DHEA and the Brain reviews a range of existing studies regarding DHEA administration to animals and humans. Chapter authors evaluate DHEA metabolism in tissues and organs, explore DHEA effects in the liver that may be of importance to the brain, and discuss recent findings regarding how DHEA is made in the brain. New perspectives about the neuroprotective effects of DHEA are presented, as well as insight related to DHEA metabolism in the brain. A number of health benefits have been associated with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), including anti-cancer, anti-osteoporosis, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-diabetes, immuno-stimulating, and memory-enhancing effects. This has prompted millions of people to take this hormone as a daily nutritional supplement. However, there is some concern that prolonged self-administration may result in future health problems, as well as unease about potential side effects due to the production of steroid derivatives in the tissues. Featuring an esteemed panel of contributors, this volume provides an authoritative overview of the research concerning DHEA and the brain. It presents a variety of innovative approaches and ideas for future investigations into the physiological actions of this hormone.

In 1772 in Uppsala the Swedish chemist Karl Wilhelm Scheele discovered the element Oxygen. Two hundred and one years later, in 1973, the International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissue (ISOTT) was founded. Since then there has been an annual ISOTT meeting. After 24 years of international ISOTT meetings it was decided, at the 2005 summit in Bary, Italy, that the 2007 meeting was to be held in Uppsala, Sweden. Thus, after the Louisville meeting we, in the Uppsala group, withdrew to the Edgewater Resort at Taylorsville Lake outside Louisville and prepared the Uppsala ISOTT meeting by tasting Kentucky Bourbons, smoking cigars while bathing in a jacuzzi in the hot dark Kentucky night full of fire flies and a sky full of stars. The ISOTT program should include different aspects of oxygen - however, it is accepted that each meeting has its own local "touch". We decided to focus the Uppsala ISOTT meeting on the theme of "Imaging and measuring oxygen changes". With this in mind we invited scientists within and outside the ISOTT society. We then also received lots of good abstracts from ISOTT members that were included in the program. Lars-Olof Sundeloef introduction speech "AIR AND FIRE" concerned how oxygen was discovered in Uppsala in 1772 by Karl Wilhelm Scheele. After the introduction speech a get together event took place in the magnificent and spacious foyer of Uppsala University main building. The vice chancellor Ulf Pettersson welcomed all delegates to Sweden and Uppsala.

This significantly updated and expanded new edition presents the scientific foundations of inhalation research essential to the design and conduct of toxicologic studies. It explores the full range of numerous scientific developments in the field, including recent advances in biology and the rapidly increasing global concerns and studies on particulate air pollution.

Key topics in the "Second Edition" include:

- new developments in the ultrafine particle health effects and concentrated aerosol research

- advances in understanding postnatal lung growth and the deposition and clearance of inhaled particles

- new techniques in toxicity testing

- the explosion of knowledge in the genetic and molecular realms

- the introduction of a large number of transgenic animal models

- updated ethical guidelines for animal testing

- the emergence of aerosol medicine

- the growing threat of aerosol-related terrorism

- increased appreciation of nonpulmonary effects of inhaled substances

- use of medical scanning techniques to study respiratory tract structure

- the introduction of new inhalation exposure systems

- the emergence of aerosol concentrators for use in air pollution studies

The Physiology of the Joints, conceived and written more than forty years ago by Dr. A. I. Kapandji, deals with biomechanics, a subject until then mentioned only incidentally in textbooks of anatomy. Following his lead, every anatomy textbook nowadays has a large component devoted to the functional aspect of the locomotor system, which has become an essential scientific subject. The seventh edition of this volume deals with the lower limb and has been expanded with the inclusion of new diagrams and text dealing in particular with: Elasticity of the Achilles' tendon Barycentre of the pregnant woman Stance phase Swinging of the upper limbs Different types of gait, ordinary and military Jumping This book is intended for medical and physical therapy students; and for practising physicians and surgeons wishing to increase their knowledge of the functional anatomy of the locomotor system.

