The chapters of this book report cutting-edge research on molecular events in adiposity and type 2 diabetes, thus opening the way for innovative drug-based therapeutic strategies. It addresses all those who wish to keep in touch with recent developments in the field.

FROM NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR DR. JASON FUNG * "The doctor who invented intermittent fasting."-The Daily Mail "Dr. Fung reveals how [type 2 diabetes] can be prevented and also reversed using natural dietary methods instead of medications ... This is an important and timely book. Highly recommended."-Dr. Mark Hyman, author of The Pegan Diet "Dr. Jason Fung has done it again. ... Get this book!"-Dr. Steven R. Gundry, author of The Plant Paradox Everything you believe about treating type 2 diabetes is wrong. Today, most doctors, dietitians, and even diabetes specialists consider type 2 diabetes to be a chronic and progressive disease-a life sentence with no possibility of parole. But the truth, as Dr. Fung reveals in this groundbreaking book, is that type 2 diabetes is reversible. Writing with clear, persuasive language, Dr. Fung explains why conventional treatments that rely on insulin or other blood-glucose-lowering drugs can actually exacerbate the problem, leading to significant weight gain and even heart disease. The only way to treat type 2 diabetes effectively, he argues, is proper dieting and intermittent fasting-not medication. "The Diabetes Code is unabashedly provocative yet practical ... a clear blueprint for everyone to take control of their blood sugar, their health, and their lives."- Dr. Will Cole, author of Intuitive Fasting

Diagnosis and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a comprehensive clinical reference work for primary care physicians, internists, general endocrinologists, obstetricians, gynecologists and students. PCOS is a common but frequently misdiagnosed disease. Many symptoms can be alleviated by early intervention and effective management.

Prominent endocrinologists are gathered to detail current research and treatment in this metabolic disorder, affecting a growing population. The chapters are comprehensive, providing cutting edge knowledge on pathogenesis, manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of PCOS. Each chapter will be concise concluding with cogent practice points.

The variety of medical issues presenting in PCOS patients result in late referrals or in- appropriate advice. This title will be a tool in a further understanding of the metabolic and genetic basis of PCOS, while providing management strategies.

This book is an edited collection of the literature on leptin beginning with the discovery of leptin and a study of its affect on animals and in humans. Chapters will focus on the discovery, history, roles and regulation of leptin in all the major areas of physiology, as well as on assay methods, phylogeny and genetics. The timing of this volume is long overdue and is the first comprehensive coverage of leptin physiology in the field.

- This series is indexed in index Medicus

- The turn around time for this series is fast, making the research as accurate as a journal

Biomedical devices that contact with blood or tissue represent a wide range of products. Depending on their potential harm to a body, medical devices are categorized according to the degree, so their safety can be assured. All biomaterials are by definition designed to contact with a body for a certain period of time. The nature of the body contact, as well as the duration a material contacts with the body may initiate unwanted biological In comparison with invasive devices Oike catheters and medical responses. implants contact directly with tissue or with the circulating blood) non invasive devices (like wound-dressings and contact lenses contact with the skin, the sclera, and the mucosa or with open wounds) have a lesser risk of hurting a patient. When blood contacts with a foreign material, plasma proteins become absorpted to the surface within a few seconds. The reactions that follow, the so-called intrinsic pathway lead to the formation of fibrin and activation of platelets and white blood cells, result in blood clot formation."

Sex Hormone Replacement Therapy addresses important issues in contemporary endocrinology. Its major emphasis is on the consequences of the menopause and on androgen deficiency in the absence of overt disease of the hypothalamus and/or pituitary in men. The use of hormone therapy for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women has become an area of major debate, and the pros and cons are examined in detail. Secondary prevention also remains controversial and is addressed in this volume. An issue of particular concern is the treatment of estrogen deficiency symptoms in women with the diagnosis of breast cancer. Whether older men with some androgen deficiency symptoms and equivocally low plasma testosterone concentrations should be treated with androgens is also a matter of great debate, as is the efficacy and safety of plant estrogens in the treatment of menopause-related complaints. Sex Hormone Replacement Therapy will be of interest to students and non-specialists, as well as a wide range of medical practitioners including endocrinologists, gynecologists, rheumatologists and cardiologists.

