Same Redox Evidence But Different Physiological “Stories”: The Rashomon Effect in Biology

Abstract

The Rashomon effect - a phenomenon studied in the arts and social sciences - occurs when the same event is given contradictory interpretations by different individuals involved. The effect was named after Akira Kurosawa's 1950 film Rashomon, in which a murder is described in four contradictory ways by four witnesses. In the film, a samurai has been killed under mysterious circumstances. Four people give contradictory reports about the crime. In particular, the samurai's wife claims that she was sexually abused by a bandit, fainted, and then awoke to find her husband dead; the bandit claims that he seduced the wife and challenged the samurai in a battle to victory or at least to an honorable death; the woodcutter (who may have been an onlooker) claims that he witnessed the rape and murder but was not involved; and the dead samurai's spirit claims that he committed suicide. The Rashomon effect is not only about constructing different versions of the world based on differences in perspective; it occurs when such differences appear together with the absence of evidence to assess any version of the truth, plus "the social pressure for closure on the question." In this commentary, we describe the relevance of the Rashomon effect beyond the arts and social sciences, namely in the field of biology. We use examples from redox biology, which is full of contradictions, thus making it fertile ground on which to apply reasoning derived from the Rashomon effect.

Hydrogen Peroxide and Redox Regulation of Developments

“…In 2017, Helmut Sies, a pioneer in redox biology, reviewed the topic and developed the concept of oxidative eustress (physiological redox signalling) and oxidative distress (pathophysiological disrupted redox signalling), bringing the two faces of ROS back together [ 11 ]. As recently noted [ 12 ], a new reading of the past literature might shed a new light on the tenets of redox signalling. Relevant issues are the nature of the ROS invoked, the accurate localization of its site of production, and its concentration, spreading and dynamics in the context of a defined physiological process.…”

The redox signal: A physiological perspective

“…It is quite common in the literature to read within a single article that oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis and progression of several diseases and, at the same time, that exercise induces oxidative stress, which is essential for several beneficial exercise responses and adaptations 44,45 . These differential biological effects of oxidative stress led to controversial interpretations among scientists and, as a result, to different theoretical frameworks in their experiments 46 . So, what are the differences between the two aforementioned redox cases (i.e., disease vs. exercise)?…”

“…44,45 These differential biological effects of oxidative stress led to controversial interpretations among scientists and, as a result, to different theoretical frameworks in their experiments. 46 So, what are the differences between the two aforementioned redox cases (i.e., disease vs. exercise)? Most likely there are various.…”

Quantitative Redox Biology of Exercise

“…Nowadays, every biologist seems to appreciate the profound influence the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) have on almost every aspect of life [1]. Indeed, the translational biology literature is rich in claims that reactive species are involved in virtually every biological process (e.g., aging and stress adaptation) and most human diseases (e.g., cancer and type II diabetes) [2].…”