Stress-induced myocardial ischemia is a frequent manifestation of coronary heart disease, and sympathetic activation is an important precipitating and aggravating factor in such stress- induced ischemia. However, the complex interplay between the sympathetic initiation of myocardial ischemia, ischemia-induced alterations in sympathetic neurotransmission, as well as changes in adrenoceptor density and post-receptor signal transduction that can occur during ischemia remains incompletely understood. Not only the activation of myocardial fJ- adrenoceptors, but also the activation of coronary IX-adrenoceptors can contribute to myocar- dial ischemia. However, the role of fJ-adrenoceptor-mediated increases in contractility relative to heart rate in the initiation of ischemia is not clear, and the significance of IX-adrenoceptor- mediated changes in coronary vasomotor tone, as well as the responsible IX-adrenoceptor subtypes are highly controversial. Malignant arrhythmias may be triggered by both IX- and fJ-adrenergic mechanisms. Current research in this field is focussed not only on the underlying physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms, but also on clinical treatment strategies, e. g. , by fJ-blockade, IX-blockade, bradycardic agents and calcium antagonists. Recent findings were presented and future research directions discussed during the 61" International Titisee Conference, held at the Schwarzwald-Hotel, Titisee, March 29-31, 1990 under the sponsorship of the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation. Dr. Hasso Schroeder and Dr. Hermann Frohlich deserve special thanks for their generous support and pleasant organization of the meeting. The publication of the proceedings has been made possible by grants from Astra Chemicals, Bayer, ICI, Dr. Karl Thomae, and Upjohn.

This book deals with information processing in the primate temporal visual cortex, one of the higher visual association areas, which is believed to be important for the representation of complex stimuli and may also play a role in visual memory. Here, the need for rapid information processing shapes the functional architecture of all sensory systems, acting to reduce, where possible, wiring length and the number of synapses, to allow faster processing.

Assessment of cardiac energetics at the level of ATP-synthesis, chemomechanical energy transformation and whole organ dynamics as a function of haemodynamic load, ventricular configuration and oxygen- and substrates supply is basic to understanding cardiac function under physiological and pathophysiological (hypertrophy, hypoxia, ischaemia and heart failure) conditions. Moreover, cardiac energetics should be an important consideration in the choice and application of drugs especially in the case of vasodilators, inotropic agents and in cardioprotective measures. Only by considering energetics at the subcellular, cellular, and whole-heart level we can arrive at a better understanding of cardiac performance and ultimately better clinical judgement and drug therapy. Quantification of myocardial energetics will also help to determine the optimal time for surgical interventions such as valvular replacement or aneurysm resection. The present volume is the outcome of an international symposium on cardiac energetics held in Gargellen/Montafon (Austria), June 1986. The contributions will certainly help bridge the existing gap between basic research involving isolated structures and that involving the whole organ, on the one hand, and render the results derived from basic research applicable to clinical problems, on the other hand.

W. Ulbricht: Effects of veratridine on sodium currents and fluxes. W. Meyerhof: The elucidation of somatostatin receptor functions: a current view.M. Leist, F. Gantner, g. Kunstle and A. Wendel: Cytokine-mediated hepatic apoptosis.

The book provides fundamental new insights in the structure and function of the healthy NeuroMuscular system. Recent findings suggest that the musculoskeletal system that supports movement control on Earth is controlled by unique principles of structural, biochemical and molecular characteristics. Mechanical loading by working against normal gravity helps to support principal structures in bone, muscle and associated subcellular scaffold components. Disuse or immobilization of the body in bed rest on Earth or in microgravity in Space result in considerable loss of bone, muscle and force with downregulation of neuromuscular activity resulting in impaired performance control. The goal is to develop exercise prescriptions to maintain postural control in normal life, aging and rehabilitation on Earth as well as for an adequate human performance management in Space.

In the series Reviews of Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology three excellent contributions by Ruth Heidelberger (Houston, TX, USA) with Electrophysiological Approaches to the Study of Neuronal Exocytosis and Synaptic Vesicle Dynamics and Kay Truscott et al. (Freiburg, Germany) with Transport of Proteins Into Mitochondria and Randall K. Powers and Marc D. Binder (Seattle, WA, USA) with Input-Output Functions of Mammalian Motoneurons form another outstanding volume.