Is the nephrology community facilitating excess cardiovascular deaths in patients with kidney failure and anemia by treating to a subnormal hematocrit? Why have clinicians and nephrologists permitted health insurance companies and the government to decide when anemia therapy should begin in persons with progressive kidney failure? Is iron the only variable that can be manipulated to maximize response to recombinant erythropoietin? Are we using too much intravenous iron in kidney failure patients, and is oral iron supplementation worthless in sustaining iron stores during long-term erythropoietin treatment? When does left ventricular hypertrophy begin to emerge in patients with progressive renal disease and is there convincing evidence that anemia is a significant cause of LVH in this setting? Is darbepoetin alfa, a new novel, long-acting erythropoietin, really superior to recombinant erythropoietin? This book is a compilation of proceedings from a conference in Brooklyn convened to address these and other controversial and unresolved issues in renal anemia management.

aintaining extracellular calcium concentrations within a narrow range is critical for the survival of most vertebrates. PTH, together with vitamin D, responds to hypocalcemia to increase extracellu M lar calcium levels, by acting on bone, kidney and intestine. The recent intro duction of PTH as a major therapeutic agent in osteoporosis has directed renewed interest in this important hormone and in the physiology of the parathyroid gland. The parathyroid is unique in that low serum calcium stimulates PTH secretion. As hypocalcemia persists, there is also an increase in PTH synthesis. Chronic hypocalcemia leads to hypertrophy and hyper plasia of the parathyroid gland together with increased production of the hormone. Phosphate is also a key modulator of PTH secretion, gene expres sion and parathyroid cell proliferation. Understanding the biology of the parathyroid as well as the mecha nisms of associated diseases has taken great strides in recent years. This book summarizes the molecular mechanisms involved in the function of the para thyroid gland. The first chapter reviews the development of the parathyroid gland and the genes involved in this process as identified using genetically manipulated mice. Then the biosynthetic pathway of PTH from gene ex pression to its intracellular processing and the sequences in the gene control ling its transcription as well as those regulating mRNA processing, stability and translation are described."

Roger Cone and a distinguished team of expert investigators provide the first major treatment of this critically important receptor family. The book illuminates the structure and function of these receptors through a wide-ranging review of the latest findings concerning the biology, physiology, and pharmacology of their peptide ligands and covers the major melanocortin peptides, Melanocortin-1-Receptors through Melanocortin-5-Receptors. Topics include the characterization of the melanocortin receptors, the biochemical mechanism of receptor action, and receptor function and regulation. Timely and authoritative, The Melanocortin Receptors offers an up-to-date knowledge base on the remarkably complex structure and functions of the melanocortins, a guide that will prove invaluable for today's neuroscientists, endocrinologists, pharmacologists, and other clinical and experimental investigators working in this fast moving field.

Physiological, pharmacological and molecular biological data generated over the past three decades have demonstrated the existence of two major families of extracellular receptors, the P1, a family of four G-protein coupled receptors and the P2, a family of at least 12 receptors responsive to purine (ATP, ADP) and pyrimidine (UTP) nucleotides through which adenosine and ATP can function as extracellular messengers. The present two-part volume represents an integrated compendium of invited chapters by leading researchers in the area focusing on advances in the understanding of purinergic and pyrimidinergic signaling systems, their role(s) in tissue function and pathophysiology and advances in developing potential new medications based on the modulation of P1 and P2 receptor signaling processes. The volumes will thus provide the reader with a topical, comprehensive and integrated overview of this important area.

This timely book provides an overview of topics related to obesity. These include associated health risks, childhood obesity, genetics, evaluation, treatment, behavioral strategies, and successes and failures in preventing obesity. The volume covers evaluation guidelines, different approaches to treatment, including diet, exercise, behavior, drugs, and surgery to deal with the current world-wide obesity epidemic.

The cover of this book summarizes the central features of the sequestration hypothesis: Commonplace appearances seen in human coronary artery, fat stained in paraffin seetions by a new technique explained in Chapter Eleven, are arranged to suggest pathways of evolution toward atheroma. The hypothesis formulated and defended in the pages ofthis book is this: Fibroplasia progresses upward in column "a" from "la" to "3a" as a characteristic feature of aging. This starts sooner and progresses faster in men than in wornen. Numbers ofSMC's remain essentially constant so that fibroplasia per SMC steadily increases. The rise upward conveys an increasing propensity to sequester atherogenic lipids, causing transition rightward into column "b." Sequestered extracellular lipid then attracts fatty streak elements, especially foam cells and lyrnphocytes, to propel the arterial site rightward into column "c." Frame "lc" corresponds to the AHA Lesions Committee classification type IIb, the progression resistant fatty streak arising directly without prior lipid sequestration; this can progress to atheroma, but slowly after much delay, although extreme provocation can accelerate the process. Such progression is rightward toward atherorna with thin cap, not upward toward fibroplastic thickening. Frame "2c" corresponds to the AHA classification, type Ha, progression prone fatty streaks. These readily evolve into atheroma, again by horizontal progression.