While many people practice yoga simply because it helps them feel good, the physiological basis for yoga's effects on the body and mind is often unknown or misunderstood. Understanding these physiological concepts can help to deepen your yoga practice. The Physiology of Yoga separates speculation from fact by examining how the body responds and adapts to yoga within many systems of the body: musculoskeletal, nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, endocrine, reproductive, and digestive. Straightforward explanations guide you in sorting through conflicting information about what yoga really can help you achieve and in evaluating whether certain yoga methods provide benefits to any or all of those systems. You can experiment with concepts through Try It Yourself sidebars, which focus on mindful movement, meditation, and breathing. The 14 Myth or Fact sidebars explore popular claims about yoga, such as whether a shoulder stand can stimulate the thyroid or if twists can detoxify the liver. You'll get the most current research to determine the validity of various claims so you can avoid practices that could be harmful or counterproductive and can decide for yourself what works for your practice. Finally, experience firsthand how yoga affects your physiology by exploring specific yoga poses and four sequences. Each sequence explains which of the physiological principles from the earlier chapters may be most prevalent in that sequence. With The Physiology of Yoga, you or your students can navigate all the conflicting views and opinions about the impact of yoga and learn to practice yoga while fully enjoying the benefits of mindful movement. CE exam available! For certified professionals, a companion continuing education exam can be completed after reading this book. The Physiology of Yoga Online CE Exam may be purchased separately or as part of The Physiology of Yoga With CE Exam package that includes both the book and the exam.

A firm grasp of the functions of living organisms is one of the most important prerequisites to pharmacy study. The long-awaited second edition of Essentials of Human Physiology presents concepts in physiology in a way that prepares students for their subsequent study of pathophysiology, pharmacology, and pharmacotherapeutics. Thoroughly revised and updated, this text maintains the clarity of the first edition, yet provides important new information to give students a solid grounding in some of the most important aspects of pharmacy. As with the first edition, the book begins with an overview of the fundamental aspects of cell membrane physiology with particular emphasis on nerve cell function. This is followed by a detailed discussion of the two major regulatory systems in the body: the nervous system and the endocrine system. The book then continues with in-depth presentations of the reproductive, muscular, cardiovascular, immune, respiratory, digestive, and renal systems. An important focus throughout the text is how tissue and organ function are regulated in order to maintain homeostasis. New in This Edition: * All 19 chapters updated and expanded * Revised and additional subsections of pharmacy applications * New sections on medical terms with pronunciations and definitions * New chapters on the reproductive and immune systems * Additional figures and tables to clarify information . This book was written by Laurie Kelly McCorry, a professor of physiology for eighteen years. Using simple, straightforward language, the text presents the science of physiology clearly so that undergraduate students will understand the relevance of these concepts as they relate to the practice of pharmacy. By studying and mastering the principles in this text, students will develop a secure foundation in human physiology so that they are better equipped to meet the challenges in their pharmacy career.

Exercise Physiology in Special Populations covers the prevalent health conditions that are either linked to an inactive lifestyle or whose effects can be ameliorated by increasing physical activity and physical fitness. The book explores physiological aspects of obesity and diabetes before moving on to cardiac disease, lung disease, arthritis and back pain, ageing and older people, bone health, the female participant, neurological and neuromuscular disorders, and spinal chord injury. The author team includes many of the UK's leading researchers and exercise science and rehabilitation practitioners that specialise in each of the topic areas. New to the popular Advances in Sport and Exercise Science series, this book covers key aspects of exercise physiology including: .Coronary Heart Disease & Cardiac Dysfunction .Neurological disorders (Strokes, Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Head Injury) .Spinal cord injuries .Obesity & Diabetes .Amputees .Downs syndrome .Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease .Musculo-rheumatological disorders and pain .Bone Health .Older People .HIV/Aids .The female exercise participant * Structured in an easy accessible way for students and lecturers* Well referenced, including a further reading list with each chapter..* Written by a group of highly experienced experts.

Combining topics from numerous applications in biomechanics, Applied Biomedical Engineering Mechanics demonstrates how to analyze physiological processes from an engineering perspective and apply the results to tertiary medical care. The book extends its discussion to the investigation of diagnostic and surgical procedures. It also presents guidelines for prostheses design and explains how to optimize performance in sports games such as soccer, baseball, and gymnastics.

Using a problem-based format, the book explains how to-

- Formulate diagnostic and interventional procedures, based on the analysis of physiological and organ system-based processes

- How human anatomical structures and physiological processes are designed for optimal functionality

- Develop orthopedic surgical approaches, using pre-surgical analysis

- Assess and promote fitness, and analyze sports games to maximize competency.

