Search for the mechanism of toxicity of dioxins. A lesson in toxicology.
The development of modern toxicology was strongly influenced by parallel evolutions of sister disciplines as well as regulatory requirements. This led to an overemphasis of some areas of toxicology while other aspects of it experienced at least a temporary benign neglect. The author of this paper believes that the few and far between successes in elucidating the mechanism of toxicity of chemicals are related to this uneven approach to a very complex problem. Based on one of the most important and controversial contemporary issues in toxicology, viz. that of dioxins, it is argued that by a systematic step-wise use of methodologies borrowed from sister disciplines, our capabilities of elucidating the mechanism of action of toxicants can be considerably improved.
Rozman
K K
KK
Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66160-7417.
D000818:Animals; D004147:Dioxins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D013045:Species Specificity
D004147:Dioxins