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How and Why are Dioxins Absorbed?
The main source of background human exposure to persistent lipophilic organic pollutants, such as Dioxins is diet.[1]
To learn how Dioxins and other lipophilic toxics gain access and are transported throughout the body click here.
Inside the body, Dioxins will eventually be stored in the fat cells where they will be released slowly over prolonged length of time.
The real danger and toxicity of Dioxins comes when the compound enters the nucleus of the cell and binds with the DNA influencing different changes within the cell. Dioxins require the aid of Ah receptors to gain access to the interior of the cell.[1]
Dioxins and Ah Receptor - Like a Key and Lock
Many different molecules bind to the Ah receptor, but certain Dioxins bind extraordinarily well, like a key for the Ah receptor lock. It forms a strong unit with the receptor and this unit is known as the receptor-dioxin complex. Dioxins cannot act without the Ah receptor: all of the toxic actions depend on the formation of this complex and thus dioxins have no effect on animal cells which have no Ah receptors. Many dioxins are flat molecules which resemble many natural hormones, which are the natural partners of the Ah receptor.[1]
The liver has a highly concentrated number of Ah receptors on cells, so a lot of cell invasion by Dioxins occurs there. This leads to the increase in enzymes and the inhibition of growth regulators of the liver.
Sources:
[1] http://www.gascape.org/index%20/Health%20effects%20of%20Dioxins.html
