Evidence that hormesis represents an "overcompensation" response to a disruption in homeostasis.

The hypothesis that growth hormesis represents an overcompensation to a disruption in homeostasis was supported in experiments assessing the effects of the synthetic plant growth inhibitor phosfon (2,4-dichlorobenzyl tributyl phosphonium chloride) on peppermint. While dose-dependent decreases in growth occurred initially in all treatment groups substantial compensation growth subsequently occurred across treatment groups. The low-dose treatment groups more than fully compensated for the initial growth decrement (20-25%), displaying a net stimulatory response by 5 weeks, whereas the high-dose treatment groups never fully compensated for the initial growth decrement (50-75%). These findings, within the context of other similar reported observations, are believed to be widely generalizable and may have important implications for biomedical fields including the design and interpretation of the bioassay especially within the context of the hazard/risk assessment process. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.