Information gathered from cell-free systems, cell cultures, animal models, and human studies, together provide important insights to our understanding of hormonal cancer causation, development, and prevention; the primary objective of these Symposia. A special emphasis is placed on the two major endocrine-related cancers, that is, breast and prostate. The emerging fields of colon, lung, and pancreatic cancers in relation to hormones are examined.

Every year there are new and exciting developments in assisted human reproduction, but how much do we really know about the underlying causes of infertility? This volume explores recent progress in the understanding of the genetics of spermatogenesis and male infertility. Topics include fundamental advances and current problems in the development and function of the testis, an outline of clinical findings in male infertility and an overview of the role of the Y chromosome in male fertility. Comprehensive critiques of posttranscriptional control during spermatogenesis, mammalian meiotic sterility, and comparative genetics of human spermatogenesis from the perspective of yeast, Drosophila and mice provide a global overview of the field.

Research into the paraoxonase (PON) multigene family has really only blossomed in the last 10 years. Before this time only PON1 was known and research was restricted to toxicologists investigating the metabolism of organophosphate insecticides and nerve gases and a few mad scientists searching for natural substrates.

Since this time two new members PON2 and PON3 have been discovered, all 3 PONs have been shown to act as antioxidants and the PON family has taken centre stage as major players in the development of a wide variety of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, rheumatism, Alzheimer and many more while remaining important in determining organophosphate toxicity.

In September 2006 the 2nd International Conference on Paraoxonases took place in Hajduszoboszlo, Hungary, bringing together the world's foremost experts in the field. The current book is a distillation of the plenary lectures which took place at the meeting, resulting in a comprehensive up to date, state of the art review of current paraoxonase research."

The obesity epidemic has generated immense interest in recent years due to the wide-ranging and significant adverse health and economic consequences that surround the problem. Much attention has been focused on behaviors that lead to obesity, in particular to over consumption of energy-dense food and to sedentary lifestyle. However, obesity is an extremely complex condition with poorly defined pathogenesis. Thanks to greatly enhanced research in the area, the discovery of pathways in the brain and peripheral organs that mediate energy homeostasis has provided a framework for understanding the biological basis of obesity. Metabolic Basis of Obesity adds an important new dimension to the growing literature on obesity by offering a comprehensive review of specifically how metabolic imbalance culminates in obesity. Developed by a team of expert authors, this important title discusses the principles of energy balance, genetics of body weight regulation, hormones and adipokines, and metabolic pathways in the brain, liver, muscle and fat, to name just several of the areas covered. The book also examines the connection between obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other complications. Current and future diagnostic and treatment strategies are also reviewed. Comprehensive and timely, Metabolic Basis of Obesity is an essential reference for understanding the burgeoning problem of obesity.

This text is a review of current management techniques for pituitary tumors, incorporating recent advances and discussions by experienced clinicians. The use of both endocrinologists and neurosurgeons as chapter authors allows differing perspectives to be incorporated. The book is organized around individual tumor types, with additional chapter topics added for those subjects requiring special emphasis. Appropriate photographs and illustrations are incorporated as warranted.

Distinguished clinician-scientists describe in concise studies their most difficult cases and reveal what they did, how they did it, and why. The cases cover a wide range of endocrine problems. Each case study reviews how the patient was managed, details the reasons why various tests and treatments-many only recently available-were carried out, and provides references to ensure that those novel methodologies can be easily translated into the endocrine specialist's daily practice. The authors provide practical solutions for these difficult-to-manage cases, and successfully apply knowledge fresh from the laboratory to decisions about patient management. Practical and stimulating, Challenging Cases in Endocrinology demonstrates for every clinical endocrinologist precisely how specialists approach their most challenging cases and how these approaches can be effectively applied in the daily practice of endocrinology.