The world-class instruction presented within Applied Biomedical Engineering Mechanics clearly demonstrates how to quantify physiological processes in order to formulate solutions to various medical problems.

Hepatocytes account for approximately 80% of the liver mass and play a significant role in various aspects of liver physiopathology, exhibiting unrivaled complexity and diversity of functions. In Hepatocytes: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers provide the reader with methods, technical protocols, and review chapters focusing on selected areas of hepatocyte biology including isolation, culture, differentiation and stem cells, and hepatocyte use in clinical, basic, and applied research. With a specific emphasis on human hepatocytes, the volume presents chapters covering subjects including hepatocyte culture models, cryopreservation methods, differentiation assessment, liver ontogenesis, production of hepatocytes from stem cells, drug/xenobiotic metabolism, toxicity and transport, bile acid and blood coagulation factor production, infection by HBV and HCV, humanized animals, biortificial liver devices, hepatocyte transplantation. As a volume in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series, protocol chapters include brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, Hepatocytes: Methods and Protocols will be useful to all those who are currently using or planning to use human, or animal, hepatocytes to investigate any aspect of liver physiopathology or who are interested in liver development or liver stem cells and liver biotherapy.

Employing a uniform, easy-to-use format, Vitamin Analysis for the Health and Food Sciences, Second Edition provides the most current information on the methods of vitamin analysis applicable to foods, supplements, and pharmaceuticals. Highlighting the rapid advancement of vitamin assay methodology, this edition emphasizes the use of improved and sophisticated instrumentation including the recent applications and impact of the widely adopted LC-MS. Designed as a bench reference, this volume gives you the tools to make efficient and correct decisions regarding the appropriate analytical approach--saving time and effort in the lab.

Each chapter is devoted to a particular vitamin and begins with a brief review of its uniqueness and its role in metabolism. The authors stress a thorough understanding of the chemistry of each compound in order to effectively analyze it and to this end provide the chemical structure and nomenclature of each vitamin, along with tabular information on spectral properties. They supply extensive insight into practical problem-solving including an awareness of the stability of vitamins and their extraction from different biological matrices. All information is heavily documented with the latest scientific papers and organized into easily read tables covering topics necessary for accurate analytical results.

After presenting the chemistry and biochemistry of the vitamin, each chapter details the commonly used analytical and regulatory methods. A summary table gives at-a-glance information on many of these sources, as well as several of the AOAC International Methods. In addition the authors apply their extensive experience in the field to create a critical, interpretive review of the advanced methods of vitamin analysis with sufficient detail to be a valuable guide to cutting-edge methodology.

report on the latest developments in the field with new information in basic as well as in clinical sciences, S"odium in Health Diseases," covers both the physiology of sodium balance and how it relates to disease. Expertly written, its concise text examines ATPase, transport and receptor systems, and sodium balance as it relates to sex hormones, genes, and body fluid. This text will also examine disease based on animal models, genetic disorders, and the influence of sodium on pulse pressure, isolated systolic hypertension, and its blood pressure sensitivity.

"Sodium in Health and Disease" will

- cover the newest data on sodium transport by the epithelial sodium channel or the impact of renal structure proteins on sodium transport

- discuss the latest developments in our understanding of the role of aldosterone and 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in the regulation of sodium balance.

- present original observations on the role of salt in isolated systolic hypertension and in the development of arterial stiffness.

- give new data on renal sodium handling in women and in diabetes and the metabolic syndrome.

Important topics covered:

