One of the prerequisites for survival is the ability of cells to maintain their volume. Thus, during the course of evolution cells have "learned" a variety of strategies to achieve volume homeostasis. This volume regulatory machinery involves regulation of both, cellular metabolism and cellular transport and is exploited by hormones and transmitters to regulate cellularfunction. This book to illustrates the complex interplay of cell volume regulatory mechanisms and cellular function in a variety of tissues. However, our knowledge is still far from being conclusive, and the present collection of reviews is thought to foster further experimental efforts to unravel the role of cell volume in the integrated function of cells.

When seen from an outsider's vantage point, the development of knowledge in the sensory sciences must appear massive and the result of some carefully followed master plan. In reality, it is the result of numerous relatively independent human endeavors shaped by application of the scientific method. The comprehensive construction of quantitative theories of sense organ function has occurred only recently -but at an explosive rate prefaced by centuries of expansion in the physical sciences. Predicated on this growth, the twentieth century may become known as the age of the biological sciences. With the exception of a modest number of intellectual giants, there were few contributors to the foundations of the sensory sciences before the dawn of this century. At least 90% of existing knowledge has been produced by scientists working in laboratories founded since 1920. If any single scientist and his laboratory may be identified with the growth in the sensory sciences, it is EDGAR DOUGLAS ADRIAN, First Baron of Cambridge and leader of the Physiological Laboratory at Cambridge University, England. Lord ADRIAN'S influence upon the sensory sciences was great, not only in terms of his contribution to knowledge itself but also through the influence which he exerted upon numerous young scientists who spent weeks or years at the Cambridge laboratory and who later returned to their homelands and colleagues with the seeds of vigorous research and quantitative inquiry firmly implanted.

Modem Methods of Plant Analysis When the handbook Modern Methods of Plant Analysis was first introduced in 1954 the considerations were: 1. the dependence of scientific progress in biology on the improvement of existing and the introduction of new methods; 2. the difficulty in finding many new analytical methods in specialized journals which are normally not accessible to experimental plant biologists; 3. the fact that in the methods sections of papers the description of methods is frequently so compact, or even sometimes so incomplete that it is difficult to reproduce experiments. These considerations still stand today. The series was highly successful, seven volumes appearing between 1956 and 1964. Since there is still today a demand for the old series, the publisher has decided to resume pUblication of Modern Methods of Plant Analysis. It is hoped that the New Series will be just as acceptable to those working in plant sciences and related fields as the early volumes undoubtedly were. It is difficult to single out the major reasons for success of any publication, but we believe that the methods published in the first series were up-to-date at the time and presented in a way that made description, as applied to plant material, complete in itself with little need to consult other publications. Contributing autllors have attempted to follow these guidelines in this New Series of volumes.

The most comprehensive and conceptual one-volume treatment of this field available and the first to emphasize the cellular and molecular aspects of gut peptide biology. Authored by an array of internationally distinguished scientists, it deals with issues of peptide localization and biosynthesis in gastrointestinal cells, mechanisms of peptide release and inactivation and the nature of peptide receptors. The breadth and readability make it an invaluable reference source for scientists in all disciplines interested in any aspect of brain-gut peptides.

This volume intends to provide a comprehensive overview on the mecha nisms of muscle contraction and non-muscle cell motility at the molecu lar and cellular level, not only for investigators in these fields but also for general readers interested in these topics. A most attractive feature of various living organisms in the animal and plant kingdoms is their ability to move. In spite of a great diversity in the structure and function of various motile systems, it has frequently been assumed since the nineteenth century that all kinds of "motility" are essentially the same. Based on this assumption, some investigators in the nineteenth century thought that the mechanisms of motility could better be studied on primitive non-muscle motile systems such as amoeboid movement, rath er than on highly specialized muscle cells. Contrary to their expectation, however, the basic mechanisms of motility have been revealed solely by investigations on vertebrate skeletal muscles, since a monumental discovery of Szent-Gyorgyi and his coworkers in the early 1940s that muscle contraction results from the interaction between two different contractile proteins, actin and myosin, coupled with ATP hydrolysis."

