There is a documented link between fetal nutrition and the development of disease risk in adult life. Including the early postnatal period, during which a newborn continues to grow rapidly influenced by environmental factors, suggests that individuals are subject to risks for more than just the fetal period. Fetal and Early Postnatal Programming and its Influence on Adult Health focuses on interrelated aspects of cellular programming related to early nutrition and this potential global health problem.

The annual meeting of the Perinatal Biochemical Group of the Spanish Biochemical Society held in Madrid on December 15-16, 1989, provided an excellent opportunity to bring together a group of distinguished investigators both from Spain and from abroad with a common interest in developmental endocrinology and biochemistry. The aim of the symposium was to present and discuss the most recent developments in the areas of endocrine and biochemical processes critical to normal growth and maturation of the newborn. To achieve a high degree of interaction among the participants, subject reviews as well as short communications were include in the program. The reviews provided in-depth information on selected important topics. The purpose of short communications was two fold: (i) to provide a forum to discuss on-going investigations on related areas; and (ii) to present opportunities for active participation by young investigators. This format proved very successful in generating fruitful discussions among the participants. Taken together the review chapters and the short communications have resulted in a coherent and unified subject presentation. Advances in biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology have provided not only new and exciting experimental approaches but also have opened up new directions in the investigation of differentiation and developmental processes at cellular, molecular and biochemical levels during the early stages of growth and maturation. In recent years a wealth of information in these areas of development has emerged at a rapid rate.

The recognition of oxidative stress as a major factor in health, aging, and disease has led to a surge in research aimed at uncovering effective countermeasures in the form of antioxidants. Unique in its two-fold protective function, alpha-lipoic acid has drawn unprecedented interest as a coenzyme in mitochondrial energy metabolism and as an antioxidant and cell redox modulator. Mounting data regarding its potential health benefits demands an authoritative, single-source reference to codify current knowledge and guide future research. A state-of-the-science compilation, Lipoic Acid follows the history of this potent coenzyme and the latest discoveries regarding the chemistry, biological action, and significance in energy production, antioxidant activity, and health. The book is divided into three sections: * Section I: Discovery and Molecular Structure reviews the early studies leading to the discovery of alpha-lipoic acid and explains the molecular structure, biosynthesis, and the characterization of lipoic acid and its chemical derivatives. * Section II: Metabolic Aspects describes in detail the human pharmacokinetics of alpha-lipoic acid including the lipoic acid-derived dehydrogenase complexes and their roles in energy metabolism. It also explains antioxidant activity and redox modulation and how lipoic acid induces Phase II detoxification enzymes through activation of Nrf2-dependent gene expression. * Section III Clinical Aspects discusses enzyme deficiency disorders and the effects of lipoic acid on insulin. It defines lipoic acid influence on signaling pathways and AMP-activated kinase, and considers the therapeutic implications for treatment of metabolic syndromes and the improvement of mitochondrial function by lipoic acid supplementation. Contributions from leading in

There is a documented link between fetal nutrition and the development of disease risk in adult life. Including the early postnatal period, during which a newborn continues to grow rapidly influenced by environmental factors, suggests that individuals are subject to risks for more than just the fetal period. Fetal and Early Postnatal Programming and its Influence on Adult Health focuses on interrelated aspects of cellular programming related to early nutrition and this potential global health problem.

The recognition of oxidative stress as a major factor in health, aging, and disease has led to a surge in research aimed at uncovering effective countermeasures in the form of antioxidants. Unique in its two-fold protective function, alpha-lipoic acid has drawn unprecedented interest as a coenzyme in mitochondrial energy metabolism and as an antioxidant and cell redox modulator. Mounting data regarding its potential health benefits demands an authoritative, single-source reference to codify current knowledge and guide future research. A state-of-the-science compilation, Lipoic Acid follows the history of this potent coenzyme and the latest discoveries regarding the chemistry, biological action, and significance in energy production, antioxidant activity, and health. The book is divided into three sections: * Section I: Discovery and Molecular Structure reviews the early studies leading to the discovery of alpha-lipoic acid and explains the molecular structure, biosynthesis, and the characterization of lipoic acid and its chemical derivatives. * Section II: Metabolic Aspects describes in detail the human pharmacokinetics of alpha-lipoic acid including the lipoic acid-derived dehydrogenase complexes and their roles in energy metabolism. It also explains antioxidant activity and redox modulation and how lipoic acid induces Phase II detoxification enzymes through activation of Nrf2-dependent gene expression. * Section III Clinical Aspects discusses enzyme deficiency disorders and the effects of lipoic acid on insulin. It defines lipoic acid influence on signaling pathways and AMP-activated kinase, and considers the therapeutic implications for treatment of metabolic syndromes and the improvement of mitochondrial function by lipoic acid supplementation. Contributions from leading in

Thiamine: Catalytic Mechanisms in Normal and Disease States brings together the most recent developments in thiamine diphosphate (TDP)-requiring enzyme research and details the mechanisms of catalysis and structure-function relationships, as well as pathophysiological aspects of a spectrum of diseases associated with TDP-requiring enzymes. Providing new insights into neurogenerative diseases, this volume associates defects in the function of TDP-dependent enzymes with numerous metabolic disorders and disease states and offers novel aspects of thiamine enzymes in chiral synthesis as well as new perspectives on the cellular role of thiamine triphosphate and thiamine triphosphates.