As humans ventured into the twentieth century, the industrialized countries were confronted with the scourge of rickets. Although solariums were becoming common in the early 1900s and phototherapy was gaining popularity as a result of the awarding of a Nobel Prize to Finsen in 1903, it wasn't until 1921 when Hess and Unger demonstrated that rickets could be cured by exposure to sunlight that the healthful benefit of sun exposure appreciated. In 1941, Apperly (Cancer Research; 1: 191-195, 1941) noted that the occasional increased risk of skin cancer was associated with a decreased risk of many other more common and serious cancers. The alarming increase in the number of cases of skin cancer, especially melanoma, has caused great concern about the negative role of sunlight in health. The Sixth International Arnold Rikli Symposium on the Biologic Effects of Light was held in Boston, Massachusetts from June 16th - 18th, 2001. The goal of this Symposium was to focus on the very popular practice of tanning either by sunlight or by artificial light sources and the overall impact this practice has on health and disease. The program was organized by members of the Scientific Advisory Committee and my co-chair emeritus, Professor Ernst G. Jung. The Program Committee organized an outstanding state-of-the-art program that was enthusiastically received by the participants.

The editors have adopted psychoneuroimmunology as a term which implies the involvement of higher nervous system activity in the regulatory interactions of the neuroendocrine and the immune systems. The alternative terms neuroimmunomodulation, neuroendocrinimmunology, and immunoendocrinology, etc.,

"In this outstanding volume, Dr. Gaillard has assembled a team of international experts who have written one of the most comprehensive treatises on this topic. Ranging from fundamental molecular developmental mechanisms of the corticotroph cell, to the treatment of Cushing's Disease, these chapters provide a cutting edge overview of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of disordered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function. Especially noteworthy are the inclusion of chapters on appetite control and neuro-immunomodulation, reflecting the recent exciting advances in these fields.
The student of Cushing's Disease and the HPA axis will find elucidation of the latest basic scientific advances, coupled with patient friendly guidelines for clinical diagnosis and management of an extremely challenging neuroendocrine disorder. The repute of the authors, highest quality writing, lucid text and comprehensive coverage of the topics, all blend to result in an excellent text."

Recent progress in recombinant DNA technology and the availability of a number of nonpeptide subtype-specific receptor antagonists and of specific antibodies to components of prorenin-renin-angiotensin system (PRAS) have led to rapid advances in the under standing of the multifaceted role of angiotensin II, classically known as a peptide hormone of cardiovascular homeostasis. Accumulating evidence sug responsible for the regulation gests that, in addition to its role in salt and water metabolism, PRAS may control other physiological functions including neurosecretion, cellular proliferation, hypertrophy and/or differentiation, angiogenesis and gonadal function. At the same time, it is becoming evident that the specialized functions of endocrine glands are not only regulated by trophic hormones but also by locally produced paracrine/autocrine factors. The concept is emerging that tissue PRAS is one such locally active regulatory system. With more and more reproductive and endocrine organs being added to the list of tissues that contain a local tissue PRAS, questions are being raised by the reproductive biologists and endocrinologists as to the role of such systems in the tissues of their interest. On the other hand, the cardiovascular and renovascular physiologists are wondering about the relevance of PRAS in various peripheral tissues compared to those of the classical cardiovascular organs. It appeared, therefore, that the time was ripe for a meeting to consider a merger of interest in these two important but heretofore distinct areas of physiology."

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.

The purpose of these volumes is to provide a reference work for the methods of purifying many of the receptors we know about. This becomes increasingly important as full-length recep- tors are overexpressed in bacteria or in insect cell systems. A major problem for abundantly expressed proteins will be their purification. In addition to purification protocols, many other de- tails can be found concerning an individual receptor that may not be available in standard texts or monographs. No book of this type is available as a compendium of purification procedures. Receptor Purification provides protocols for the purification of a wide variety of receptors. These include receptors that bind: neurotransmitters, polypeptide hormones, steroid hormones, and ligands for related members of the steroid supergene family and others including receptors involved in bacterial motion. The text of this information is substantial so as to require its publica- tion in two volumes. Consequently, a division was made by grouping receptors depending upon the nature of their ligands. Thus, in volume 1 there are contributions on serotonin receptors, adrenergic receptors, the purification of GTP-binding proteins, opioid receptors, neurotensin receptor, luteinizing hormone re- ceptor, human chorionic gonadotropin receptor, follicle stimulat- ing hormone receptor, thyrotropin receptor, prolactin receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor, platelet derived growth factor receptor, colony stimulating factor receptor, insulinlike growth factor receptors, insulin receptor, fibronectin receptor, interferon receptor, and the cholecystokinin receptor.