Recent research has given great insight into the physiological and pharmaceutical effects of histamine on the central nervous system and especially on the brain. This volume focuses on these many new findings, including the role of brain histamine in the arousal system, learning, and memory. Also featured are the mechanisms of histamine release in bone marrow and mast cells and the role of histamine in neutrophil differentiation. These are analyzed using the most up-to-date techniques of molecular pharmacology and refined immunoelectroscopy. In addition, the pharmacological profiles of newly developed H1 antagonists are described, making this book invaluable to those who want to understand the very latest advances in histamine research.

This book attempts to present new aspects on electrophysiologi- cal mechanisms and catecholaminergic contributions in the set- ting of acute and chronic myocardial ischemia. Special emphasis is placed on the full scope from basic molecular and cellular mechanisms to experimental models of close clinical proximity. A number of internationally distinguished scientists present their latest findings in this significant research area within the peri- meter of cardiovascular disease which continues to lead mortality statistics in most industrialized countries. Contents of this book cover in addition to other subjects re- lease and uptake of catecholamines in ischemia, regulation of re- ceptors, adrenergic contribution to ventricular arrhythmias and mechanisms of ischemic malignant arrhythmias as well as un- derlying changes in membrane currents and the electrophysiolog- ical response to beta-adrenergic blocking drugs. In addition to original contributions, a number of editorial chapters are in- cluded for conclusions and future development in these areas. The main purpose of this book is to provide further inside in two traditionally separated research topics that are gravitating to more collaborative work and inspire more joint research ventures in the future. It provides a comprehensive view on clinically sig- nificant problems where basic research may stimulate further studies in man. Therefore this book may prove to be valuable to both cardiologists and interested clinicians as well as basic scien- tists.

Atrial fibrillation is a common and important arrythmia which affects nearly5% of peopple over 70. This synthesis of current knowledge which is based onmuch original work by the author brings togeher for the first time the many areas of advance in recent years and will help to make experts from the highly specialised fields within cardiology aware of the developments withinothers.

Recent years have witnessed an explosion of knowledge lea- ding to a molecular understanding of the mechanisms of ac- tion of calcium on excitation and contraction coupling and its role in the regulation of contractility. This book highlights the most recent progress as well as providing a historial perspective of the field. It presents a concise and comprehensive overview of our current knowledge regar- ding calcium channels and regulatory proteins as well as in- tracellular calcium handling and the mechanisms underlying the activation of contractile proteins. It also describes how these basic mechanisms have been adapted in various types of muscle, especially in cardiac and smooth muscle.

I fancy that many of you, like myself, have woken up in the night with a "sleeping" arm or leg. It is a very peculiar feeling to have that arm or leg, cold and lifeless, hanging there at your side as if it were something which does not belong to you. In such situations you recover some of the motor functions before the sensory functions, which en ables you to move the limb like a pendulum. For a few sec onds the arm functions as an artificial limb - a prosthesis without sensors. In general we are not aware of the importance of our sensory organs until we lose them. You do not feel the pressure of your clothes on the skin or the ring on your finger. In the nineteenth century such phenomena generally named adaptation, were studied to a great extent, partic ularly in vision, as well as in the so-called lower senses. The question whether sensory adaptation was due to changes in the peripheral sensory receptors or in the central nervous structure remained in general open until the 1920s. Then the development of the electronic arsenal gave us the means to attack the problem by direct observations of the electrical events in the peripheral as well as the central nervous system. But even today there are still some blank areas in our knowledge of adaptation."

Catecholamines are important transmitter substances in the autonomic and central nervous systems. These two volumes provide a comprehensive presentation of the state-of-the-art of catecholamine research and development in the past 15 years. The volumes present in-depth reviews of topical areas of catecholamine research in which substantial progress has been made and which are of current interest to various theoretical and clinical disciplines. Each topic has been dealt with by an established expert. Clinical subjects of relevant importance are included. Catecholamines are of interest in pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry, as well as in neurology, psychiatry, internal medicine (cardiology, hypertension, asthma), ophthalmology and anesthesiology.

At one time or another, everyone has said "I am thirsty". Yet what causes this sensation of thirst? It is obvious that a certain quantity of fluid must be present for the body to function normally. How does a water deficit in the body then influence drinking habits? But supposing the physiological need is met, what about the psychological need or social need? Water is certainly the most necessary fluid; then why do we humans often prefer other beverages, even at great cost of effort or money or health? The subject of thirst and drinking behavior are uniquely discussed in this book. For the first time both the physiological and the psychological aspects of water and beverage consumption are examined in one volume. The many recent developments concerning how a lack of water is signalled physiologically and processed neurally to affect drinking behavior are critically surveyed. Prospects for understanding the cultural and sensory influences on beverage consumption are mapped out. The thirty-one chapters by authorities in the field were all mutually reviewed and revised in the light of precirculated comments and round-table discussions. Together they provide a complete picture of the current state of knowledge on what determines fluid consumption in human beings and animals.

