Abstract

Cancer is a disease that demands a multifaceted approach using different systems of medicine. The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether homeopathically potentized ultrahigh dilutions of Lycopodium clavatum (LC-5C and LC-15C, respectively) had any anticancer effects on HeLa cells. Cells were exposed to either LC-5C (diluted below Avogadro’s limit10-10) or LC-15C (diluted beyond Avogadro’s limit, i.e., 10-30) (drug-treated), or 30% succussed ethanol (the “vehicle” of the drug). Drug-induced modulation of percentage cell viability, onset of the events of apoptosis, and expression of Bax, Bcl2, caspase 3, and Apaf proteins, changes in internucleosomal DNA, mitochondrial membrane potentials (MMPs), and release of cytochrome C were analyzed utilizing different exper- mental protocols.

Results revealed that administration of LC-5C and LC-15C had little or no cytotoxic effect in normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), but caused considerable cell death through apoptosis in cancer (HeLa) cells, as evident from the induction of DNA fragmentation, the increase in expression of protein and mRNA for caspase 3 and Bax, and the decrease in expression of Bcl2, Apaf, and cytochrome C release. Thus, the highly diluted and dynamized homeopathic remedies LC-5C and LC- 113 15C demonstrated their capability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells, signifying their possible use as supportive medicine in cancer therapy.