Adaptive response hypothesis

Interpretation of the Beneficial Actions of CR Based On the Adaptive Response Hypothesis... 

Fig. 13. Summary of the beneficial actions of caloric restriction based on the evolutional adaptive response hypothesis.

The results of this study are consistent with Van Abbe s original hypothesis that dandruff is an adaptive response to a threshold irritation. Our conclusion is that dandruff) diagnosed by consumers, is an inflammatory disease with multiple causes (irritants). Consumers susceptible to harsh detergents or alkaline soaps or to metabolic irritants produced by P. ovale respond when exposed to these irritants and produce the symptoms of scalp itching... 

Observational studies Yellow fever vaccine can very rarely cause severe adverse reactions, particularly neurotropic and visceral complications. Viral and host factors have been postulated to explain the basis of these reactions. However, the mechanisms underlying their occurrence remain unknown. A detailed immunological analysis of a 23-year-old woman has been published. She developed encephalitis, pancreatitis, and myositis after receiving a 17D-204 yellow fever vaccine and had various immunological abnormalities, which are described in detail in this chapter. The authors considered that the results supported the hypothesis that a strong adaptive response and abnormalities in the innate immune system may be involved in the establishment of severe adverse reactions after yellow fever vaccination [32 ]. 

If the difference in response to ozone between Canadians and southern Californians studied is accepted as real, a hypothesis of adaptation in southern Californians is supported. Further support of the hypothesis requires demonstration that the subjects tested are truly representative of larger population groups residing in the same areas and that identifiable factors other than adaptation are not sufficient to explain the observations. 

In relatively recent years, it has become clear that under-nntrition of mother leads to low birth weight of the baby and this can increase the risk of development of degenerative disease in later life, e.g. hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes. One hypothesis is that the foetus adapts meta-bolically to deficiencies by increasing the number of cells in organs that perform specific functions that can overcome the deficiency, e.g. an increase in the number of liver cells that carry out gluconeogenesis, an increase in cells in the adrenal cortex to produce more of the chronic stress hormone, cortisol. These changes are carried over into adnlthood which can lead to an inadequate response of the liver to insulin so that insulin resistance develops. So far, however, it is unclear whether deficiencies in specific nntrients or undemutrition per se are responsible for snch changes (Chapter 15). 

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