- the epithelial sodium channel

- renal structure proteins and sodium transport

- the 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase

- the Integrative regulation of sodium sodium

Crash Course: Muscles, Bones and Skin focuses on the essential information you really need to know about the basic sciences of muscles, bones and skin. Each component is considered in an integrated format, putting the basic sciences in clinical context. Provides the exam syllabus in one place! Written by senior medical students or junior doctors - authors who really understand today's exam situation! Senior Faculty Advisors ensure complete accuracy of the text! Full artwork programme, improved 'Hints and Tips' boxes, and 'Clinical Application' boxes help you remember the key points! Self-Assessment section - fully updated to reflect new curriculum requirements - helps you maximise your grade! Solid, accurate, user-friendly coverage provides enough detail even for those aiming at distinction! Crash Course - the revision aid to get you the results you want! Crash Course is a complete revision guide designed specifically to save you time by providing everything you could be asked in the exam in one place. Each book in the series has been specially written either by senior medical students or junior doctors - carefully supervised by faculty advisors - to ensure that it exactly matches your needs by having been prepared by someone who has just been in the exam situation. Fully updated with improved layout, this volume provides the essential concepts of muscle, bone and skin in a memorable, easy-to-understand format. Complex information is provided succinctly and is accompanied by a full artwork programme thereby giving ready access to these related subject areas. A discussion of common problems in rheumatology, orthopaedics and dermatology adds relevance to the underlying physiological concepts explored while clinical assessment and examination, common skills and further investigations complete the picture. Additional features include 'Learning Objectives' at the start of each chapter, improved 'Hints and Tips' boxes, 'Clinical Application' boxes and a completely revised self-assessment section tailored to current exam needs. Take the stress out of study with Crash Course - the easier way to achieve exam success!

In the forty years since melatonin's isolation and characterization, a large and multifaceted database has accrued. This book documents the diverse research contributions of most of the major laboratories in the field of melatonin research, as presented in a special conference to mark the 40 year anniversary of the isolation and chemical identification of this hormone. In addition, many chapters by younger scientists provide an exciting glimpse of where melatonin research is heading in the future.

This manual provides laboratory-based learning experiences in perceptually and psychosocially linked exercise assessment, prescription, and programming. The primary pedagogic outcome is the ability to use applied theory and practice in perceptual and psychosocial exercise assessment and program design to promote the adoption and maintenance of a physically active lifestyle, enhancing overall health fitness. Perceptual and psychosocial variables are presented in individual, stand-alone laboratory modules that can supplement existing curricula such as exercise and sport psychology, exercise physiology, exercise testing and prescription, and exercise training and conditioning. In addition, the complete modular set has a conceptual flow that allows its presentation as an entire, laboratory-based course. The laboratory modules are divided into three primary units: assessment (theoretical constructs, scales and procedures, tests), prescription (self-regulation, performance), and program evaluation. The manual uses a unique format in which case studies are embedded in the conceptual flow of each lab module facilitating translation of laboratory results to real-world application. The manual concludes with a discussion of perceptually and psychosocially linked exercise prescription and programming applications in public health, such as program monitoring and adherence.

From one person to the next, optimal health is governed by a huge array of minor genetic differences. When modulated by a variety of food bioiactives, these differences result in changes in gene expression and subsequent phenotypic expression. Combining biomedical and social science with contributions from leaders in both fields, Personalized Nutrition: Principles and Applications illustrates molecular, physiological, epidemiological, and public health aspects with examples from major diseases and discusses the behavioral, ethical, and consumer perspectives that will influence a successful introduction of personalized nutrition. Divided into three sections, the book answers pertinent questions crucial to the mainstream acceptance of personalized nutrition: to what extent is this personal diet-and-health relationship practically valid? how can nutrition science demonstrate this? And what is the proposition of stakeholders in society, including the consumer? The book begins with an overview of the state-of-the-science in nutrigenomic technologies including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. It covers the use of genomics technology for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in major diet-related chronic disorders such as chronic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Section two compares the practices and opinions of scientists, food companies, consumers, competitive athletes, and health care providers on the subject of personalized nutrition. It reviews marketing potential, consumer attitudes, and the ethical issues surrounding personalized advice. The final section focuses on humanitarian concerns related to developingcountries and calls for international efforts to develop best practices, collaboration, and dataset sharing. The authors also consider ongoing innovations in food technology, nutrigenomics, and food delivery systems.

In Endothelin: Molecular Biology, Physiology, and Pathology, academic, clinical, and industrial researchers summarize the dramatic recent progress that has been documented in endothelin research and indicate the optimal direction of future studies. The contributors, highly respected authorities in their fields as well as active bench scientists, produce a critical evaluation and synthesis of our knowledge of endothelin chemistry and pharmacology, its mechanism of action, and its physiological functions. Endothelin: Molecular Biology, Physiology, and Pathology is certain to become the new standard reference source for both basic scientists and informed clinicians who want a clear idea of the roles endothelin may play in cardiovascular physiology and pathology. Biochemists, as well as medicinal and clinical chemists, involved in the development of drugs designed to alter the action or expression of the endothelin molecule will find the book rich in new results and insights.