Understanding the mechanisms involved in intracellular movement and localization of proteins is a central issue in cell biology. This volume is concerned with the events involved in the transport of membrane proteins, and the contents of vesicular compartments, to their ultimate destinations. In several chapters, particular attention is given to studies with viruses that are assembled by budding at specific membrane sites within the cell or at the cell surface; studies with such viral systems have provided significant insights into membrane biogenesis.

This second volume in Modern Methods of Plant Analysis, New Series concentrates on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, a powerful technique that is now being used for plant studies in a major way. This is the first time that a series of chapters by leading experts on the application of NMR to plant cells has been assembled in a single volume. The methods are described in detail so that even beginners can apply them directly in the laboratory. Topics include general metabolism in higher plants and fungi, intercellular pH, energy status, DNA structure analysis, multiple quantum two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, chloroplast orientation, rubber analysis, and the use of NMR to determine pollen viability. This volume should provide not only an excellent practical guide to the possibilities of NMR application to the plant sciences, but also give impetus to its future use.

The study of the functional organization of the first synapse of the centripetal visual pathway at the outer plexiform layer level (OPL) ought to be made through the application of combined histological, electrophysiological, and neurochemical techniques. A large amount of new evidence has been accumu lated in the past 20 years on the structure of the retina and on the electrical responses of retinal cells to light stimulus. Also, recently, many substances considered as neurotransmitters in the brain have been found in the retina. The goal of the study of retinal function is to integrate the data obtained by structural and electrophysiological techniques and to identify and determine the role played by neurotransmitters or neuromodulators in the function of the retina. In this study it is important to realize the morphological and biochemical diversi ty displayed by the visual cells in the vertebrate retina which, according to Cresci telli (1972), has been produced "through the interaction of natural selection with diversity in the photic environment." The evidence obtained shows that bipolar and especially horizontal cells, closely related to visual cells, display morphologi cal and probably biochemical differences among classes, genus, and even species according to the photic environment. These differences give peculiarities to the organization of the OPL, which must be taken into account when studying a par ticular retina with electrophysiological or neurochemical techniques."

Investigations of the oxygen carriers range from the characterization of natural populations to measurements of tenths of nanometer distances between atoms. The scope is so great that few biologists and biochemists can fully comprehend the primary literature in its entirety. In addition, the findings of the past two or three decades have advanced the field so rapidly that a truly current account is not readily accessible to a general audience. In recognition of the problem a symposium was held and its proceedings published in the American Zoologist in 1980. Although it included several research reports, most of the contributions were intended to summarize then state-of-the-art information on molecular structure and respiratory function at a level that could be understood by biologists and biochemists who are not experts on our subject. Judging from the reprint requests with which the authors were inundated, the assessment of need had been accurate. I believe that the need for an update, which is wholly focused on communication to the general audience, is even greater in 1992. I therefore asked the authors of this volume to address individuals who might otherwise turn in vain to an advanced textbook of physiology or biochemistry. I have, of course, requested a more comprehensive coverage than would be possible in a general text, but one that is not more parochial. Just as textbooks differ vastly in the level at which their subject matter is presented, so the level of non-expertise was conceived differently by the contributors to this volume.

When survival is challenged by the cold, animals react by employing both behavioral and physiological solutions. Depending on the magni tude of the cold stress and the nature of the adjustment, simple avoidance or sophisticated capacity or resistance compensations may be used. Thus, migration, shelter seeking, metabolic and insulative compen sation, torpor, and freezing avoidance and tolerance are successful tac tics used by diverse groups of animals. To understand and appreciate the benefits of these tactics, it is necessary to examine not only the well being of the whole animal but also their basic underlying mechanisms. In ad dition, it is also of fundamental importance to grasp how seasonal cold affects the survivorship and reproductive success of populations when confronted by a general reduction in primary productivity and an elevated energy cost for maintenance (e. g. in endotherms). In this regard, a synthetic overview which integrates aspects of cell biology, biochem istry, physiology, neurobiology, behavior, and population biology should be a fruitful approach in providing a holistic understanding on how animals adapt to cold. The present volume is an attempt to achieve such an overview; its objective is to provide a depth and breadth of coverage that is essential to a full appreciation of animal adaptation to cold. It is the hope of the contributing authors that this book will serve as an effective reference text for all senior undergraduate and graduate students as well as research scientists with an interest in cold physiology."

