{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T23:06:52Z","timestamp":1784761612112,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"Georg Thieme Verlag KG","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Homeopathy"],"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Identification of potential therapeutic strategies and molecular targets requires evaluation in robust preclinical models. Several homeopathic preparations have been reported to influence proliferation, apoptosis, and oxidative signaling in cancer cell models. Arsenicum iodatum (Ars. iod), a homeopathic preparation traditionally associated with degenerative and cachectic conditions and clinically used in some HCC patients at the Government Homoeopathic Cancer Centre, Kerala, has not previously been evaluated at the cellular level. The aim of this study was therefore to perform a preliminary investigation of the effects of Ars. iod on the human HCC cell line HepG2 in vitro.<\/jats:p>\n HepG2 cells were treated with Ars. iod at three potencies (6C, 12C, and 30C) and compared with untreated control cells. An ethanol-matched vehicle control was used in initial cytotoxicity studies. Cellular responses were assessed using the MTT cell-viability assay, acridine orange\/ethidium bromide (AO\/EtBr) staining for apoptotic morphology, propidium iodide staining with flow cytometry for cell cycle analysis and indirect ELISA for caspase-3 and caspase-7 protein expression. Experiments were performed in biological triplicate and statistically analyzed.<\/jats:p>\n Treatment with Ars. iod was associated with reduced HepG2 cell viability after 24\u2009hours. The calculated IC50 values for the 6C, 12C, and 30C potencies were 59.36, 38.47, and 31.86\u2009\u03bcL\/mL, respectively, compared with 55.19\u2009\u03bcL\/mL for the vehicle control. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated redistribution of cells across different phases following treatment, with 6C associated with accumulation in the G2\/M phase, 12C with increased S-phase population, and 30C with redistribution across both G0\/G1 and G2\/M phases. AO\/EtBr staining, together with elevated caspase-3 and caspase-7 protein expression levels, confirmed that Ars. iod was capable of inducing apoptosis in HepG2 cells.<\/jats:p>\n Under controlled in vitro conditions, homeopathic Ars. iod potencies were associated with potency-dependent cytotoxic, cell cycle perturbation, and apoptotic effects in HepG2 cells. These findings provide preliminary evidence supporting further investigation of the biological effects and underlying mechanisms of Ars. iod in HCC models.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1055\/a-2845-1058","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T22:59:21Z","timestamp":1784761161000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Arsenicum iodatum Induces Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Perturbation in HepG2 Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells: A Preliminary In Vitro Study"],"prefix":"10.1055","author":[{"given":"Vinu","family":"Krishnan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Department, Vinayaka Mission's Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation (Deemed to be University), Salem, Tamil Nadu, India"},{"name":"Department of Homoeopathy, Government Homoeopathic Cancer Centre (GHCC), Wandoor, Malappuram, Kerala, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Manju","family":"Sreeranganathan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Homoeopathy, Government of Kerala, Kerala, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sudheesh","family":"Chandran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Homoeopathy, Government Homoeopathic Cancer Centre (GHCC), Wandoor, Malappuram, Kerala, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Salini","family":"Kombiyil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Centre for Aquatic Animal health, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"194","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1038\/s41572-020-00240-3","article-title":"Hepatocellular carcinoma","volume":"7","author":"J M Llovet","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat Rev Dis Primers"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1118","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMra1001683","article-title":"Hepatocellular carcinoma","volume":"365","author":"H B El-Serag","year":"2011","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1450","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMra1713263","article-title":"Hepatocellular carcinoma","volume":"380","author":"A Villanueva","year":"2019","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"ref4","first-page":"84","article-title":"Comparative efficacy of potentized homeopathic remedies in cancer models","volume":"10","author":"P Banerjee","year":"2010","journal-title":"BMC Cancer"},{"key":"ref5","first-page":"395","article-title":"Cytotoxic effects of ultra-diluted remedies on breast cancer cells","volume":"36","author":"M Frenkel","year":"2010","journal-title":"Int J Oncol"},{"key":"ref6","first-page":"169","article-title":"Homeopathy and cancer: a systematic review","volume":"110","author":"A P Dos Santos","year":"2021","journal-title":"Homeopathy"},{"key":"ref7","first-page":"101","article-title":"Condurango 6C triggers apoptosis in human lung cancer cells","volume":"103","author":"S Sikdar","year":"2014","journal-title":"Homeopathy"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0044-1786035","article-title":"Ultradiluted homeopathic medicines cause apoptosis in RPMI-8226 multiple myeloma cells in vitro: a pilot study","volume":"114","author":"B Altinok Gunes","year":"2025","journal-title":"Homeopathy"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"172","DOI":"10.1177\/1534735411400310","article-title":"Induction of apoptosis of tumor cells by some potentiated homeopathic drugs: implications on mechanism of action","volume":"11","author":"K Preethi","year":"2012","journal-title":"Integr Cancer Ther"},{"key":"ref10","first-page":"99","article-title":"Arsenic-induced hepatocellular apoptosis: mitochondrial mechanisms","volume":"313","author":"V Kumar","year":"2019","journal-title":"Toxicol Lett"},{"key":"ref11","volume-title":"Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica","author":"W Boericke","year":"1927","edition":"9th ed."},{"key":"ref12","volume-title":"A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica","author":"J H Clarke","year":"1900","edition":"Vol. 1\u20133"},{"key":"ref13","volume-title":"Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica","author":"T F Allen","year":"1874","edition":"Vols 1\u201310"},{"key":"ref14","volume-title":"Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India","author":"Government of India","year":"1971","edition":"Vol II"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1016\/0022-1759(83)90303-4","article-title":"Rapid colorimetric assay for cellular growth and survival: application to proliferation and cytotoxicity assays","volume":"65","author":"T Mosmann","year":"1983","journal-title":"J Immunol Methods"},{"key":"ref16","first-page":"1448","article-title":"Nanoparticle characterization of potentized homeopathic drugs","volume":"13","author":"R Basu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"key":"ref17","first-page":"710813","article-title":"Explaining nano-structures and study designs: framework for homeopathy research","volume":"2012","author":"A R Khuda-Bukhsh","year":"2012","journal-title":"Evid Based Complement Alternat Med"},{"key":"ref18","first-page":"1038","article-title":"Hormesis: a fundamental concept in toxicology, aging and cancer research","volume":"12","author":"E J Calabrese","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ageing Res Rev"}],"container-title":["Homeopathy"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.thieme-connect.de\/products\/ejournals\/pdf\/10.1055\/a-2845-1058.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T22:59:24Z","timestamp":1784761164000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.thieme-connect.de\/DOI\/DOI?10.1055\/a-2845-1058"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]]},"references-count":18,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1055\/a-2845-1058","archive":["Portico","CLOCKSS"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["1475-4916","1476-4245"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1475-4916","type":"print"},{"value":"1476-4245","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]]}}}