"I recommend that you read and use the information in this book to provide your athletes with the best chances of performing at their best"
from the foreword by Sir Clive Woodward, Olympic Performance Director, British Olympic Association

This book provides the latest scientific and practical information in the field of strength and conditioning.

The text is presented in four sections, the first of which covers the biological aspects of the subject, laying the foundation for a better understanding of the second on the biological responses to strength and conditioning programs. Section three deals with the most effective monitoring strategies for evaluating a training program and establishing guidelines for writing a successful strength and conditioning program. The final section examines the role of strength and conditioning as a rehabilitation tool and as applied to those with disabilities.

This book is an invaluable textbook and reference both for academic programs and for the continuing education of sports professionals.Integrates the latest research on physiological, anatomical and biomechanical aspects of strength and conditioningOffers numerous practical examples of applicationsProvides guidelines for writing and monitoring effective strength training programs

Historically, most of the research into carbohydrates as functional ingredients focused on the improvement of appearance, taste, mouth-feel, and stability. The growing interest in functional foods, however, is demanding a critical look at the beneficial nonnutritive effects of carbohydrates on human health. Furthermore, there is a need to establish definitive relations among the structure, physical property, and physiological function of these bioactive compounds. As more of the benefit and functional versatility of carbohydrates is revealed, it is clear that any future research and recommendation must be based on a solid synthesis of multidisciplinary findings including epidemiological, metabolic, and clinical nutritional data.

Through clinical and epidemiological studies, Functional Food Carbohydrates addresses the specific classes of carbohydrates that seem to exert health-enhancing effects. The text begins with in-depth treatments of the chemistry, physical properties, processing technology, safety and health benefits of a variety of carbohydrates including cereal beta-glucans, microbial polysaccharides, chitosan, arabinoxylans, resistant starch, and other polysaccharides of plant origin. The authors then discuss the physiological and metabolic effects that a variety of carbohydrates have on specific chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and various gastrointestinal disorders. The final chapters discuss the regulatory and technological aspects of using carbohydrates as functional foods. Specifically, the authors consider the safety and efficacy of pre-, pro-, and synbiotics, and the potential use of carbohydrates as delivery vehicles forother bioactive compounds.

With contributions from experts specializing in food chemistry and technology, as well as human nutrition and physiology, this text illuminates the link between the behavior of carbohydrate compounds and their beneficial end-result on human health.

The biopharmaceutical industry has become an increasingly important player in the global economy, and the success of these products depends on the development and implementation of cost-effective, robust and scaleable production processes. Bioseparations-also called downstream processing- can be a key source of competitive advantageto biopharmaceutical developers. Process Scale Bioseparations for the Biopharmaceutical Industry brings together scientific principles, empirical approaches, and practical considerations for designing industrial downstream bioprocesses for various classes of biomolecules.
Using clear language along with numerous case studies, examples, tables, flow charts, and schematics, the book presents perspectives from experienced professionals involved in purification processes and industrial downstream unit operations. The authors provide useful experimental design strategies and guidelines for developing application-specific process scale bioseparations. Chapter topics include harvest by centrifugation and filtration, expanded bed chromatography, protein refolding, modes of preparative chromatography, methodologies for resin screening, membrane chromatography, protein crystallization, viral filtration, ultrafiltration/diafiltration, implementing post-approval downstream process changes for an antibody product, and future trends.
Ideal for both new and experienced scientists in the biopharmaceutical industry and students, Process Scale Bioseparations for the Biopharmaceutical Industry is a comprehensive resource for all topics relevant to industrial process development.

This is an edited collection of peer-reviewed papers presented at the Ninth International Conference of the Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry. Defined as the relationship between human body structure and function, kinanthropometry is an area of growing interest, and these proceedings will be of use to students, academics and professionals in the areas of ergonomics, sports science, nutrition, health, and other allied fields. The assembled works represent the latest research findings across kinanthropometry, moving the discipline forward and promoting good practice and the exchange of expertise.