A qualitative leap in the understanding of cardiovascular and n- ral regulation by the renin-angiotensin system, and of the role of this s- tem in tissue damage, has occurred as a result of the many recent advances in molecular genetic techniques. The cloning of the genes for the components of the renin-angiotensin system, the design of specific angiotensin receptor ligands, and the use of embryonic gene targeting te- niques for the creation of mutant strains have established that the renin- angiotensin system is important in blood pressure regulation, ion and fluid homeostasis, and tissue growth and remodeling Further investigation of the mechanisms by which this system p- ticipates in cardiovascular regulation may shed some light on the pat- genesis of several cardiovascular diseases, e. g. , hypertension, congestive heart failure, and chronic renal failure. Despite the promise of this system as a target for therapeutic interventions for these diseases, there are great challenges in the integration of the attempts to close the gap between the traditional literature of medicine and the explosion of information from the new technologies. This book's title, Angiotensin Protocols, reflects the authors' strong efforts to translate expert knowledge into easy-to-follow practice. The book opens with introductory chapters, and each specialty section provides detailed methods covering a wide variety of techniques, ranging from genetic manipulation of targeted genes to functional studies of the renin- angiotensin system.

Historical Perspective In 1842, in a paper entitled "Further Development of a General Law of Vital Periodicity," which was part of a series of seven Lancet papers on periodicities in health and disease, Thomas Laycock wrote: "As everything finite must have a period within which its existence is circumscribed, so every period so circumscribing the finite, being a measure of time, must be divisible into lesser periods. But it has always been found easier to reason from generals to particulars than to ascend from particulars to generals, especially in questions in volving the phenomena of life" (p. 423). From a historical perspec tive, Laycock's insight indeed anticipated the progress of chronobio logic research. In spite of the abundant evidence pointing at the existence of short-term rhythms with periodicities much shorter than 24 hours, termed "ultradian" rhythms after Halberg (1964), it has gen erally been found much easier to investigate circadian rather than uI tradian rhythms. In m st cases, ultradian rhythms have been ignored, or dismissed as insignificant phenomena, even in cases where they could be easily "eyeballed" in the data. Laycock himself believed that the most basic periodicity in vital phenomena was 12 hours. Short-term fluctuations in the levels of certain behaviors, which could not be accounted for by external stimulation or by internal stimuli, have been known to ethologists and other observers of animal behavior for many years."

The development of a new antiarrhythmic drug involves many people with disparate skills. The organic chemist who makes it is guided not only by the structure-action relations of previous compounds, but by anticipation of a requirement for a particular type of action. In fact several of the best-known antiarrhythmics, including lidocaine, mexiletine, amiodarone and verapamil, were originally synthesized for other purposes. Physicians have to determine whether the new drug works, and pharma cologists how it works. For some years I have believed that there was room for a work which could be understood by all these groups and which could enlighten each about the point of view of the others. Thus when I was invited by Springer-Verlag to prepare a volume in their series Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, I already had a firm conception of what its form should be. In any multi-author work there are two objectives which cannot always readily be reconciled. The first is to select topics which would relate to each other in a coherent manner. to give a logical and orderly shape to the volume as a whole. The second is to offer authors the greatest possible freedom to express themselves as they wish. When the general design was complete, prospective contributors were invited to write specific chapters, being provided with a complete list of their coauthors and chosen topics, so that they could avoid overlap."

This book is dedicated to the memory of Walter Brendel, late Professor of Experimental Surgery and Chairman of the Institute for Surgical Research at the University of Munich, Germany. For 20 years Walter Brendel organized the renowned Round Table Symposium on Applied Immunology, first in Kitzbiihel and later in Axams, Austria. On the occasion of the 20th symposium in January 1989 he gathered together a number of scientists who have been leaders in the field of transplantation immunology and clinical transplantation for the past two decades. All of them had participated at previous meetings, some on a regular basis. Many of the new discoveries in applied immunology and transplantation medicine were first presented and vividly dis cussed at the Round Table Symposia. The annual Kitzbiihel! Axams meetings became well-known and invitations much sought after, not only for this reason but also because of the uniquely intimate atmosphere that promoted the free exchange of research findings and theoretical cut and thrust.

