Analysis of IL-2, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production, alpha5 beta1 integrins and actin filaments distribution in peritoneal mouse macrophages treated with homeopathic medicament.

The newer forms of immune modulatory therapy are aimed at specific cells or cytokines that contribute to the immune response. These forms of immunotherapy have been referred to as 'biological response modifiers'. Our lab was interested in investigating if a homeopathic medicament 'Metodo Canova' (MC), sold in homeopathic drugstores, does enhance immunological system responses acting through macrophages pathway. Mice peritoneal macrophages were cultivated with or without homeopathic medicament for 24 h for alpha5, beta1 and actin filaments distribution analyses through immunolabelling for confocal microscopy. To detect the IL-2, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production these cells were cultivated for 48 h with or without medicament, followed by analyses of these cytokines in supernatant culture with ELISA kits. It was observed differences in morphology and molecular distribution (alpha5 and beta1 integrins, actin filaments and Fc receptors) between the groups control and treated with MC. In control group macrophages had the morphology of resident cells and in MC treated group macrophages were more spread, had many cellular projections and a substantial increase in cytoplasmic volume. In addition, macrophages culture with two doses of MC showed that TNF-alpha production decreased when compared with control group.