Protein transport events occurring at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of eukaryotic cells and the cytoplasmic membrane of prokaryotic organisms share many similarities. Resident proteins of both membranes span the lipid bilayer once or several times by a-helical stretches and their integration is usually mediated by uncleaved signal-anchor sequences. Proteins that are translocated across either membrane, collectively also termed secretory proteins, harbour cleavable N-terminal signal sequences. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic signal sequences have the same modular structure and are functionally exchangeable. Integration of membrane proteins and translocation of secretory proteins basically occur at the same sites (pores) within each membrane. In both types of membranes, these pores are c- posed of homologous components forming the Sec translocons. Parts of the Sec trans- cons are found populated by ribosomes, the membrane-bound ribosomes. Bacterial m- brane and eukaryotic secretory proteins are targeted to the Sec translocons by the same molecular mechanism involving signal recognition particle (SRP) and its receptor (SRP - ceptor, SR). Structure and assembly of the SRP The functional core of SRP The functional core of this ribonucleoprotein complex consists of the signal sequence binding subunit (SRP54 in eukaryotes and Ffh in prokaryotes) and the SRP RNA molecule (see Fig. 1). This core is conserved in all organisms, with the intriguing exception of chloroplasts, where the SRP lacks the RNA subunit.

The four contributions by Ishibashi et al., Klussmann et al., Zeuthen and Larsen et al. summarize the current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms underlying the short and long term regulation of water channels (AQPs) in principal cells, fluid transport by leaky epithelia and cotransporters of the symport type which behave as molecular water pumps.

In the last two decades, our knowledge on regulatory peptides and their cognate receptors, most of which are members of the seven transmembrane receptor families, has increased enormously. Regulatory peptides are small proteins which, besides their hormonal functions in regulating cellular metabolism in various tissues, may also act as neurotransmitters, and thus they often carry the prefix "neuro." Many of the cognate receptors involved in transducing the peptidergic signal across the cell membrane via a family of G proteins exist in multiple forms, the number of which frequently exceeds that of the corresponding peptide ligands. In this book, various peptide-receptor systems are discussed, e.g. CRF, somatostatin, TRH, opioid peptides, vasopressin, and oxytocin. It also discusses new strategies such as "reverse physiology" to uncover new peptides and orphan receptors.

Special Issue on the Tird Filament System

Proceedings from the first International Symposium on Primo Vascular System 2010 (ISPS 2010) with special topics on cancer and regeneration was held in Jecheon, Korea during September 17-18, 2010. Includes coverage of new study results that have better revealed the functional aspects of PVS, including its roles in the areas of regenerative medicine and cancer.

Volume II features a variety of animal and human prion diseases, including the newly-identified atypical forms of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie in animals, and variably protease-sensitive prionopathy in humans, prions in the environment, Tau pathology in human prion disease, transmission of the disease by blood transfusion, mammalian and non-mammalian models, conventional and advanced diagnoses, prion-specific antibodies, as well as decontamination of prions and development of therapeutics of prion diseases, such as the application of immunomodulation. This volume provides up-to-date knowledge about the etiology, pathogenesis, classification, histopathological, and clinical aspects of the highly publicized animal and human prion diseases.

The need to continually discover new agents for the control or treatment of invertebrate pests and pathogens is undeniable. Agriculture, both animal and plant, succeeds only to the extent that arthropod and helminth consumers, vectors and pathogens can be kept at bay. Humans and their companion animals are also plagued by invertebrate parasites. The deployment of chemical agents for these purposes inevitably elicits the selection of resistant populations of the targets of control, necessitating a regular introduction of new kinds of molecules. Experience in other areas of chemotherapy has shown that a thorough understanding of the biology of disease is an essential platform upon which to build a discovery program. Unfortunately, investment of research resources into understanding the basic physiology of invertebrates as a strategy to illuminate new molecular targets for pesticide and parasiticide discovery has been scarce, and the pace of introduction of new molecules for these indications has been slowed as a result. An exciting and so far unexploited area to explore in this regard is invertebrate neuropeptide physiology. This book was assembled to focus attention on this promising field by compiling a comprehensive review of recent research on neuropeptides in arthropods and helminths, with contributions from many of the leading laboratories working on these systems.

This book summarizes present knowledge of different mechanisms involved in the development of positive and negative consequences of cardiac adaptation. Particular attention is paid to the still underestimated adaptive cardiac responses during development, to adaptation to the frequently occurring pressure and volume overload as well as to cardiac changes, induced by enduring exercise and chronic hypoxia. Cardiac Adaptations will be of great value to cardiovascular investigators, who will find this book highly useful in their cardiovascular studies for finding solutions in diverse pathological conditions; it will also appeal to students, fellows, scientists, and clinicians interested in cardiovascular abnormalities.

