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PubMed · 11280050

Chemo-defence system.

A Rico
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Abstract

By analogy with the immune defence system, the existence is suggested of a chemo-defence system protecting living organisms against toxic substances, whether natural or man-made, that are present in the environment. This paper deals first with the various facets of such a system: mechanisms involving, among others, lipophilic compounds, hydrophilic compounds, oxidants, acidosis, genotoxics and metals; second, with the biological characteristics of the system and a comparison with the immune defence system: partial immaturity of the young, inducibility, non-specificity and specificity, and saturability; we will show that the two systems share many common features; third, with the evolution of the system, which demonstrates that the system is very old and suggesting that it came into existence before the immune defence system; and fourth, with some of its consequences: estimation of the 'toxic effects' of low doses, hormesis, impact of a vegetable diet on health. Finally, it could be emphasised that life is well protected against chemicals by its chemo-defence system, which appeared very early with the first living organisms on the earth.

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BiotransformationCarcinogensDietEnvironmental PollutantsHumansImmunityImmunity, InnatePoisonsJournal ArticleReview

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A Rico. 2001. Chemo-defence system.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0764-4469(00)01281-6

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