Basic Research in Homeopathy: in Vitro Studies on Human Neutrophils and Basophils

In vitro studies represent a reliable model to investigate the action of several homeopathic medicines or even high diluted/succussed substances on cell function and much evidence concerning a critical reappraisal about basic research in homeopathy has appeared. Human granulocytes are a good promising cellular model due to their involvement in inflammatory and immune response and to their rather easy experimental handling. Most of previously published results are related to the effect of low potency remedies on neutrophil function (Sulphur 6x, Bryonia 4CH e 9CH, Ferrum Phosphoricum 4CH and 9CH, Phosphorus 15x, and so on), and involved indefferently medicines made up of organic acids, or minerals or plant extracts (Podophyllum compositum). Both activation and inhibition on superoxide production and in vitro adhesion were observed with these remedies in different experimental conditions. Neutrophil has been used for a long time as a good cellular model to examine commercial remedies as low as 10CH potency, while basophil is still currently used to investigate the effects of very highly diluted and succussed compounds (16CH and over). Many reports have shown that highly diluted (over the Avogadro’s limit i.e. upper than the 12 centesimal dilution) and succussed histamine, inhibit cellular function, sometimes in a fashion comparable to the ponderal molar dilutions. Some evidence from our laboratory has shown that histamine 13CH and histamine 14CH inhibit basophil function as respect to the same diluted/succussed preparation of water alone. In this report we summarize the main evidence concerning these studies.