thymic-factor--circulating and Orthomyxoviridae-Infections

Influenza affects thousands of people worldwide every year, motivating the development of new therapies. In this work, the effects of two homeopathic preparations (influenza biotherapies and thymulin) were chosen following two different rationales: isotherapy and endo-isotherapy models. The homeopathic effects were evaluated individually considering the inflammatory and behavioral responses against influenza virus antigen were studied in BALB/c mice.. Male adult mice were treated orally and blindly for 21 days with highly diluted influenza virus or with thymulin, and were divided in two sets of experiments. The first series of experiments aimed to describe their behavior, using an open field (OF) device. In the second series, mice were challenged subcutaneously with influenza hemagglutinin antigen (7 μg/200 μl) at day 21. At day 42, behavior and inflammation response were evaluated.. No behavioral changes were seen in OF tests at any time point after treatments. Flow cytometry and morphometry revealed significant changes in T and B cell balance after influenza antigen challenge, varying according to treatment.. The results show that both homeopathic treatments induced subtle changes in acquired immune anti-viral response regulation. A deeper understanding of the mechanism could elucidate their possible use in influenza epidemiological situations.

Topics: Animals; B-Lymphocytes; Behavior, Animal; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; Homeopathy; Inflammation; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype; Male; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Orthomyxoviridae Infections; Random Allocation; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; Thymic Factor, Circulating

The levels of serum thymic activity (STA), the Thy-1.2 positivity of spleen "spontaneous" rosette-forming cells (SSRFCs) (measured in terms of Az sensitivity), as well as the blastogenic response to specific mitogens for T-lymphocytes, were studied in Balb/C mice after intranasal infection with A/PR/8/34 (HON1) influenza virus. As early as 12 hours, and more drastically, 24 hours the levels of STA were profoundly decreased after virus infection. Spleen Az sensitivity and blastogenic response of thymocytes and splenocytes to stimulation with Concanavalin A and Phytohemagglutinin, respectively, were depressed only later (day 2 or 3). These changes remain evident for about 1 week and later revert to normal values. All of the effects described are dose-dependent and appear to be virus related. Thence the PR8 virus infection initially induces a decrease of STA levels and secondly a impairment of thymus-derived immune functions.

Topics: Animals; Antigens, Surface; Azathioprine; Cell Division; Concanavalin A; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Influenza A virus; Lymphocyte Activation; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Orthomyxoviridae Infections; Phytohemagglutinins; Rosette Formation; Spleen; T-Lymphocytes; Thy-1 Antigens; Thymic Factor, Circulating; Thymus Hormones; Time Factors