Majewsky Vera, Scherr Claudia, Schneider Claudia, Arlt Sebastian Patrick, Baumgartner Stephan
Institute of Complementary Medicine, University of Bern, Fabrikstrasse 8, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Clinic for Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Königsweg 65 (Haus 27), 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Institute of Complementary Medicine, University of Bern, Fabrikstrasse 8, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Hiscia Institute, Society for Cancer Research, Kirschweg 9, 4144 Arlesheim, Switzerland.
Homeopathy. 2017 Aug;106(3):145-154. doi: 10.1016/j.homp.2017.04.001. Epub 2017 May 9.
A previous study reported a significant statistical interaction between experiment date and treatment effect of Argentum nitricum 14x-30x on the growth rate of duckweed (Lemna gibba L.). The aim of the present study was to investigate the stability of the test system and intra-laboratory reproducibility of the effects found.
Duckweed was treated with A. nitricum potencies (14x-30x) as well as succussed and unsuccussed water controls. The outcome parameter area-related growth rate for day 0-7 was determined by a computerised image analysis system in two series of independent randomised and blinded experiments. Systematic negative control (SNC) experiments were carried out to investigate test system stability. Statistical analysis was performed with full two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and protected Fisher's Least Significant Difference (LSD) test.
In the first repetition series we found a significant treatment effect (p = 0.016), while in the second series no effect was observed. The negative control experiments showed that the experimental system was stable. An a posteriori subgroup analysis concerning gibbosity revealed the importance of this growth state of L. gibba for successful reproduction of the statistically significant interaction in the original study; flat: no interaction (p = 0.762); slight gibbosity: no interaction (p = 0.356); medium gibbosity: significant interaction (p = 0.031), high gibbosity: highly significant interaction (p = 0.005).
With the original study design (disregarding gibbosity status of L. gibba) results of the original study could not be reproduced sensu stricto. We conclude that the growth state gibbosity is crucial for successful reproduction of the original study. Different physiological states of the test organisms used for bioassays for homeopathic basic research must carefully be considered.
先前的一项研究报告称，实验日期与硝酸银14倍至30倍稀释液对浮萍（Lemna gibba L.）生长速率的治疗效果之间存在显著的统计学交互作用。本研究的目的是调查测试系统的稳定性以及所发现效应的实验室内再现性。
用硝酸银稀释液（14倍至30倍）以及震荡和未震荡的水对照处理浮萍。在两个独立的随机双盲实验系列中，通过计算机图像分析系统确定第0至7天的与面积相关的生长速率这一结果参数。进行系统阴性对照（SNC）实验以研究测试系统的稳定性。采用全双因素方差分析（ANOVA）和受保护的费舍尔最小显著差异（LSD）检验进行统计分析。
在第一个重复系列中，我们发现了显著的治疗效果（p = 0.016），而在第二个系列中未观察到效果。阴性对照实验表明实验系统是稳定的。关于叶状体状态的事后亚组分析表明，浮萍的这种生长状态对于在原始研究中成功再现具有统计学意义的交互作用很重要；扁平：无交互作用（p = 0.762）；轻微叶状体：无交互作用（p = 0.356）；中等叶状体：显著交互作用（p = 0.031），高叶状体：高度显著交互作用（p = 0.005）。
按照原始研究设计（不考虑浮萍的叶状体状态），无法严格意义上再现原始研究的结果。我们得出结论，叶状体生长状态对于成功再现原始研究至关重要。用于顺势疗法基础研究生物测定的受试生物的不同生理状态必须仔细考虑。
