Research paper Safety and efficacy of Lycopodium clavatum 200dH in Toxoplasma gondii infected mice Andréia Vieira Pereira a, *, Katiucha Rebeca Jennifer Lopes Lera b , Milena Menegazzo Miranda a , Ricardo Nascimento Drozino c , Gislane Janaina Falkowski-Temporini c , Marcelo Biondaro Góis c , Ivete Conchon-Costa a , Idessania Nazareth da Costa a , Denise Lessa Aleixo c , Silvana Marques de Araújo c , Wander Rogério Pavanelli a a State University of Londrina, Department of Experimental Pathology, Londrina, Parana, Brazil b Faculty Inga, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Maringa, Parana, Brazil c State University of Maringa, Department of Health Sciences, Maringa, Parana, Brazil A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 9 November 2015 Received in revised form 4 March 2016 Accepted 7 March 2016 Available online xxx Keywords: Lycopodium clavatum High dilution Clinical-pathological aspects Safety Efficacy Toxoplasmosis Homeopathy A B S T R A C T Introduction: Homeopathic 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. Methods: One 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). Results: The 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. Conclusions: L. 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. ã 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Lycopodium clavatum L., popularly known as “Wolf Paw Clubmoss,” is a terrestrial moss that belongs to the order Lycopodiaceae. It is widely distributed geographically, especially in the northern hemisphere. It can grow in poor soils and grow in vertical agglomerates and ravines [1]. Extracts of L. clavatum are widely used in complementary medicine for the treatment of acute diseases, such as pediatric acute otitis media, and more chronic conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease [2–5]. The wide use of medicinal plants and medications that are derived from these plants for the general population need scientific validation for a better understanding of their different effects, thus enabling assurance of any potential risks to users [4]. In homeopathy, L. clavatum is one of the most commonly prescribed medications. In clinical trials with healthy subjects, however, it has been shown to cause more symptoms, resulting in pathogenesis, compared with other medications [6]. Nonetheless, in vivo studies have shown that L. clavatum in dynamization 13cH, administered before Trypanosoma cruzi infection, had beneficial effects in mice and rats, including improvements in temperature regulation and weight mainte- nance, promotion of the normal consumption of water and food, the promotion of normal excreta, a reduction of blood parasitemia, and an overall increase in animal survival [7,8]. * Corresponding author. E-mail address: andreiavet@hotmail.com (A.V. Pereira). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2016.03.004 1876-3820/ ã 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. European Journal of Integrative Medicine xxx (2015) xxx–xxx G Model EUJIM 519 No. of Pages 6 Please cite this article in press as: A.V. Pereira, et al., Safety and efficacy of Lycopodium clavatum 200dH in Toxoplasma gondii infected mice, Eur. J. Integr. Med. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2016.03.004 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect European Journal of Integrative Medicine journa l home page : www.e lsevier.com/eujim