Hormone measurement is necessary for the diagnosis of a wide range of clinical conditions and is essential for monitoring the effectiveness of treatment. As the number of hormone requests in the clinical field rises exponentially, it has become imperative to create hormone assays accessible to researchers with a varied range of equipment. Hormone Assays in Biological Fluids, Second Edition reviews common techniques used to measure hormones as well as relatively new methods such as tandem mass spectrometry. Additionally, subsequent chapters detail methods for a broad range of hormones; Techniques and principles covered are transferable to a wide range of substances across species. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Hormone Assays in Biological Fluids, Second Edition will serve students, technologists, laboratory scientists, and researchers looking to apply, or attain a greater understanding of, methods for measuring hormones.

Recent Advances in Prolactin Research summarizes the current knowledge of prolactin (PRL), PRL receptor, PRL-dependent signaling pathways, the role of PRL in oncogenesis and PRL crosstalk with other oncogenic factors. The chapters are written by experts in these fields and focus on identifying and reviewing timely experimental findings that provide new insights into the expanding role of PRL in the pathophysiology associated with a variety of human conditions. Prolactin is a peptide hormone that is best known for its role in lactation. Prolactin also has an influence on hematopoiesis and angiogenesis, and is involved in the regulation of blood clotting through several pathways. Although PRL was discovered more than 80 years ago, the understanding of PRL signaling and its relationship to various pathologies is still very incomplete. PRL is not only a pituitary hormone with an important role in reproduction, but PRL also acts as a cytokine, modulating a wide variety of physiological processes. For example, data gathered during the last decade have demonstrated that locally produced PRL acts as the autocrine/paracrine factor and plays a contributory role during breast oncogenesis. In fact, the scientific and clinical communities have suggested that the manipulation of the PRL axis may lead to the successful treatment of breast cancer. However, recent work has demonstrated that the role of the PRL axis is much more complex than first envisaged.

"Theoretically, one should obtain essentially the same clinical picture from failure of an end-organ to respond to a hormone as from a decreased production or absence of said hormone. " With these words, Fuller Albright began his now classic paper describing a novel disease, pseudo hypoparathyroidism (PHP), and a novel concept, hormone resis- tance as a cause of disease. Soon, other hormone resistance disorders such as nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) were recognized, and the concept was extended to resistance to other substances such as calcium ions in familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH). Later, diseases characterized by excess rather than deficient hormone action such as McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) and familial male precocious puberty (FMPP) were recognized to be caused by autonomous endocrine hyperfunction. Although many i!!vestigators provided careful and detailed descriptions of the clinical features of these and other related endocrine disorders, an understanding of pathogenesis proved elusive for many years. In just the past few years, we have gone from clinical description to a molecular understanding of these interesting disorders. This remarkable progress reflects a synthe- sis of three distinct, but now overlapping, areas of biomedical research: the aforemen- tioned recognition and careful clinical description of specific diseases, the elucidation of the basic mechanisms of signal transduction, and the application of the powerful tools of molecular biology and genetics. Fundamental studies on the mechanisms of hormone action by Rodbell and colleagues at NIH culminated in the discovery of a major signal transduction pathway involving heterotrimeric G proteins.

Twenty years after its discovery, recombinant human leptin has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with lipodystrophy. Beginning with a synthesis of the vast body of work on its discovery, dissection of mechanisms, and effects in experimental models , the focus of this book shifts to a consideration of the regulation and role of leptin in humans. The emphasis on human-level data is a unique feature of this book. The results of numerous studies indicate that leptin is indeed a regulated human hormone. Leptin provides a detailed account of the myriad physiological, hormonal, metabolic, immunological, mitogenic and inflammatory modulators and targets of leptin in a single volume. Next follows a comprehensive presentation of the therapeutic trials of recombinant leptin in patients with congenital leptin deficiency, lipodystrophy, hypothalamic amenorrhea, and other emerging areas, including leptin supplementation in leptin-replete subjects, leptin substitution for insulin in diabetic models, and novel combination regimens of leptin and other biogenic peptides. Unanswered questions and future directions in leptin research are highlighted in the Foreword by Dr. Jeffrey Friedman and throughout the volume. Identifying such questions helps direct research that could deepen understanding of the complex regulation of leptin under physiological and pathological conditions, a critical prerequisite to its rational deployment in the treatment of human disorders.

