Beneficial immunomodulatory and neuro digestive effect in Trypanosoma cruzi infection after Lycopodium clavatum 13c treatment

Microb Pathog. 2017 Nov:112:1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.micpath.2017.09.026. Epub 2017 Sep 18.

Abstract

Studies show that highly diluted medications demonstrate benefits in treating infections, constituting an alternative for their treatment. The present study evaluated the effects of Lycopodium clavatum, dynamization 13c, in Wistar rats infected with T. cruzi. In this study 42 male rats were intraperitoneally inoculated with T. cruzi - Y strain and allocated into groups: IC (infected control group) and Ly (treated with L. clavatum 13c). The cytokines dosage (IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-10, IL-4), quantification and morphometry of myenteric neurons were evaluated. The treatment with L. clavatum modifies the immune response, with increase of IFN-γ on day 10 a.i. and IL-12 on day 24 a.i., decrease of IL-10 concentration on day 10 a.i. and subsequent increase of this cytokine and IL-4 on day 24 a.i., affording a bigger number of myenteric neurons compared to IC group. Thus, L. clavatum 13c promoted on rats infected with T. cruzi a beneficial immunomodulatory action reducing the pathogenic progression of digestive Chagas disease.

Keywords: Chagas disease; Cytokines; Homeopathy; Myenteric neurons.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Body / drug effects
  • Cell Body / immunology
  • Cell Body / parasitology
  • Cell Body / pathology
  • Chagas Disease / drug therapy
  • Chagas Disease / immunology*
  • Colon / innervation
  • Colon / parasitology
  • Colon / pathology
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Digestion
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Homeopathy
  • Immunomodulation*
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Interleukin-10 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-12 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-4 / metabolism
  • Lycopodium / chemistry*
  • Male
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / immunology*
  • Neurons / parasitology
  • Neurons / pathology
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Trypanosoma cruzi / drug effects*
  • Trypanosoma cruzi / immunology
  • Trypanosoma cruzi / pathogenicity

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Plant Extracts
  • Interleukin-10
  • Interleukin-12
  • Interleukin-4
  • Interferon-gamma