The book is designed as an introduction to the scientific study of speech. No prior knowledge of phonetics is assumed. As far as mathematical knowlege is concerned, all that is assumed is a knowledge of simple arithmetic and as far as possible concepts are dealt with on an intuitive rather than mathematical level. The anatomical material is all fully explained and illustrated. The book is arranged in four parts. Part 1, Basic Principles, provides an introduction to established phonetic theory and to the principles of phonetic analysis and description, including phonetic transcription. Part 2, Acoustic Phonetics, considers the physical nature of speech sounds as they pass through the air between speaker and hearer. It includes sections on temporal measurement, fundamental frequency, spectra and spectrograms. Part 3, Auditory Phonetics, covers the anatomy of the ear and the perception of loudness, pitch and quality. The final part, Part 4, covers the articulatory production of speech, and shows how experimentaltechniques and tools can enhance our understanding of the complexities of speech production.
Though the audience for this book is mainly students and professors in the Speech Sciences, it will also be valuable to any students studying hearing science and acoustics. The book is well supported with figures, tables, and practice boxes with experiments.

This book discusses the clinical biochemistry of commonly measured analytes. It gives hard numerical data not only for the distribution and balance of analytes, but also for differential diagnosis and treatment. For each analyte distribution, balance and assessment of status, causes and consequences of abnormal values, investigation and treatment options are presented.

Every chapter begins with a brief review of the physiology and biochemistry, followed by descriptions of the changes in diseases and how biochemical tests may help in their diagnosis and management. The principle behind the normal and abnormal functions of tissues and organs is explained. This book provides clear and concise coverage for medical students, junior doctors, clinical biochemists and medical technologists.

That a relation exists between lipids/lipoproteins and coronary artery disease is no longer an arguable point. However, the complexities associated with this relationship, and the number of factors that can impact and alter circumstances and clinical status, are many and diverse. Consequently, this relationship continues to receive a great deal of focus from researchers. Lipid Metabolism and Health, in presenting the latest statement from those positioned on the cutting edge in this arena, provides an overview and historical perspective of the evolution of serum lipids and lipoproteins. It traces their development from a mere curiosity to their acceptance as an established and major coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factor, and, ultimately, to their becoming the subject of clinical guidelines. Considerable attention is focused on the fundamentals, beginning with a chapter on basic lipidology, and progresses through such topics as lipid/lipoprotein metabolism, and the biology of atherosclerosis. Additional topics include methodologies for measuring lipoproteins, clinical strategies used to manage unhealthy lipid levels, and discussion of important influential factors such as obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, diet/nutrition, exercise, cigarette smoking and environmental tobacco smoke, and age, as well as gender, race, and other heredity factors. Qualified and recognized experts in their specific fields of study were recruited by the editors to contribute chapters. They include top researchers in, nutrition, pharmacology, exercise science, and several areas of clinical medicine including cardiology, kinesiology, and immunology. Lipid Metabolism and Health provides a usefulscientific and educational tool for researchers, clinicians, academicians, and students seeking a timely and bona fide source of information on the relationship between lipids and health.

The advances made in vascular biology in the last 25 years have considerably changed the perception that one could have of the endothelial cells. Once considered as a diffusion barrier preventing the access of the blood cells to the vascular matrix, the endothelium is now recognized as playing a major role in the control of blood fluidity, platelet aggregation, and vascular tone, but also in immunology, inflammation, angiogenesis, and for serving as a metabolizing and an endocrine organ.
-- from the preface
Cardiovascular diseases, so prevalent in the Western world during the twentieth century, could well become the scourge of the twenty-first century in emerging countries as well as the West. Endothelial dysfunction linked to an imbalance in the synthesis and/or release of contracting and relaxing factors is often evoked to explain the initiation of the cardiovascular pathology or its development and perpetuation. Two decades ago, when nitric oxide was demonstrated to mediate endothelium-dependent relaxations, the vascular world seemed convinced that nitric oxide was the ultimate and sole explanation for such relaxations. However not everyone agreed.
EDHF: The Complete Story is the work of two leading researchers who did not accept that simple conclusion, but instead continued to search, along with others, for a deeper understanding of the ways in which endothelial cells communicate with the underlying smooth muscle to signal it to hyperpolarize. Now with most, if not all, of those ways, uncovered, the authors offer this summary as way of bringing closure to the quest.
This monograph reports on the work of many researchers. It summarizes the significant recent discoveries concerning endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizations, which are likely to play a much more important role in cardiovascular physiology and pathology than was originally foreseen
Extensively illustrated with original diagrams and schematics that summarize the different steps of endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization, the text is designed for vascular biologists, and cardiologists, as well as graduate students looking to gain an understanding of the intimate functioning of the blood vessel wall.