title: Homeopathic medicines cause Th1 predominance and induce spleen and megakaryocytes changes in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania infantum.
abstract: The prevalence of Th1/Th2 response, spleen changes and megakaryocytes were investigated in BALB/c mice (n=138) infected with Leishmania infantum, and treated with Leishmania infantum 30× (10-30) biotherapy - BioLi30×. We performed controlled experiments using 8-to-12-week-old mice, infected with 5×107L. infantum promastigotes, divided into eight groups: G1 (healthy), G2 (infected with L. infantum), G3 (BioLi30× pre-treated), G4 (BioLi30× pre/post-treated), G5 (BioLi30× post-treated), G6 (Water 30× post-treated), G7 (Antimonium crudum 30× post-treated) and G8 (Glucantime® post-treated). G3-G7 groups were orally treated with their respective drugs diluted in filtered water (1:10), and G8 received Glucantime® (0.6mg/100µl of PBS), intraperitoneally. Spleen fragments were submitted to double blind histopathological evaluation and the number of megakaryocytes was counted. Besides, animals' serum was measured after 49days of infection, and cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12), as well as the Th1/Th2 correlation (IFN-γ/IL-4 and IFN-γ/IL-10), were analyzed. Spleen histological parameters were classified as: healthy appearance (G1); discreet (G3-G7), moderate (G2) and moderate to severe (G8) white pulp hyperplasia; proliferation of megakaryocytes (G2-G8), and intense disruption (G2-G8). All groups, except for G7, showed higher percentages of megakaryocytes per field ranging from 87% to 15%, when compared to healthy animals (G1). Th1 predominance in IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio (comparing to G2) was detected in G4, G5, G6 and G7. Finally, pre/post (BioLi30x) and post-treatment (Antimonium crudum 30x) presented reduction of megakaryocytes/spleen changes due to immunomodulation animal process, controlling the infection process, probably by the Th1 cytokine predominance.
authors.affiliation: Graduation Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: anapaulacajueiro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana Paula Bacellar
authors.initials: APB
authors.lastname: Cajueiro
authors.affiliation: Graduation Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: estergoma@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ester Puna
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Goma
authors.affiliation: Graduation Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: hiltonufrj@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Hilton Antônio Mata
authors.initials: HAM
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Graduation Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: igor@pharma.ufrj.br.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Almeida Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Graduation Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: hktoma@globo.com.
authors.forename: Helena Keiko
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Toma
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Brazil. Electronic address: smaraujo@uem.br.
authors.forename: Silvana Marques
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Graduation Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Universidade Paulista, Brazil. Electronic address: leonibonamim@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Leoni Villano
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Bonamin
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Brazil. Electronic address: nelsonbretas@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Nelson Brêtas de Noronha
authors.initials: NBN
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Sciences Institute, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: morganalima@ufrj.br.
authors.forename: Morgana Teixeira Lima
authors.initials: MTL
authors.lastname: Castelo-Branco
authors.affiliation: Graduation Program in Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: maryjohnny3000@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Edilma Paraguai
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: de Souza Dias
authors.affiliation: Graduation Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: pyrrho@pharma.ufrj.br.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dos Santos Pyrrho
authors.affiliation: Graduation Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: cholandino@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holandino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D006705:Homeopathy; D018314:Leishmania infantum; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D058408:Th1-Th2 Balance; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: Antimonium crudum; BALB/c; Biotherapy; Leishmania infantum; Megakaryocytes; Th1/Th2 response