Safety and efficacy of Lycopodium clavatum 200dH in Toxoplasma gondii infected mice

IntroductionHomeopathic treatment using Lycopodium clavatum is commonly prescribed for acute conditions, and may have potential utility against Toxoplasma gondii. The safety and efficacy of L. clavatum 200dH were investigated using different treatment schemes in mice that were experimentally infected with Toxoplasma gondii.MethodsOne hundred male Swiss mice, 60 days old, were divided into four groups (n = 25/group): NIC (uninfected and untreated control), IC (infected and treated with undynamized 7% alcohol solution [vehicle]), G48 (infected and treated 48 h before infection and treated three more times 2, 4 and 6 days post-infection [dpi] with L. clavatum 200dH), and G72 (infected and treated for 3 consecutive days before infection with L. clavatum 200dH).ResultsThe G72 group presented 20% lesions in the genitourinary region, with a worse clinical evolution compared with the G48 and NIC groups. The G72 group also exhibited an acceleration of the conversion of tachyzoites to bradyzoites in the brain at 30 dpi, which was reduced to 60 dpi. The G48 group had the best clinical evolution, with a delay of the conversion of tachyzoites to bradyzoites in the brain at 30 dpi, with a significant increase at 60 dpi compared with the G72 and IC groups.ConclusionsL. clavatum 200dH treatment in the G48 group was beneficial and provided a better clinical prognosis but resulted in a higher number of brain cysts at 60 dpi. Future research should carefully evaluate homeopathic medications, their potency, and specific treatment protocols.