Potentized Mercuric chloride and Nux vomica facilitate water permeability in erythrocytes of a fresh-water catfish Clarius batrachus under acute ethanol intoxication.

Objectives: The primary biomolecular target of a homeopathic potency is unknown. If it is a plasma membrane protein such as water-channel protein, the drug would alter water permeation in cells. Therefore, the objective is to see if potentized homeopathic drugs like Mercuric chloride 30c and Nux vomica 30c could alter permeation of water through the erythrocytes of a fresh water fish under acute ethanol intoxication. Location: The work was carried out in the Zoology Laboratory of Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India. Subject: Live freshwater catfish. Design: Erythrocytes collected from fish with and without ethanol intoxication were incubated in distilled water at 30°C for 30 minutes with Ethanol 30c (control), Merc cor 30c (test 1), and Nux vomica 30c (test 2). Merc cor 30c and Nux vom 30c were prepared by successive dilution of the respective mother tinctures with 90% ethanol (1:100) followed by sonication at 20 kHz for 30 seconds in 30 steps. Ethanol 30c was prepared in the same w...