Revision 1
March 19, 1998
by Radiation, Science, and Health, Inc.,
Edited by J. Muckerheide

1.4
Biology, Genetics & Cancer Research

"In 1888 Schulz (1888) published data indicating that poisonous substances had a stimulatory effect when given in small doses. This became the basis of the Arndt-Schulz law of today. Subsequent work has indicated that this is a general law which extends into areas seemingly far removed from the toxins or chemical substances which first interested Schulz. Thus, not only is the effect noted with chemicals but it may also be observed with such entities as radiation, heat, and cold, and indeed with any agent capable of exerting an effect on cells. The term hormoligosis has been proposed (Luckey 1956) to refer to that part of hormology which includes the entire phenomenon of the stimulatory effect of a small amount of an agent on living organisms.

"Hormesis (Southam and Ehrlich 1943) is that area of hormoligosis which deals with the stimulatory action of a subinhibitory amount of a toxin. Such compounds are known as hormetics. (As used in this study terms may be defined as follows: hormology is the study of stimulants and excitation; hormone is the special stimulating product of endocrine glands or special tissues; and hormoligosis the stimulation a small amount of any agent which is harmful when taken in large doses.)

"While studying fermentation in milk, Richert (1906) noted that heavy metals were stimulatory at concentrations lower than those which gave the harmful "oligodynamic action." Schulz (1888) and Branham (1929) have shown that most of the classic bactericidal agents exhibit hormesis in yeast. Antibiotics frequently cause a zone of accelerated growth in bacteriological assay work. Garrod’s evidence (1951) indicates that this may have a direct effect on the cells. The antibiotic growth stimulation of laboratory and farm animals has recently been reviewed in full (Luckey 1959a)."

"Since pharmacology is the department of medicine which deals most directly with such chemical effects on cells and tissues, a survey of hormetics is appropriate in this field. From the generalized viewpoint of hormology, a study of the action of a variety of drugs in animal systems may add further evidence to the validity of the thesis and illustrate a common denominator in drug action. Goodman and Gilman (1955) recognize the phenomenon of hormesis as being of a general nature as is shown by the following statement: ‘Quinine affects such a large variety of biological systems that it has been called a general protoplasmic poison; with some reservations this appraisal is probably correct. Like many other poisons of this sort, it may stimulate in low concentrations but depress in higher concentrations.’ Similar recognition is given by Drill, who stated, ‘There are many substances which cause stimulation of the central nervous system mixed with depression.... Agents showing mixed activity may cause initial stimulation, followed by depression .. . they are mentioned only as an unsolved pharmacologic curiosity.’ (1954)

"We surveyed the field of classic medical pharmacology for examples of hormetics, and the results are presented in tabular form."

"A possible mechanism of action at the cellular level has been suggested (Luckey 1959b) as follows: The stimulation reflects limitations in the ability of the organism to equate or modulate its response to a given stimulus at the lowest threshold of perception. If we assume that the response involves a chemical reaction, then the response of the organism is a unit (discontinuous) response, in which the lowest possible reaction would require one or more molecules to be changed. The release of an enzyme, proenzyme, hormone, or ribonucleic acid information molecule could quickly change the internal character of cells. The minimum response is an apparent overcompensation at the sensing threshold of the organism.

"The complexities of higher organisms lead to interactions between different cells and tissues. This allows a more complex reaction mechanism to be visualized. In spite of this, the over-all patterns of response are similar to those seen with micro-organisms. Irrespective of mechanism, common denominators evidently exist in the response of organisms to drugs at the threshold of perception and response levels."

"Summary and Conclusions

"The fact that so many apparently unrelated stimuli produce the same general response (for example, stimulation followed by depression) at least suggests that there are a few fundamental processes by which the cell responds to all such stimuli rather than myriad processes by which it responds to a wide variety of compounds. The complete pattern of drug-response patterns should be known. Demonstration of the uniformity of response in the face of diversity of stimulation (hormesis and hormetics are themselves but a small part of the field of hormoligosis) should point the way to a better understanding of drug action and allow some generalization in basic cellular physiology."