptosis; Caspases; Homeopathy; Metamorphosis; RT-PCR; Triiodothyronine