scholarly journals Designs for research of the High Dilutions in animals models: an update

Author(s):  
Adrian Alecu ◽  
Romeo Brezeanu ◽  
Gabriela Marcus ◽  
Adriana Cojocaru ◽  
Mariana Alecu

This article discusses the series of tests on animal experimental models carried out by our group to evaluate the effect of homeopathic preparations selected according to traditional criteria of pathogenetic similarity. Our overall experience indicates that it is not difficult to carry out experimental studies assaying homeopathic medicines in randomized placebo-controlled tests returning statistically analyzable results. The basic requirement for this purpose is to select validated experimental models. The simplest and most reliable ones are the ones arising from common daily clinical practice or those taken from classical pharmacological studies modified as to fit the goals of a homeopathic assay. By proceeding in this way it will be possible to build a sound body of evidence for the biological effects of high dilutions.

Author(s):  
Adrian Alecu ◽  
Romeo Brezeanu

This article discusses the series of tests on animal experimental models carried out by our group to evaluate the effect of homeopathic preparations selected according to traditional criteria of pathogenetic similarity. Our overall experience indicates that it is not difficult to carry out experimental studies assaying homeopathic medicines in randomized placebo-controlled tests returning statistically analyzable results. The basic requirement for this purpose is to select validated experimental models. The simplest and most reliable ones are the ones arising from common daily clinical practice or those taken from classical pharmacological studies modified as to fit the goals of a homeopathic assay. By proceeding in this way it will be possible to build a sound body of evidence for the biological effects of high dilutions.


Author(s):  
Б.И. Гельцер ◽  
Э.В. Слабенко ◽  
Ю.В. Заяц ◽  
В.Н. Котельников

Одним из основных требований к разработке экспериментальных моделей цереброваскулярных заболеваний является их максимальная приближенность к реальной клинической практике. В работе систематизированы данные по основным методам моделирования острой ишемии головного мозга (ОИГМ), представлена их классификация, анализируются данные о преимуществах и недостатках той или иной модели. Обсуждаются результаты экспериментальных исследований по изучению патогенеза ОИГМ с использованием различных моделей (полной и неполной глобальной, локальной и мультифокальной ишемии) и способов их реализации (перевязка артерий, клипирование, коагуляция, эмболизация и др.). Особое внимание уделяется «стабильности» последствий острого нарушения мозгового кровообращения: необратимых ишемических повреждений головного мозга или обратимых с реперфузией заданной продолжительности. Отмечается, что важное значение в этих исследованиях должно принадлежать современным методам прижизненной визуализации очагов острого ишемического повреждения, что позволяет оценивать динамику патологического процесса. Предлагаемый метод отвечает требованиям гуманного обращения с животными. Подчеркивается, что выбор релевантной модели ОИГМ определяется задачами предстоящего исследования и технологическими ресурсами научной лаборатории. Development of experimental models for acute forms of cerebrovascular diseases is essential for implementation of methods for their prevention and treatment. One of the principal requirements to such models is their maximum approximation to actual clinical practice. This review systematized major models of acute cerebral ischemia (ACI), their classification, and presented information about their advantages and shortcomings. Also, the review presented results of experimental studies on pathophysiological mechanisms of different types of modeled ACI (complete and incomplete global, local, and multifocal ischemia) and methods for creating these models (arterial ligation, clipping, coagulation, embolization, etc.). Particular attention was paid to “stability” of the consequences of acutely impaired cerebral circulation - an irreversible ischemic brain injury or a reversible injury with reperfusion of a given duration. The authors emphasized that in such studies, a special significance should be given to intravital imaging of acute ischemic damage foci using modern methods, which allow assessing the dynamics of the pathological process and meet the requirements to humane treatment of animals. The choice of a relevant ACI model is determined by objectives of the planned study and the technological resources available at the research laboratory.


Author(s):  
Sheila Garcia ◽  
Rafael Cardoso Harduim ◽  
Fortune Homsanin ◽  
Carlos Renato Zacharias ◽  
Ricardo Machado Kuster ◽  
...  