Despite the gains of the women's movement, women are still judged by what they look like--and men, by what they do. Fat--A Fate Worse Than Death? offers hardy resistance to the narrow, random, and irrational appearance standards set for American women through an approach that is personal, eclectic, courageous, and funny. If you are interested in giving up your diet, throwing out your scales, and concentrating on who you are on a deeper level, this book will show you how to accept, appreciate, and even love your body Using statistics, research, anecdotes, and personal experiences, Fat--A Fate Worse Than Death? explores how appearance standards have built a prison for women. With the book's helpful advice, reading suggestions, and list of more than 100 ways to fight looksism, sexism, ageism, and racism, you will learn to express your rights and needs, regardless of your shape or size, and tear down those prison walls. Designed to transcend the boundaries between the personal and the political, Fat--A Fate Worse Than Death? discusses: examples of how weight and size constitute the last socially accepted prejudice the national "War on Fat" counteracting societal influences that support weight preoccupation connection between appearance standards for older women and large women nurturing your body resisting male-defined standards of beauty for women the myth of diets and dieting how the body resists weight loss how women are disempowered by concentration on weight and appearance how concentrating on appearance leaves real-life issues unaddressed how feeling bad about yourself can turn you into a willing consumerFeminists, faculty and students of women's studies programs, aging women, women of radical politics, and other concerned women and men will find that Fat--A Fate Worse Than Death? states explicitly how women are kept powerless by subscribing to cultural and social edicts on physical appearance. Don?t live silently in a society that degrades and discounts women because of their physical stature and don?t let obsession with thinness keep you passive, docile, and unable to give your energy to things that really need your passion and intelligence. Read this book and learn to not only value yourself for who you are, but also to counteract American culture's equality-denying prejudices and practices.

This book covers the entire spectrum of thyroid diseases in childhood, focusing on the recent advances that have been achieved, from progress in basic science research through to novel or improved approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Introductory chapters discuss thyroid embryogenesis and the role of thyroid hormones in fetal development. The two contrasting forms of thyroid dysfunction, hypo- and hyperthyroidism, are then considered in depth, with particular attention to the molecular causes of congenital hypothyroidism. Among the other topics addressed are autoimmune thyroiditis, thyroid nodules, and pediatric neoplasms. The book concludes with an overview of promising therapeutic approaches, such as stem cell therapy. Each topic is treated by an eminent expert in the field, ensuring consistently high quality. Thyroid Diseases in Childhood will be an important source of information for endocrinologists, pediatricians, oncologists, and gynecologists, as well as other professionals interested in this topic.

If you are one of the 20 million Americans living with thyroid disease or one of the thousands living undiagnosed, Dr. Raphael Kellman understands your suffering. Between inaccurate diagnosis, a wide spectrum of symptoms, and doctors who may not be familiar with the intricacies of thyroid dysfunction, it's hard to get the treatment you need. While general hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis are the most commonly known thyroid issues, there is an underdiagnosed and yet incredibly prevalent condition: Non-thyroidal Illness Syndrome (NTIS). It can cause unexplained fatigue, memory issues, problems with focus and decision making, and even dementia, and affects as many as 20% of Hashimoto's sufferers. Luckily, Dr. Kellman has a clinically proven, expert protocol that has given thousands of patients a path to health-and now he's delivering it to you. You'll discover: How your thyroid function affects your overall health-and how its dysfunction can explain your troubling symptoms The 4P Protocol for healing the microbiome How everyday household products, cosmetics, plastics, and medicines can disrupt your hormonal systems-and how to detoxA 30-Day Thyroid Rescue program, including meal plans and lifestyle changes Microbiome Thyroid helps you take control of your environment, your diet, and your life, guiding you toward the right diagnosis, the right treatment, and overall hormone balance.

