• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.69-89
• /
• 2006

Biological mechanisms for ionizing radiation effects are different at low doses than at high doses. Radiation hormesis involves low-dose-induced protection and high-dose-induced harm. The protective component is associated with a reduction in the incidence of cancer below the spontaneous frequency, brought about by activation of defensive and repair processes. The Linear No-Threshold (LNT) hypothesis advocated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the Biological Effects of ionizing Radiation (BEIR) Report VII for cancer risk estimations Ignores hormesis and the presence of a threshold. Cancer incidences significantly less than expected have been found in a large number of epidemiological studies including, airline flight personnel, inhabitants of high radiation backgrounds, shipyard workers, nuclear site workers in scores of locations throughout the world, nuclear power utility workers, plutonium workers, military nuclear test site Participants, Japanese A-bomb survivors, residents contaminated by major nuclear accidents, residents of Taiwan living in $^{60}Co$ contaminated buildings, fluoroscopy and mammography patients, radium dial painters, and those exposed to indoor radon. Significantly increased cancer was not found at doses <200 $mSv^*$. Evidence for radiation hormesis was seen in both sexes for acute or chronic exposures, low or high LET radiations, external whole- or partial body exposures, and for internal radionuclides. The ubiquitous nature of the Healthy Worker Effect (HWE)-like responses in cellular, animal and epidemiological studies negates the HWE as an explanation for radiation hormesis. The LNT hypothesis is wrong and does not represent the true nature of the dose-response relationship, since low doses or dose-rates commonly result in thresholds and reduce cancer incidences below the spontaneous rate. Radiation protection organizations should seriously consider the cost and health implications of radiation hormesis.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.76-83
• /
• 1998

The most remarkable aspect in the hormesis law is that dose of harmful agents can produce effect that are diametrically opposite to the effect found with high doses of the same agent. Minute quantities of a harmful agent bring about very small change in the organism and control mechanisms appear to subjugate normal processes to place the organism in a state of albert and repair. The stimulated organism in more responsive to changes in environmental factors than it did before being alerted. Routine functions, including repair and defense, have priority for available energy and matetial. The alerted organism utilizes nutrients more efficiently, grows faster, shows improved defense, and lives longer. Accelerated germination, sprouting, growth, development, blooming and ripening, and increased crop yield and resistance to disease are found in plants. Another concept supported by the data in that low doses of ionizing radiation provide increased resistance to subsequent high doses of radiation. The hormesis varies with subject plant, variety, state of seed, environmental and cultural conditions, physiologic function measured, dose rate and total exposure. The results of hormesis are less consistently found, probably due to the great number of uncontrolled variables in the experiments. The general dosage for radiation homlesis in about 100 (10 to 1,000) times ambient or 100 (10 to 1,000) times less than a definitely harmful dose, but these must be modified to the occasion. Although little is known about most mechanisms of homzesis reaction, overcompensation of repair mechanism is offered as one mechanism.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.187-193
• /
• 2002

It has long been recognized that exposure to low levels of toxic chemicals could have beneficial effects, such as increased resistance to related chemicals or stimulation of growth or development. The notion of radiation hormesis, that exposure to low levels of ionizing radiation could produce beneficial effects, developed seriously in the late 1950’s, and was, to most radiation scientists, incredible. This was due in pan to the then prevailing ideas of radiobiological mechanisms, in part to the sweeping generalizations made by the leading proponents of the radiation hormesis concept, and in pan to the many failures to confirm reports of beneficial effects. More recent understanding of the mechanisms of radiation damage and repair, and discoveries of induction of gene expression by radiation and other genotoxic agents [the adaptive response] make it seem inevitable that under suitable conditions, irradiation will produce beneficial effects.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.350-356
• /
• 2015

There have been several studies on role of hormesis with light stimulation, however, the influence of light on fermentation is still poorly understood. In this study the relationship between LED (light emitting diode) hormesis and ethanol fermentation for Muscat bailey A wine was investigated. Two LEDs, one blue ($453{\pm}4nm$) and one green ($522{\pm}3nm$), were used. Both LED groups showed an inhibited production of lactic acid. The blue LED stimulated the growth of the yeast in early stage of the fermentation. Polyphenolic compounds and their antioxidant abilities were significantly increased by the green LED. These results demonstrate that LED irradiation must bring about hormesis and affect the growth rate of yeast in the early stage of the fermentation, and the contents of phytochemicals during fermentation. These findings indicate the possible application of LED hormesis for the wine fermentation. Further studies are needed to understand how LED irradiation induces hormesis effects during the fermentation process.

