Biomaterial Database

Hormesis and risk assessment. 2005

Karl K Rozman

Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, 1018 Breidenthal Building, Mail Stop 1018, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160-7417, USA. krozman@kumc.edu

It is postulated in this paper that at low doses all chemicals have hormetic/hormoligotic (beneficial) effects in living organisms. It has been known since Paracelsus that at high doses all chemicals are toxic. The combination of low and high dose effects can be empirically described by a beta-curve or an inverted beta-curve. A mathematical method is suggested to determine the maximum of the beta-curve or the minimum of the inverted beta-curve, yielding a point estimate for risk assessment.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008954	Models, Biological	Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of biological processes or diseases. For disease models in living animals, DISEASE MODELS, ANIMAL is available. Biological models include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.	Biological Model,Biological Models,Model, Biological,Models, Biologic,Biologic Model,Biologic Models,Model, Biologic
D004305	Dose-Response Relationship, Drug	The relationship between the dose of an administered drug and the response of the organism to the drug.	Dose Response Relationship, Drug,Dose-Response Relationships, Drug,Drug Dose-Response Relationship,Drug Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Drug Dose-Response,Relationships, Drug Dose-Response
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014116	Toxicology	The science concerned with the detection, chemical composition, and biological action of toxic substances or poisons and the treatment and prevention of toxic manifestations.	Toxinology,Evidence Based Toxicology,Evidence-Based Toxicology,Based Toxicologies, Evidence,Based Toxicology, Evidence,Evidence Based Toxicologies,Evidence-Based Toxicologies,Toxicologies, Evidence Based,Toxicologies, Evidence-Based,Toxicology, Evidence Based,Toxicology, Evidence-Based
D018570	Risk Assessment	The qualitative or quantitative estimation of the likelihood of adverse effects that may result from exposure to specified health hazards or from the absence of beneficial influences. (Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 1988)	Assessment, Risk,Benefit-Risk Assessment,Risk Analysis,Risk-Benefit Assessment,Health Risk Assessment,Risks and Benefits,Analysis, Risk,Assessment, Benefit-Risk,Assessment, Health Risk,Assessment, Risk-Benefit,Benefit Risk Assessment,Benefit-Risk Assessments,Benefits and Risks,Health Risk Assessments,Risk Analyses,Risk Assessment, Health,Risk Assessments,Risk Benefit Assessment,Risk-Benefit Assessments