The objective of this book is to provide recent information on neural regulation in the endocrine system in vertebrates. Classical studies have revealed that certain neurons synthesize and release chemical messengers into the vascular system. These neurons are endocrine devices that link the brain with the endocrine glands and other target organs. In vertebrates, the hypothalamus is the seat for chemical coordination and integration of en- vironmental and hormonal cues to modulate function of the pituitary gland, and conse- quently, the functions of other endocrine glands. Exciting information generated during the past few decades has resulted in profound alterations in the conceptual fabric of endo- crinology. From the wealth of information that emerged on neuropeptides of the central nervous system, and on the other connectivities of various brain centers, its has become clear that several extra-hypothalamic sites are also involved in regulation of hypophysial hormones. The brain has assumed a greater importance in the regulation of the endocrine sys- tem. However, recent studies have revealed varying degrees of functional autonomy in hy- pophysial hormone secretion, which may be due to intrapituitary cytokines. Although gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a key regulator of gonadotropin secretion, there exists a GnRH receptor diversity in vertebrates such as the receptor presence in can- cer cells. Recent studies have demonstrated the multifactorial nature of the neuroendo- crine factors involved in growth hormone regulation in fish. On the other hand, in birds, thyrotropin-releasing hormone plays a major role in growth hormone release.

The autoimmune thyroid diseases and familial thyroid cancers are the current target of molecular thyroid genetics. Unlike the situation in monogenic thyroid diseases, for which the molecular genetics has largely been clarified over the past 20 years, a methodological approach to these more complex forms of thyroid disease has not yet been well established. The determination of susceptibility genes, for example, remains a major challenge. The contributors to this volume are attempting to meet that challenge in research on molecular genetics. Meeting at the first International Symposium on the Genetics of Complex Thyroid Diseases, held in Kyoto, Japan, 20 distinguished researchers from five countries in addition to Japan shared their latest results and engaged in intense discussion, focusing on the autoimmune thyroid diseases and familial thyroid cancers. Their papers collected here are a valuable contribution to the field of the genetics of complex thyroid diseases.

The maintenance of arterial blood pressure and the distribution of blood flow to the various organs of the body depends on the control of the pumping action of the heart and of the resistance of the vascular beds in the individual organs in accordance with their metabolic needs. These controls are achieved through the integrated actions of circulat ing hormones, humoral factors that are synthesized and released in the heart and blood vessels, and the autonomic nervous system. The heart, however, is not only the target for the direct and indirect actions of a number of hormones and humoral factors, it is also an endocrine organ in the traditional sense, synthesizing and secreting into the circulation chemical factors that act at distant sites. In this treatise, Hormones and the Heart in Health and Disease, we interpret "endocrinology" broadly and consider traditional hormones as well as autocoids that are secreted by the heart or that act on it. In this overview, the relevant chapters are indicated in parentheses. The discovery of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP; atrial natriuretic factor, ANF) in the 1980s indicated that the heart does indeed function as an endocrine organ in the classic sense. ANP (Chapter I) is synthesized in the heart and secreted into the circulation for actions on the kidney, where it is a potent natriuretic agent, and on the vasculature, where it causes vasodilation. ANP can also affect myocardial contractility."

The volume Appetite Control provides a comprehensive description of the mechanisms controlling food intake, and thereby energy balance, in the mammalian organism. During the last decade, research in this area has produced a remarkable wealth of information and has characterized the function of numerous peptides, transmitters, and receptors in appetite control. Dysfunction of these circuits leads to obesity, a growing health concern. However, the plethora of mechanistic information is in marked contrasts to an almost complete lack of anti-obesity drugs that meet the safety standards required for the chronic therapy of morbid obesity. Consequently, ongoing research aims to identify additional targets and agents for a pharmacological intervention. Thus, the mechanisms of appetite control as well as all agents interfering with its control are of considerable practical interest.