Background: although Hahnemann described the fifty-milesimal (LM) method in the 6th edition of the Organon of the Medical Art, very little research has been carried out on the physical chemical properties of these homeopathic preparations. Furthermore, there is still no evidence allowing for the correlation between the alleged physical chemical properties and the biological effects of high dilutions. Aims: to evaluate physical chemical characteristics of LM preparations including electrical conductivity, pH and refraction index, and their effect on biological experimental models. Materials and methods: preparations tested for physical chemical analysis were dilutions 1 lm to 10 lm of Euphorbia tirucalli L. prepared from the latex and the juice of the plant. To rule the seasonal characteristics of this plant, 2 different populations were used, one collected in June 2007 and the other in May 2008. Furthermore, the cytotoxic effect of Euphorbia tirucalli 5 lm was tested on human breast cancer cells (MCF7) through MTT assay. Some differences among the two collections were observed. However, any clear correlation could be observed between physical chemical properties and biological activity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 715-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-Yue Lan ◽  
Bin Zhao ◽  
Yu-Li Shen ◽  
Xiao-Qin Li ◽  
Su-Juan Wang ◽  
...  

Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng (M. cochinchinensis) is a deciduous vine that grows in Southeast Asia. It is known as gac in Vietnam and as Red Melon in English. Gac is reputed to be extremely benificial for health and has been widely used as food and folk medicine in Southeast Asia. In China, the seed of M. cochinchinensis (Chinese name: Mu biezi) is used as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of various diseases. More than 60 chemical constituents have been isolated from M. cochinchinensis. Modern pharmacological studies and clinical practice demonstrate that some chemical constituents of M. cochinchinensis possess wide pharmacological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, etc. This paper reviews the phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicity, and clinical application of M. cochinchinensis, aiming to bring new insights into further research and application of this ancient herb.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 587-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Santangelo ◽  
Alessandro Dell'Edera ◽  
Arianna Sala ◽  
Giordano Cecchetti ◽  
Federico Masserini ◽  
...  

Background: The incoming disease-modifying therapies against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) require reliable diagnostic markers to correctly enroll patients all over the world. CSF AD biomarkers, namely amyloid-β 42 (Aβ42), total tau (t-tau), and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (p-tau181), showed good diagnostic accuracy in detecting AD pathology, but their real usefulness in daily clinical practice is still a matter of debate. Therefore, further validation in complex clinical settings, that is patients with different types of dementia, is needed to uphold their future worldwide adoption. Methods: We measured CSF AD biomarkers’ concentrations in a sample of 526 patients with a clinical diagnosis of dementia (277 with AD and 249 with Other Type of Dementia, OTD). Brain FDG-PET was also considered in a subsample of 54 patients with a mismatch between the clinical diagnosis and the CSF findings. Results: A p-tau181/Aβ42 ratio higher than 0.13 showed the best diagnostic performance in differentiating AD from OTD (86% accuracy index, 74% sensitivity, 81% specificity). In cases with a mismatch between clinical diagnosis and CSF findings, brain FDG-PET partially agreed with the p-tau181/Aβ42 ratio, thus determining an increase in CSF accuracy. Conclusions: The p-tau181/Aβ42 ratio alone might reliably detect AD pathology in heterogeneous samples of patients suffering from different types of dementia. It might constitute a simple, cost-effective and reproducible in vivo proxy of AD suitable to be adopted worldwide not only in daily clinical practice but also in future experimental trials, to avoid the enrolment of misdiagnosed AD patients.


Author(s):  
Natalia Nowak ◽  
Masayuki Yamanouchi ◽  
Eiichiro Satake

AbstractExtracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapy was hypothesized as a promising regenerative approach which has led to intensive research of EVs in various pathologies. In this study, we performed a comprehensive systematic review of the current experimental evidence regarding the protective properties of EVs in chronic kidney disease (CKD). We evaluated the EV-based experiments, EV characteristics, and effector molecules with their involvement in CKD pathways. Including all animal records with available creatinine or urea data, we performed a stratified univariable meta-analysis to assess the determinants of EV-based therapy effectiveness. We identified 35 interventional studies that assessed nephroprotective role of EVs and catalogued them according to their involvement in CKD mechanism. Systematic assessment of these studies suggested that EVs had consistently improved glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, and cell damage, among different CKD models. Moreover, EV-based therapy reduced the progression of renal decline in CKD. The stratified analyses showed that the disease model, administered dose, and time of therapeutic intervention were potential predictors of therapeutic efficacy. Together, EV therapy is a promising approach for CKD progression in experimental studies. Further standardisation of EV-methods, continuous improvement of the study quality, and better understanding of the determinants of EV effectiveness will facilitate preclinical research, and may help development of clinical trials in people with CKD. Graphical Abstract


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