Therapeutic effect of Arsenicum album on leukocytes.

The therapeutic effects of homoeopathic Arsenicum album potencies were investigated in-vitro, using a continuous cell line (MT4), pre-intoxicated with arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)), and then treated with succussed and unsuccussed homoeopathic potencies, 6CH, 30CH and 200CH. This study aimed to verify the homoeopathic law of similars and to determine whether potencies diluted beyond Avogadro's constant had physiological effects on cells; whether various potencies would cause different effects as suggested by the concept of hormesis; whether succussed and unsuccussed homoeopathic potencies had different effects on the cells; and to establish whether a biotechnological method could be used to evaluate the above. As(2)O(3) was used to pre-intoxicate and the MTT assay was used to measure the percentage cytotoxicity and half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of the cells.