Toxicology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Toxicology, including details on forensic toxicology, carcinogenicity, assays.

Hormesis: Why it is Important to Toxicology and Toxicologists.

Calabrese E

Abstract This article provides a comprehensive review of hormesis, a dose-response concept that is characterized by a low dose stimulation and a high dose inhibition. The article traces the historical foundations of hormesis, its quantitative features, mechanistic foundations and its risk assessment implications. The article indicates that the hormesis dose-response is the most fundamental dose-response, significantly outcompeting other leading dose-response models in large scale head-to-head evaluations. The hormetic dose-response is highly generalizable, being independent of biological model, endpoint measured, chemical class, and inter-individual variability. Hormesis also provides a framework for the study and assessment of chemical mixtures, incorporating the concept of additivity and synergism. Since the hormetic biphasic dose-response represents a general pattern of biological responsiveness it is expected that it will become progressively more significant within toxicological evaluation and risk assessment practices as well as having numerous biomedical applications.

Published 15 February 2008 in Environ Toxicol Chem.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Toxicology Research Today. All Rights Reserved.