• Journal of the Korean Professional Engineers Association
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.8-19
• /
• 1996

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.159-169
• /
• 2012

Hormesis is a dose-response phenomenon that is characterized by low-dose stimulation and high-dose inhibition. This biphasic dose-responses have had a long and extensive history in the fields of chemical toxicology, radiation biology and pharmacology. Hormesis has been found from bacteria, fungi, plants and animals, but hormesis in plants has received relatively little attention. Thus principles, occurrence, factors affecting the expression of hormetic responses, and their mechanisms in plants induced by herbicides are reviewed to provide the potentials for crop enhancement. Bromacil, bromoxynil, chloramben, propachlor, terbacil, EPTC, MSMA, and glyphosate at low doses showed stimulatory response in growth. Subtoxic dose of glyphosate increased sucrose content in sugarcane that is used worldwide in sugarcane production. Low dose of protoporphyrinogen-inhibiting herbicides induced increased pathogen defence, and low dose of triazine herbicides improved nitrogen metabolism and increased protein content in some crops. Further researches on potential benefits and risks of hormesis and its mechanism are needed for application of crop enhancement in agriculture.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.47-51
• /
• 2000

Phytophthora blight of pepper, which is caused by Phytophthora capsici Leonian, is not only the most destructive disease worldwide, but also difficult to control effectively. It has been needed to have new trials for effective control to the disease. We employed radiation hormesis of gamma ray as the new trial in the control strategy. Two cultivars, Kwangbok and Dabok, were used to analyse whether gamma ray radiation can induce disease resistance. The germination rate of pepper seeds was significantly enhanced by the radiation at all dose levels. Stimulatory effect for resistance induction was found to differ between cultivars. It was confirmed that the remarkable effect was induced in Dabok and depended on radiation dosage. Disease resistance at 4 Gy was much higher than that of control. On the other hand, no detectable induction effect for resistance was observed in Kwangbok which was moderate resistant cultivar to gamma ray radiation. [Hormesis, Gamma ray, Pepper, Phytophthora blight, Resistance induction].

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.390-393
• /
• 1997

Hormetic effects of low dose radiation were analyzed in terms of growth stimulation in radish and three cultivars of chinese cabbage. Seeds irradiated with ${\gamma}$ radiation were planted in the green house and in the experimental field. Though it varied with cultivars of tested plants, hormetic effect of low dose ${\gamma}$ radiation on an early stage of growth were shown especially in germination rates and elongation of seedlings. The height of seedlings increased in 0.2 Gy irradiated group of Seolim cultivar and radish, in 1 Gy irradiated group of Konaenggi cultivar and in 4 Gy irradiated group of Ducksung cultivar, respectively, In case of plants grown in the experimental field, prominent were the height increase of radish and Seolim cultivar in 1 Gy irradiated group and the fresh weight increase of both radish and cabbage in 4 Gy irradiated group.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.247-253
• /
• 2000

In order to investigate the stimulatory effect(hormesis) of low dose gamma-radiation on the seeding growth of old seeds with respect to antioxidant defense systems, various doses of gamma radiation to the 5-year-old dried seeds of Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. cv Sulin eockaei). Compared to the new, 1-year- old seeds, old seeds irradiated by low does gamma radiation in the range of 1-2 Gy showed vigor growth as revealed by statistically significant increases both in the germination rates and the leaf size and fresh weight. Further, seedlings grown from seeds treated by low dose gamma radiation showed higher peroxidase and catalase activities than non-treated seedlings. These results suggest that the antioxidant defense systems could be closely related to the stimulatory effects of low dose radiation. [antioxidant enzyme, chinese cabbage, gamma radiation, germination rate, hormesis]

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.394-400
• /
• 2000

${\gamma}-Radiation$ at very low doses frequently has a stimulating or hormetic effect on the growth of organism. Effects of low dose ${\gamma}-ray$ irradiation on the root growth of soybean cultivars were investigated and hormetic effects by environmental conditions were compared with the occurrence of increased economic yield, seeds of cultivars were irradiated with the dose of $0.5{\sim}20Gy$ and cultivated in growth chamber controling temperature, humidity, light, greenhouse and field respectively. To understand hormetic effect on root growth of cultivars and the difference of hormetic effect by cultivation environment, harvested root of soybean cultivars were scanned with image file, and root surface area, root length, root average diameter etc. were examined by WinRhizo program. Also, dry weight of cultivars was examined. Root growth and dry weight of soybean cultivars showed apparently hormetic effect at cultivation of growth chamber condition. In field experiment executed for whole life cycle, yields of pea were not different significantly in each ${\gamma}-ray$ irradiated cultivars but weight of one hundred peas increased in whole ${\gamma}-ray$ irradiated cultivars. Increment of yield was assumed to be induced through shortening of maturing stage caused by ${\gamma}-ray$ hormesis in early growth stage.