During the past five to ten years, a variety of tools has been developed in the disciplines of both gene engineering, and molecular and structural biology. Some of these advances have permitted scientists not only to identify and characterize genes, but also to target these genes by disruption, thus eliminating their function in living animals, and to det- mine the biological responses to altered gene products. This has particular significance in endocrine systems, in which feedback mechanisms between the hypothalamus, pi- itary, and end organs are critical in normal physiology. Interpretation of the physiological significance, or the site of action of specific molecules in this context, has been difficult prior to transgenic technology. Major advances have occurred specifically in the areas of growth and development, and of reproduction. Coupled with analysis of naturally occurring mutations in humans, the use of transgenic animals and in vitro systems has recently allowed endocrinologists to understand the importance of specific thyroid hormone receptor isoforms in vivo, the molecular basis for generalized resistance to thyroid hormones via mutations in the nuclear receptor, and mechanisms for suppressing gene transcription. Previously designated "orphan rec- tors," such as steroidogenic factor-1, were demonstrated to have critical roles in dev- opment and reproduction. Other nuclear receptors-including those for thyroid hormone, estrogens, androgens, and progesterone-were shown to bind to coactivator and co- pressor proteins that modified their transcriptional activity, and contributed to the ce- specific effects of the hormones.

Leading clinical and basic science researchers present the latest molecular and cellular findings on key gut peptides, illuminating their physiology and pathophysiology, as well as highlighting the regulatory mechanisms underlying their action in the intestinal tract. The book focuses on gut peptide physiology and receptor pharmacology, gut processing and receptor biology, and on regulatory mechanisms in the gut, including pancreatic feedback mechanisms. Also included are chapters on the trophic effects of gut peptides on GI and pancreatic cancer; the regulation of gut peptide gene expression; and gastric secretion, especially in diseased states.

Gerald Reaven, the discoverer of Syndrome X, and a panel of world-class investigators thoughtfully summarize our current understanding of how insulin resistance and its compensating hyperinsulinemia play a major role in the pathogenesis and clinical course of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease-the so-called diseases of Western civilization. These distinguished authorities detail, for the first time, the pathophysiological consequences and the clinical syndromes, excluding Type 2 diabetes, related to insulin resistance. They also examine the genetic and lifestyle factors that contribute to the wide differences in insulin action that exist in the population at large. Timely and authoritative, Insulin Resistance: The Metabolic Syndrome X illuminates the full importance of insulin resistance as a major cause of hypertension, heart disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome.

This is a comprehensive and novel text that examines key features that predispose individuals to autoimmune diseases. The first section details the basic mechanism of autoimmunity and examines immunogenetic and environmental factors in autoimmunity. The next section examines autoimmune thyroid disease. The third section takes a look at Type 1 diabetes mellitus. In the final section, authors explain other autoimmune endocrinopathies.

Don P. Wolf and Mary Zelinski-Wooten provide a comprehensive review of the procedures and techniques used in assisted reproduction, as well as in nuclear transfer for both the treatment of human infertility and the propagation of animals. Combining the details of clinical application with the physiological facts of reproduction, the authors treat subjects such as the in vitro maturation of oocytes, embryo culture, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and the process of nuclear transfer. Cutting-edge and wide-ranging, Assisted Fertilization and Nuclear Transfer in Mammals offers clinical ARTs practitioners, research scientists, those responsible for animal care, and students not only an informative historical perspective on the development of ARTs, but also updates on several of the more dynamic clinical areas, and a highly practical understanding of their applications.

RNA binding proteins are an exciting area of research in gene regulation. A multitude of RNA-protein interactions are used to regulate gene expression including pre-mRNA splicing, polyadenylation, editing, transport, cytoplasmic targeting, translation and mRNA turnover. In addition to these post-transcriptional processes, RNA-protein interactions play a key role in transcription as illustrated by the life cycle of retroviruses. Unlike DNA, the structure of RNA is highly variable and conformationally flexible, thus creating a number of unique binding sites and the potential for complex regulation by RNA binding proteins. Although there is a wide range of topics included in this volume, general themes have been repeated, highlighting the overall integrative nature of RNA binding proteins. The chapters have been separated into three different sections: Translational Control; mRNA Metabolism; and Hormonal and Homeostatic Regulation. The chapters of this volume were written with the seasoned investigator and student in mind. Summaries of key concepts are reviewed within each chapter as well as guiding questions that can be used to stimulate class discussions. The Editors of this volume hope that this compendium educates, enthralls, and stimulates the readers to look to the future possibilities in this rapidly evolving field.