Chronic toxicological effects of ultradiluted solutions of Aveloz (Euphorbia tirucalli Lineu) on healthy mice: a preliminary study

The latex extracted from Euphorbia tirucalli, a plant popularly known as Aveloz, is used in complementary medicine to induce tumor regression. However, as this latex has toxic effects when administered orally in ponderal doses, the present study was designed to assess the effects of high dilutions in healthy mice over a period of 18 weeks. The Aveloz latex-high diluted solutions (latex-HD) were obtained through the interaction of two processes: 1:100 dilution in mass and succussion, using ethanol 70% as a solvent, in the homeopathic dilutions of 5, 15 and 30cH, following Farmacopéia Homeopática Brasileira. Control solutions without latex were compounded (ethanolic-HD) in the same dilutions and were administered simultaneously. The animals which received latex-HD 30cH showed a significant increase in food consumption (p < 0.05) without significant difference in weight gain. In regards to water consumption, no statistical difference was shown when different Aveloz latex-HD groups were compared, apart from the group that received 1 drop of pure latex in water, which presented a significant increase (p < 0.05) in this parameter. Keywords: Euphorbia tirucalli; Aveloz; Toxicology; High Dilutions; Mice.  Efeitos toxicológicos crônicos de altas diluições de Aveloz (Euphorbia tirucalli L.) em camundongos sadios: estudo preliminar. Resumo O látex extraído de Euphorbia tirucalli, planta conhecida popularmente como Aveloz, é utilizado em medicina complementar para induzir regressão tumoral. No entanto, como este látex tem efeitos tóxicos quando administrado por via oral em doses ponderais, este estudo foi desenhado para avaliar os efeitos de altas diluições do mesmo em camundongos sadios por um período de 18 semanas. As altas diluições do látex do Aveloz (látex-HD) foram obtidas através da interação de dois processos: diluição 1:100 em massa e sucussão, utilizando etanol 70% como solvente, nas diluições homeopáticas 5, 15 e 30cH, de acordo com a Famracopéia Homeopática Brasileira. Soluções de controle sem o látex (etanol-HD) foram compostas nas mesmas diluições e ministradas simultaneamente. Os animais que receberam látex-HD 30cH mostraram aumento significativo no consumo de alimento (p < 0,05) sem diferença significativa em ganho de peso. A respeito do consumo de água, não foram observadas diferenças significativas entre os diferentes grupos látex-HD, enquanto que o grupo que recebeu 1 gota de látex puro em água apresentou aumento significativo neste parâmetro (p < 0,05). Palavras-chave: Euphorbia tirucalli; Aveloz; Toxicologia; Altas diluições; Camundongos.  Efectos toxicológicos crónicos de altas diluciones de Euphorbia tirucalli en ratones sanos: estudio preliminar. Resumen El látex extraído de Euphorbia tirucalli, planta conocida popularmente como arbusto de goma, es utilizado en medicina complementaria para la inducción de regresiones tumorales. Como este látex produce efectos tóxicos cuando es administrado por vía oral en dosis ponderales, este estudio fue diseñado para evaluar los efectos de altas diluciones de éste en ratones sanos, durante 18 semanas. Las altas diluciones del látex de E. tirucalli (látex-HD) fueron preparadas mediante la interacción de dos procesos: dilución 1:100 en masa y sucusión, utilizando etanol 70% como solvente en las diluciones homeopáticas 5, 15 y 30cH, según la Farmacopea Homeopática Brasileña. Soluciones de control, sin látex (etanol-HD) fueron compuestas en estas mismas diluciones y administradas simultáneamente. Los animales que recibieron látex-HD 30cH mostraron un aumento significativo del consumo de alimento (p < 0,05), sin diferencias significativas de aumento de peso. Respecto al consumo de agua, no fueron observadas diferencias significativas en los varios grupos látex-HD, mientras que el grupo de recibió 1 gota de látex puro en agua presentó aumento significativo en este parámetro (p < 0,05). Palabras-clave: Euphorbia tirucalli; Aveloz; Toxicologií; Altas diluciones; Ratones.  Correspondence author: Carla Holandino Quaresma, [email protected] How to cite this article: Varricchio MCBN, Pereira C, Sales F, Gomes T, Daudt E, Aquino CL, Barbosa GM, Gomes N, Pyrrho AS, Hobaica PEM, Branco MC, Kuster R, Holandino C. Chronic toxicological effects of high diluted solutions of Aveloz (Euphorbia tirucalli L.) on healthy mice: a preliminary study. Int J High Dilution Res [online]. 2008 [cited YYYY Mmm DD]; 7(25): 174-178. Available from: http://journal.giri-society.org/index.php/ijhdr/article/view/308/371. ÂÂÂ

B cells and cancer: To B or not to B?

Whereas T cells have been considered the major immune cells of the tumor microenvironment able to induce tumor regression and control cancer clinical outcome, a burst of recent publications pointed to the fact that B cells may also play a prominent role. Activated in germinal centers of tertiary lymphoid structures, B cells can directly present tumor-associated antigens to T cells or produce antibodies that increase antigen presentation to T cells or kill tumor cells, resulting in a beneficial clinical impact. Immune complexes can also increase inflammation, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression via macrophage and complement activation, resulting in deleterious impact.

Cancer Immunotherapy: Priming the Host Immune Response with Live Attenuated Salmonella enterica

In recent years, cancer immunotherapy has undergone great advances because of our understanding of the immune response and the mechanisms through which tumor cells evade it. A century after the first immunotherapy attempt based on bacterial products described by William Coley, the use of live attenuated bacterial vectors has become a promising alternative in the fight against cancer. This review describes the role of live attenuated Salmonella enterica as an oncolytic and immunotherapeutic agent, due to its high affinity for tumor tissue and its ability to activate innate and adaptive antitumor immune response. Furthermore, its potential use as delivery system of tumor antigens and immunomodulatory molecules that induce tumor regression is also reviewed.