[ RadSafe ] A scientific explanation of Hormesis

[Flanigan, Floyd]

Tariq,
I am a firm supporter of the Hormesis logic but have to interject: The
levels of radiation required to produce any notable amount of Hydrogen
Peroxide would not be considered low level. I believe the mechanism for
radiation-initiated Hormesis is the killing off or sloughing of cells
before they become a burden to the system i.e. Once the cell reaches
it's productivity apex on the theoretical curve, it is sloughed, rather
than beginning the descent down the back side of the curve during which
time it is a burden on the system to maintain. However ... regardless of
whether the ascorbic acid mechanism can be directly correlated to the
mechanism of radiation Hormesis, it is still Hormesis. 

As for the hydrogen peroxide interaction, when hydrogen peroxide is
produced in the body, the body reacts by producing an extremely rapid
enzyme called hydrogen peroxidase, which destroys the hydrogen peroxide.


The hydrogen peroxide is actually produced by radiation in the body in
two parts which later combine to become hydrogen peroxide (hydronium and
hydroxyls: both free radicals).

(Follow me now ... )

Radiation is believed to cause changes in the chromosome structure in
the form of dicentric and ring formations during chromosomal splits. 

The next step could well be that the hydrogen peroxide induced hydrogen
peroxidase enzymes destroy the dicentric formations as well as the ring
formations which are, of course mutations in the chromosomes.

Soooooo ... pretty much anything which causes the body to produce a
limited amount of free radicals may well have a Hormetic effect and help
us fight off cancer.

Pardon the circular logic.

It's been one of those days.

Floyd W.Flanigan B.S.Nuc.H.P.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of Tariq Tahir
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 2:05 PM
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: [ RadSafe ] A scientific explanation of Hormesis

Dear Radsafers,
 We have been discussing Hormesis without any medical basis. However 
recently Dr. Mark Levine, MD of NIDDK, National Institutes of Health,
has 
indicated that large doses of Vitamin C ( Ascorbic Acid) may cause to 
inhibit cancer. However Ascorbic acid does not act on its own but it
leads 
to formation of Hydrogen peroxide outside the blood vessels in the
tissue 
which kills the cancer cells. 

Well.... radiation produces Hydrogen peroxide in the tissue, so this may
be 
the reason that cancer is inhibited due to low dose radiation !
Please comment on this theory. Has Hormesis finally found a scientific 
explanation ?
 Tariq B. Tahir
Manager, Health Physics,
KANUPP