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.

Multicellular organisms require a means of intracellular communication to organize and develop the complex body plan that occurs during embryogenesis and then for cell and organ systems to access and respond to an ever changing environmental milieu. Mediators of this constant exchange of information are growth factors, neurotransmmitters, peptide and protein hormones which bind to cell surface receptors and transduce their signals from the extracellular space to the intracellular compartment. Via multiple signaling pathways, receptors of this general class affect growth, development and differentiation. Smaller hydrophobic signaling molecules, such as steroids and non-steroid hormones, vitamins and metabolic mediators interact with a large family of nuclear receptors. These receptors function as transcription factors affecting gene expression, to regulate the multiple aspects of animal and human physiology, including development, reproduction and homeostasis.
The aim of this book is to cover various aspects of intracellular signaling involving hormone receptors.

THIS BOOK collects together papers given at a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held at Il Ciocco (Lucca), Italy, from the 9th to the 15th April, 1989. It sets out to present the current state of understanding of the principles governing the way fluxes and concentrations are maintained and controlled in metabolic systems. Although this is a topic that has held the interest of biochemists for many years, it is only quite recently that the methods of analysing the kinetics of multi-enzyme pathways developed over the past two decades have come to be widely discussed or applied experimentally. Many biochemists remain sceptical that the new methods offer a real advance (except in complexity) over the landmark discoveries of the 1950s and 1960s relating to inhibition of enzymes at branch-points by the end products of metabolic pathways, and the interpretation of allosteric effects and cooperativity. Even those who have become convinced that the classical ideas provide only the starting point for understanding metabolic control have been by no means unanimous in their assess ment of the direction in which one should advance. In this book we have tried to include all of the current points of view, including the view that the classical theories tell us all that we need to know. We have not seen it as our role as editors to paper over the cracks that exist and to pretend that we can speak to the world with one voice."

Modern society is altering the lifestyle and longevity of its members much more quickly than evolutionary adaptation to these changes can take place. The problem of calcium deficiency in the population is compounded by the growing percentage of aged individuals with relatively fragile, less massive skeletons. Current-day civilizations are much more effective in prolonging human life in a state of relative debility than even a few decades ago. This reality is unlikely to change and mandates that we develop strategies to prevent aging-related diseases like osteoporosis before they become manifest. Osteoporosis: Genetics, Prevention and Treatment places emphasis on the (1) genetic predisposition, (2) early recognition and (3) prevention of osteoporosis. The intent is not to move the practitioner's attention away from intervention therapy of osteoporosis, but rather to expand their view of this disease as one beginning at birth and one in which susceptibility is manifest at the conclusion of adolescence, not at menopause. The book concludes with an informed view of the future in terms of the recognition, prevention and management of osteoporosis.

A comprehensive, evidence-based introduction to the area of lymphology, the book is directed mainly to the US audience and will appeal to an interdiscplinary field of health professionals. It describes the unique anatomy and physiology of the lymphatic system and the intimate relationship it shares with the venous system. It explores the differential diagnosis of the swollen leg/arm, which is often the presenting problem to the health care professional.The necessity of history taking, physical examination and laboratory studies are noted. Treatment methods are described as an introduction and psychosocial and quality of life issues are explored in depth. The book will appeal to primary care physicians whose cancer patients are sent to radiation oncologists (who themselves must be knowledgeable about possible lymphedema following treatment), and to physical therapists, occupational therapists as well as massage therapists, physicians practicing holistic medicine, and every US medical school and phlebologists.

