Defining hormesis

Human and Experimental Toxicology - Tập 21 Số 2 - Trang 91-97 - 2002
Edward J. Calabrese1, Linda A. Baldwin1
1Environmental Health Sciences, Morrill I, N344, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA;

Tóm tắt

Much confusion surrounds the concept of hormesis and what its biological meaning represents. This paper provides a definition of hormesis that addresses its historical foundations, quantitative features, and under-lying evolutionary and toxicologically based mechanistic strategies. Hormesis should be considered an adaptive response characterized by biphasic dose responses of generally similar quantitative features with respect to amplitude and range of the stimulatory response that are either directly induced or the result of compensatory biological processes following an initial disruption in homeostasis. Given the limited magnitude of the stimulatory response (i.e., usually 30–60% greater than controls at maximum), heightened study design and replication requirements are often necessary to ensure reliable judgments on causality. Even though hormesis is considered an adaptive response, the issue of beneficial/harmful effects should not be part of the definition of hormesis, but reserved to a subsequent evaluation of the biological and ecological context of the response.

Từ khóa


Tài liệu tham khảo

10.1037/h0041823

10.1037/h0049114

10.1177/0959354394044004

10.1177/019262339902700207

10.1006/rtph.1998.1267

10.1191/096032700678815602

10.1191/096032700678815611

10.1191/096032700678815620

10.1080/109158197226874

10.1080/10807039709383710

10.1093/toxsci/62.2.330

10.1002/ijc.2910510317

10.1016/S0022-5347(05)66157-5

10.1146/annurev.publhealth.22.1.15

10.1016/0024-3205(85)90027-X

10.2307/2480941

Fadda GZ, 1990, Am J Physiol, 258, E975

Luckey TD, 1980, Hormesis with ionizing radiation

Luckey TD, 1991, Radiation hormesis

Thông tin
Thông tin xuất bản

Human and Experimental Toxicology

Tập 21 Số 2

91-97

Thông tin tác giả