The authors of the volume are distinguished scientists who are leading experts in the field, and who have contributed important, original data to our understanding of the mechanisms of appetite control. They have quite different scientific backgrounds and, together, they represent all relevant disciplines. Thereby, the topics are presented from different points of view, not exclusively from that of pharmacology and neuroendocrinology. Thus, the volume addresses all scientists who are interested in the field of obesity research and the pathophysiology of appetite control."

Because of its relative rarity and favorable outcome, it has not been feasible to assess medical interventions for thyroid cancer using randomized prospective trials. The approach to diagnosis and treatment relies to a great extent on information derived from retrospective studies. Overall prognosis and survival rates have been edging upward over the past two decades. This is attributed to a wider acceptance of total thyroidectomy as the primary surgical strategy. The appropriate indication of radioiodine therapy remains controversial, and physicians must be familiar with staging criteria to make educated decisions. We are now beginning to understand the genetic mechanisms of thyroid tumor initiation and progression. There are still major challenges ahead. Thyroid Cancer provides comprehensive updates on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of thyroid neoplasms. Although the material should be of particular interest to scholars in the field, the contributors have striven to make it of practical use to physicians who treat patients with thyroid disease.

A panel of leading experts integrate the latest findings from basic and clinical science to create a comprehensive treatment of the processes by which the brain acts as an endocrine organ, not only to control hormonal functions, but also to maintain homeostasis and regulate behavior. The authors-recognized both as leaders in their fields and as skilled teachers-provide systematic coverage of the analytical, anatomical, functional, clinical, and pathological aspects of neuroendocrinology. Topics range from the interactions between the nervous and endocrine systems to the regulation of reproduction, development, metabolism, fluid balance, and biological rhythms. Neuroendocrinology in Physiology and Medicine offers an unprecedented marriage of clinical and basic knowledge that has been missing from classical neuroscience, endocrinology, and physiology texts. It will teach today's medical students and serve researchers as a valuable reference to this rapidly growing field.

This accessible work is the first in more than seventy-five years to discuss the many roles of adrenaline in regulating the "inner world" of the body. David S. Goldstein, an international authority and award-winning teacher, introduces new concepts concerning the nature of stress and distress across the body's regulatory systems. Discussing how the body's stress systems are coordinated, and how stress, by means of adrenaline, may affect the development, manifestations, and outcomes of chronic diseases, Goldstein challenges researchers and clinicians to use scientific integrative medicine to develop new ways to treat, prevent, and palliate disease.

Goldstein explains why a former attorney general with Parkinson disease has a tendency to faint, why young astronauts in excellent physical shape cannot stand up when reexposed to Earth's gravity, why professional football players can collapse and die of heat shock during summer training camp, and why baseball players spit so much.

Adrenaline and the Inner World is designed to supplement academic coursework in psychology, psychiatry, endocrinology, cardiology, complementary and alternative medicine, physiology, and biochemistry. It includes an extensive glossary.

The increase of emotional stress has disturbing effects on the neurohumoral regulation of metabolic processes, especially in relation to the cardiovascular system, and increases the changes of organisms developing atherosclerosis. This book studies the effects on the cardiovascular system (in IHD patients) caused by emotions of diverse biological qualities (both positive and negative). At the same time, the relationship between these effects on the functional activity of various hormonal systems and the blood coagulation system are studied in order to determine the mechanisms and development of atherosclerotic processes.

Handbook of Obesity in Obstetrics and Gynecology addresses all aspects of general obstetrics and gynecology in obese patients, providing evidence-based guidance for the treatment and management of gynecological problems and pregnancy-related care in obese women. The book is a valuable resource for junior doctors, residents and obstetricians and gynecologists looking for a comprehensive guide that addresses the most relevant aspects of obstetric and gynecologic care that are impacted by obesity, an increasingly prevalent condition. The rising prevalence of global obesity is of public health concern, hence obese women suffer from a higher incidence of menstrual disorders, polycystic ovaries, infertility issues, and more. In pregnancy, obesity is associated with an increased risk of early pregnancy loss, recurrent pregnancy loss, fetal developmental abnormalities, thrombo-embolic disease, gestational diabetes, dysfunctional labor, post-partum hemorrhage and difficult operative deliveries.