This volume is based on a workshop "Modulation of Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity in Nervous Systems" held in n Ciocco, Castelvecchio, Pascoli, Italy, from September 8th to 13th, 1987. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together scientists working on plasticity in nervous systems on different levels. The contributions can be subgrouped into six fields of research: 1) Presynaptic Modulation of Chemical Neurotransmission 2) Postsynaptic Signal Transduction 3) Modulation of Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity in the Hippocampus 4) Modulation of Neuromuscular Transmission 5) Molecular and Cellular Analysis of Conditioning in Marine Snails 6) Analysis of Learning and Memory in Insects Understanding how nervous systems and in particular our brain processes and stores information has been a major challenge in science for centuries and will remain for some time to come. Not until recently neurobiologists agreed to seek plasticity of behavior primarily in the modulation of the properties of synapses between nerve cells. This is to be understood within the context provided by a neural circuitry. An important stimulus came from the work on the marine snail Aplysia, where learning processes can be described as a modulation of transmitter release, traced back to a complete chain of molecular events in an identified neuron. Learning became a topic of molecular biology. Three systems appear particularly promising for this approach: insects, in particular Drosophila, marine snails and the mammalian hippocampal tissue. Our views on neurotransmission have rapidly changed.

Rhythms are a basic phenomenon in all physiological systems. They cover an enormous range of frequencies with periods from the order of milliseconds up to some years. They are described by many disciplines and are investigated usually in the context of the physiology of the respective function or organ. The importance given to the research on rhythmicity is quite different in different systems. In some cases where the functional significance is obvious rhythms are at the center of interest, as in the case of respiration or locomotion. In other fields they are considered more or less as interesting epiphenomena or at best as indicators without essential functional significance, as in the case of cardiovascular or EEG rhythms. Recently the study of physiological rhythms has attracted growing interest in several fields, especially with respect to rhythm research in humans and its rapidly spreading applications in basic behavioral research, and as a diagnostic tool in clinical medicine. This development was favored by two methodological and conceptual ad vances: on the one hand, the availability of non-invasive methods of continu ous recording of physiological parameters and their computer-assisted evaluation, and on the other, the rapid development of theoretical analyses, for example, the understanding of dynamic systems, the generation of coordinated macroscopic pro cesses in systems comprising many single elements, and the mathematical tools for treating nonlinear oscillators and their mutual coupling.

Endocrinologic investigations during pregnancy have focused in the last decades on placental hormones, the maternal endocrine system and maternal fetal interactions. Less is known about the fetus itself and the interaction of fetal hormonal response and physiological parameters. In this book physiologists, pediatricians and obstetricians active in experimental studies in both physiology and endocrinology combine both aspects of investigations. Historical remarks on the endocrine development of the fetus are followed by observations of the hormonal control of the cardiovascular system. Basic mechanisms of fetal endocrine control such as brain development, fetal growth, fetal behaviour, and thermoregulation are given particular consideration. Finally, carbohydrate metabolism and the mechanism of parturition are outlined.

1. Themeanrestingmembranepotentialofrattaste cells is - 36 mVunderadap- tation of the tongue to 41.4 mMNaCI and - 50mV under water adaptation. 2. The shapes ofreceptor potentials ofrattastecells inresponsetothe four basic tastestimuli(0.5MNaCI, 0.02 M Q-HCI, 0.01 MHCl, and0.5 M sucrose)are classified into three types, namely (1) a depolarization alone, (2) a depolariza- tion preceded by a transient hyperpolarization, and (3) a hyperpolarization alone. No regenerative spike potentials are evoked in rat taste cells by chemical stimuli. The amplitude of rat taste cell responses increases with increasing concentrationofthe taste stimulus. Mostofthe rat taste cells show a multiple sensitivity in that single cells respond to various combinations of the four basic taste stimuli with depolarizations or hyperpolarizations. 3. The rise and fall times of depolarizing responses to 0.5 M NaCI are much shorter than those of depolarizing responses to the other three stimuli. The fall time of depolarization evoked by 0.01 M HCI is the longest. The rise and fall times of all hyperpolarizing responses are shorter than those of all de- polarizing responses.