Since its ?rst description in 1942 in both serum and cerebrospinal ?uid, transthyretin (TTR) has had an eventful history, including changes in name from "prealbumin" to "thyroxine-binding prealbumin" to "transthyretin" as knowledge increased about its functions. TTR is synthesised in a wide range of tissues in humans and other eutherian mammals: the liver, choroid plexus (blood- cerebrospinal ?uid barrier), retinal pigment epithelium of the eye, pancreas, intestine and meninges. However, its sites of synthesis are more restricted in other vertebrates. This implies that the number of tissues synthesising TTR during vertebrate evolution has increased, and raises questions about the selection pressures governing TTR synthesis. TTR is most widely known as a distributor of thyroid hormones. In addition, TTR binds retinol-binding protein, which binds retinol. In this way, TTR is also involved with retinoid distribution. More recently, TTR has been demonstrated to bind a wide variety of endocrine disruptors including drugs, pollutants, industrial compounds, heavy metals, and some naturally occurring plant ?avonoids. These not only interfere with thyroid hormone delivery in the body, but also transport such endocrine disruptors into the brain, where they have the potential to accumulate.

Signal Transduction in Cardiovascular System Health and Disease highlights the major contributions of different signaling systems in modulating normal cardiovascular functions and how a perturbation in these signaling events leads to abnormal cell functions and cardiovascular disorders. This title is volume 3 in the new Springer series, Advances in Biochemistry in Health and Disease.

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.

Translational medicine underpins vascular medicine. It is fundamental to understanding how we treat patients with vascular disease and more importantly, how to prevent it. It is the rationale for drug design and production. Vascular medicine and translational medicine will take over and become the main reason for referring patients to hospital. Therefore, hospital-based clinicians working with basic scientists need to know about translational medicine, which educates and informs them about vascular medicine and how management should be based. This book is a primer for translational vascular medicine and discusses the evolving and exciting areas of basic science applied to vascular medicine. The book is based on the third vascular biology conference held at The Royal College of Physicians in 2008. It provides a large amount of new basic and clinical information and the contributors are world leaders.

This book dealing with stance and motion was planned in June 1986 at a meeting held in Moscow and Leningrad between a group of Soviet and French scientists interested in motor control. This meeting took place in the framework of an exchange program between the USSR Academy of Seiences and the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. It was very successful event and was greatly appreciated by all those who attended it. Several participants put forward the proposal that the possibility of publishing a book was worth exploring. What were the reasons for publishing a book on stance and motion ? The interest aroused in the participants by each others contributions was not a sufficiently decisive argument. It was feit, however, that a large proportion of the orginal material presented at the meeting, especially in the field of posture and locomotion but also on other aspects covered by the book could be presented in a summarized form which should appeal to a larger audience because the facts and hypotheses they contained especially those from the Soviet participants, were not very familiar among international circles, and that many scientists would appreciate having a single volume containing a survey ofthe current state of research in this field. This was also the opinion of Plenum Press, who agreed to publish the book. Each participant at the meeting submitted a paper which was examined by two referees before being accepted.

It has been over 50 years since Hans Selye formulated his concept of stress. This came after the isolation of epinephrine and norepinephrine and after the sympathetic system was associated with Walter Cannon's "fight or flight" response. The intervening years have witnessed a number of dis coveries that have furthered our understanding of the mechanisms of the stress response. The isolation, identification and manufacture of gluco corticoids, the identification and synthesis of ACTH and vasopressin, and the demonstration of hypothalamic regulation of ACTH secretion were pivotal discoveries. The recent identification and synthesis of CRR by Willie Vale and his colleagues gave new impetus to stress research. Several new concepts of stress have developed as a result of advances in bench research. These include the concept of an integrated "stress sys tem," the realization that there are bi-directional effects between stress and the immune system, the suggestion that a number of common psychiatric disorders represent dysregulation of systems responding to stress, and the epidemiologic association of stress with the major scourges of humanity."

Mechanical stress is vital to the functioning of the body, especially for tissues such as bone, muscle, heart, and vessels. It is well known that astronauts and bedridden patients suffer muscle and bone loss from lack of use. Even the heart, in pumping blood, causes mechanical stress to itself and to vascular tissue. With the loss of mechanical stress, homeostasis becomes impaired and leads to pathological conditions such as osteopenia, muscle atrophy, and vascular tissue dysfunction. In elderly populations, such mechanical pathophysiology, as well as the mechanical activities of locomotor and cardiovascular systems, is important because skeletal and heart functions decline and cause diseases in other organs. In this monograph, mechanical stress is discussed by experts in the field with respect to molecular, cellular, and tissue aspects in relation to medicine. Covering topics such as gravity and tissues and disuse osteoporosis, the book provides the most up-to-date information on cutting-edge advancements in the field of mechanobiology and is a timely contribution to research into locomotor and circulatory diseases that are major problems in contemporary society.