Pituitary Disease brings together an international panel of experts who summarize the most recent and exciting advances in the diagnosis and treatment of pituitary disease. Coverage includes pathogenesis and pathology of pituitary tumors; clinical scenarios underpinning each type of pituitary tumor as well as their diagnosis and treatment. It is a useful resource for clinicians, students or researchers with an interest in the pituitary and its disorders.

Cellular Endocrinology in Health and Disease, Second Edition, describes the underlying basis of endocrine function, providing an important tool to understand the fundamentals of endocrine diseases. Delivering a comprehensive review of the basic science of endocrinology, from cell biology to human disease, this work explores and dissects the function of a number of cellular systems. The new edition provides an understanding of how endocrine glands function by integrating information resulting in biological effects on both local and systemic levels, also providing new information on the molecular physiopathogenesis of endocrine neoplasic cells. The new edition expands the most used chapters from the first edition and proposes a series of substitutions and additions to the table of contents. New chapters cover signaling, brown adipose tissue, hypothalamic cell models, cellular basis of insulin resistance, genetics and epigenetics of neuroendocrine tumors, and a series of chapters on endocrine-related cancer. Providing content that crosses disciplines, Cellular Endocrinology in Health and Disease, Second Edition, details how cellular endocrine function contributes to system physiology and mediates endocrine disorders. A methods section proves novel and useful approaches across research focus that will be attractive to medical students, residents, and specialists in the field of endocrinology, as well as to those interested in cellular regulation. Editors Alfredo Ulloa-Aguirre and Ya-Xiong Tao, experts in molecular and cellular aspects of endocrinology, deliver contributions carefully selected for relevance, impact, and clarity of expression from leading field experts

Exploring behaviour through bones has always been a fascinating topic to those that study human remains. Human bodies record and store vast amounts of information about the way we move, where we live, and our experiences of health and socioeconomic circumstances. We see it every day, and experience it, but when it comes to past populations, understanding behaviour is largely mediated by our ability to read it in bones. Behaviour in Our Bones: How Human Behaviour Influences Skeletal Morphology examines how human physical and cultural actions and interactions can be read through careful analyses of skeletal human remains. This book synthesises the latest research on reconstructing behaviour in the past. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific region of the human body, guiding the reader from head to toe and highlighting how evidence found on the skull, shoulder, thorax, spine, pelvis, and the upper and lower limbs has been used to infer patterns of activity and other behaviour. Chapter authors expertly summarise and critically discuss a range of methodological, theoretical, and interpretive approaches used to read skeletal remains and interpret a wide variety of behaviours, including tool use, locomotion, reproduction, health, pathology, and beyond.

This book focusses on the latest results related to the field of bile acids as signaling molecules and describes how these receptors have become a major pharmacological target. It covers all major areas of research in this field, from genetics, chemistry, in silico modeling, molecular biology to clinical applications, offering a cross-country view of the functional role of bile acids as signaling molecules, virtually acting on all major areas of metabolism. While FXR and GPBAR1 are essential bile acid sensors that integrate the de novo bile acid synthesis with intestinal microbiota and liver metabolism, in a broader sense, BARs play a pathogenic role in the development of common human alignments including liver, intestinal and metabolic disorders, such as steatosis (NAFLD) and steato-hepatitis (NASH), diabetes, obesity and atherosclerosis.

Behavioral neuroendocrinologists are interested in the interactions between hormones and behaviors. This unique book tracks the development of behavioral neuroendocrinology from the first recognized paper in the field by Arnold Berthold in 1849 to the major contributors of the past century. It traces the history and development of the field by exploring the women and men who conducted the studies that revealed these hormone-behavioral relationships. Most chapters are written by the individuals who knew these pioneers best, and describe their stories and discuss the ways in which their work has shaped the field. Now is the perfect time for this book. The field is burgeoning and interest in the development of theoretical perspectives is thriving. Moreover, although this field was dominated by men early on, it has become a field with near sexual parity among its faculty, society membership, and leadership, and thus serves as an example of equitable science, training, and advocacy.