Experienced physicians concisely explain the pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of endocrine disorders and survey all the latest laboratory diagnostics. Topics range widely from an overview of the diagnosis of diabetes and the long-term monitoring of its complications to the evaluation of menstrual dysfunction. Coverage is also given to the diagnosis of pituitary tumors, Cushing's syndrome, thyroid disease, and hypoglycemia; the evaluation of endocrine-induced hypertension; the assessment of dyslipidemia and obesity; and approaches to diagnosing hyper- and hypocalcemia. There are also discussions of osteoporosis, hypogonadism and erectile dysfunction, and hyperandrogenism in women. The authors each review the complex physiological basis of the relevant endocrine processes and provide richly instructive recommendations for followup and long-term management of patients.

Atherosclerosis leading to coronary heart disease and to cerebrovascular disorders is the number one cause of death in industrialized societies. For the last two decades, great ad vances have been made in understanding the pathogenesis of those disorders. Recent studies have revealed that the earliest event in atherogenesis is the adhesion of circulating leukocytes to the vascular endothelial cells and their migration into the subendothelial space. These cells are known to playa central role in the formation of a fatty streak consist ing of lipid-laden foam cells. As pathological events continue, the lesion is converted to a more fibrous lesion associated with vascular smooth muscle cells. To solve the enigma of this complicated process, intensive studies in molecular biology have disclosed the genes involved in those events. Some of the genes have been verified by creation of novel animal models, which have led to novel therapeutic strategies for subjects with atherosclerosis. This volume contains papers presented at the International Symposium on Lipoprotein Metabolism and Atherogenesis held in Kyoto December 5-8, 1998, supported in part by the Japan Intractable Diseases Research Foundation. The following three topics were the focus of the three-day program: I) The molecular approach to studying risk factors and prevention 2) The creation of novel animal models 3) Lipoprotein disorder as a cause of activation of vascular endothelial cells Thirty distinguished researchers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Finland, Australia, and Japan were invited.

Endocrine Board Review (EBR) 2022 Reference Edition is a self-study resource with 240 case-based, American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) style, multiple-choice questions in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism. Updated annually. Customers are advised that this book is a reference edition and the questions in it are designed for self-study and reference. The content is the same as the non-reference edition, but CME and MOC credits are not available upon completion of the material. Anyone with questions about CME and/or MOC credits should consult www.endocrine.org/store for further information.

Nuclear Receptors focuses on the structural analysis of nuclear receptors from the initial work using isolated protein domains to the more recent exciting developments investigating the conformational shape of full-length receptor complexes. The book also reviews the structure of key nuclear receptor co-regulatory proteins. It brings together, for the first time, a comprehensive review of nuclear receptor structure and the importance of receptor conformation underpinning allosteric regulation by different ligands (hormone, drugs, DNA response elements, protein-protein interactions) and receptor activity. The nuclear receptor superfamily, including receptors for steroid hormones and non-steroid ligands, are pivotal to normal physiology, regulating processes as diverse as reproduction, metabolism, the immune system and brain development. The first members of the family were cloned over 25 years ago, which heralded in the idea of a superfamily of intracellular receptor proteins that bound small molecule ligands: classical steroid hormones, vitamins, fatty acids and other products of metabolism. These signals are then transmitted through multiprotein receptor-DNA complexes, leading to the regulation of target genes, often in a cell-selective manner. The cloning of the receptor cDNAs also ushered in an era of unparalleled analysis of the mechanisms of action of these ligand-activated transcription factors.

Growth hormone secretagogues (GHS) administered alone or in combination with growth hormone releasing hexapeptides, are effective probes for the diagnosis of GH deficiency in both children and adults. Current research has developed and tested different GHS compounds that are active by the oral route, and have improved potency and bioavailability, giving rise to exciting therapeutic possibilities.
There was an enthusiastic response from experts in this area to the idea of distilling the huge amount of available data into one multi-authored volume. Each contributor has advanced the field of knowledge, and has here emphasized the practical aspects of their work, reviewing the subject in the light of their own experience. Therefore, the theme of the book is a practical one.
The volume deals with all aspects of GHS that are relevant to the field, from the chemical structure to the different analogues, to the cloning and expression of the GHS-receptor and the role of these compounds in the physiological control of GH secretion. Also discussed are the most recent advances in relation to the possible role of these compounds in the diagnostic therapeutic settings in different clinical situations, either in children, adults or the elderly.
The book meets the requirement of covering most, if not all of the advances in the field. It will enable scientists and clinicians to keep abreast of the rapidly evolving knowledge of the most recent years, and will also prove useful as a review for all interested in this topic.

