Synergy and other ineffective mixture risk definitions

摘要: A substantial effort has been spent over the past few decades to label toxicologic interaction outcomes as synergistic, antagonistic, or additive. Although useful in influencing emotions of public and press, these labels have contributed fairly little our understanding joint toxic action. Part difficulty is that their underlying toxicological concepts are only defined for two chemical mixtures, while most environmental occupational exposures mixtures many more chemicals. Furthermore, mathematical characterizations synergism antagonism inextricably linked prevailing definition 'no interaction,' instead some intrinsic property. For example, US EPA selected dose addition no-interaction mixture risk assessment, so would represent effects exceed those predicted from addition. now, such regulatory agencies, both qualitative indications health well numerical decision tools characterization. Efforts quantify designations use assessment formulas, however, highly simplified carry large uncertainties. Several research directions, pharmacokinetic measurements models, toxicogenomics, should promote significant improvements by providing multi-component data will allow biologically based models toxicity replace pairwise procedures.