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

Between 1950 and 1960, remarkable advances were made in the develQpment Qf antihypertensive drugs, but since then, prQgress has been less rapid. This dQes nQt mean that no. new drugs have been intrQduced: Qn the cQntrary, their number has increased sharply; but since the advent Qf the beta-adrenergic blQckers no. new pharmacQdynamic principle has been discQvered that CQuid be applied widely as an antihypertensive. This has nQt been fQr want Qf effQrts, because many attempts have been made to. find new ways and means Qf influencing blQQd- pressure regulatiQn Qr the mechanisms invQlved in the pathQgenesis Qf hypertensiQn. HQwever, the results Qf these endeavQrs have mQstly been disapPQinting. Even thQugh high blQQd pressure can be treated mQre satisfactQrily tQday than many Qther diseases, the success achieved in cQmbating Qne Qf man's mQst frequent ailments shQuld nQt induce cQmplacency, but rather stimulate research tQwards further imprQvements. The present standstill affQrds an QPPQrtunity to. review the field Qf antihy- pertensive agents, fQr it is unlikely that fundamentally new drugs will appear in the near future. AlthQugh greater knQwledge has been gained Qf the mechanisms Qf blQQd-pressure regulatiQn and Qf the pathQgenesis Qf hypertensiQn, these ad- vances have had no. direct cQnsequences in the search fQr new therapeutics.