Nineteen cutting-edge review articles by leading authorities provide a comprehensive overview of the normal function of the pituitary and of the diagnosis and treatment of pituitary disorders. Topics range from normal hypothalamic-pituitary interactions and the processes that disrupt them to new advances in pituitary imaging and appropriate surgical intervention in various pituitary disorders. Among the diseases discussed are congenital hypopituitarism, deficiency states, strategies for evaluating patients with hyperprolactinemia, Cushing's syndrome, acromegaly, and glycoprotein pituitary tumors.

This book contains contributions presented at the last of the Alcuin Symposia, held in April 2000, as a Festschrift to honour Prof. Axel Wollmer on the occasion of his retirement from the Rheinisch-Westfalische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen. The Alcuin Symposia were initially held alternatively in York and Aachen, in recent years in Aachen only, as joint workshops on insulin between the groups of Prof. Guy Dodson in York and the groups of Profs Dietrich Brandenburg and Axel Wollmer in Aachen. The Symposium was named after Alcuin, an Anglo-Latin poet, educator and cleric from York, who was invited to join the court of Charlemagne at Aachen. Alcuin's first 50 years were spent in Yorkshire, were he was first a pupil, later headmaster of the cathedral school of York, the most renowned of its day. Charlemagne was gathering at Aachen the leading Irish, English and Italian scholars of the age. Alcuin was appointed head of the Palatine school, where Charlemagne himself, his family, his friends, and his friends's sons were taught. Alcuin introduced the traditions of Anglo-Saxon humanism into Western Europe and was the foremost scholar of the revival of learning known as the Carolingian Renaissance. He also promoted the use of the beautiful Carolingian minuscule script, the ancestor of modern Roman typefaces."

A comprehensive, cutting-edge review of the complex interactions between maternal and fetal-placental tissues that control the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, the proper development of the fetus, the birth process, and the behavioral aspects of bonding between mother and newborn. Expert researchers review the endocrine and physiological events that culminate in the delivery of offspring, and provide a solid base of comparative information on the menstrual cycle of primates, including humans. They also discuss the sources and functions of both steroid and protein hormones from the placenta and the details of their effects on uterine function, placental development, fetal growth and well-being, and maternal responses to pregnancy. This book will become the standard reference source not only for reproductive scientists, but also for those clinicians who want better to understand the complex factors that affect pregnancy-and their pregnant patients.

Prior to 1974, the ~adrenergic receptors were known only in- directly as entities that responded to drugs in a selective manner to mediate a variety of physiologically important responses. During the intervening years, our view of ~adrenergic receptors has changed dramatically. The availability of high affinity 125I-labeled radioligands selective for these receptors presaged an explosion of experimenta- tion utilizing direct binding assays to establish the biochemical properties of the receptor protein. In the opening chapter, Stadel and Lefkowitz describe this development and its impact on our under- standing of the molecular basis of ~adrenergic receptor function. The availability of well-characterized receptor ligands, coupled with the development of efficient methods for detergent solubilization, formed the basis of receptor purification using affinity chromatography. The related technique of photoaffinity labeling provided a means to estimate the molecular mass of these receptors. The availability of substantial amounts of purified ~2-adrenergic receptor allowed determination of segments of its amino acid se- quence. This information led to the production of polynucleotide probes and eventually to cloning of the receptor gene and determi- nation of the complete primary sequence of the receptor protein. Caron and Lefkowitz review the investigations leading to this major development and discuss the methods involved. They analyze our current perception of the relation of receptor function to its structure and discuss the general features of the G protein-interacting receptor family, of which the ~-adrenergic receptors are prototypes.

Leading physicians from a variety of medical specialties summarize their clinical experiences in treating pituitary adenomas in United States and the United Kingdom. Using simple language to describe their approaches, the authors describe the latest treatments for prolactinoma, acromegaly, Cushing's disease, and nonfunctioning pituitary tumors, and the latest surgical techniques. To round out the clinician's understanding of the illness, a patient describes the experience of diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Comprehensive and accessible, Management of Pituitary Tumors: The Clinician's Practical Guide brings together all the medical fields involved in treating pituitary tumors, both for novices in the specialties that manage these cases, and for pituitary specialists seeking to understand better the contribution of other medical disciplines to the treatment of these tumors.