In the past 15 years much evidence has accumulated which indicates the paramount importance of sensory nerves in reg ulating functions of the gastrointestinal tract. In parallel, the attention of researchers in this field has been increas ingly attracted to the role played by neuropeptides in the normal and diseased gut. Basic research on the peculiar properties of capsaicin, the pungent ingredient from plants of the genus Capsicum, has allowed the gap between these two areas of research to be bridged. Sincethen, the study of gut afferents and neuropeptides has become more and more interconnected and recognized as a major avenue to understand ing the pathophysiology of various human diseases. It is widely recognized that a certain subset of primary afferents synthesize, store and release neuropeptides (such as tachykin nins and calcitonin gene-related peptide) from their central and peripheral endings, the latter being widely distributed in the alimentary canal and related organs (liver, pancreas). The First International Meeting on Sensory Nerves and Neuropeptides in Gastroenterology, held in Florence from December 4-5, 1989, sponsored and organized by Fondazione Internazionale Menarini, aimed to focus the current status of research in this field. The contributions presented at the meeting and in this book delineate a suggestive scenario in which sensory nerves of the gut, and the multiple messages they carry through the release of neuropeptides, are to be considered as a major target for the development of new drugs potentially useful in a number of diseases of the gastro intestinal tract."

In the past 15 years much evidence has accumulated which indicates the paramount importance of sensory nerves in reg ulating functions of the gastrointestinal tract. In parallel, the attention of researchers in this field has been increas ingly attracted to the role played by neuropeptides in the normal and diseased gut. Basic research on the peculiar properties of capsaicin, the pungent ingredient from plants of the genus Capsicum, has allowed the gap between these two areas of research to be bridged. Sincethen, the study of gut afferents and neuropeptides has become more and more interconnected and recognized as a major avenue to understand ing the pathophysiology of various human diseases. It is widely recognized that a certain subset of primary afferents synthesize, store and release neuropeptides (such as tachykin nins and calcitonin gene-related peptide) from their central and peripheral endings, the latter being widely distributed in the alimentary canal and related organs (liver, pancreas). The First International Meeting on Sensory Nerves and Neuropeptides in Gastroenterology, held in Florence from December 4-5, 1989, sponsored and organized by Fondazione Internazionale Menarini, aimed to focus the current status of research in this field. The contributions presented at the meeting and in this book delineate a suggestive scenario in which sensory nerves of the gut, and the multiple messages they carry through the release of neuropeptides, are to be considered as a major target for the development of new drugs potentially useful in a number of diseases of the gastro intestinal tract."

Seven months after the report of the cloning of the CF gene by three North American groups, a workshop scheduled before that report was held in sestri Levante, a splendid city on the Ligu- rian coast. For three days almost 100 scientists from Europe and North America had the opportunity to discuss the perspectives and the new research strategies opened up by the cloning of the gene. The issue of publishing these proceedings was discussed at length among the invited speakers of the workshop and the pre- vailing opinion was that they would be worthwhile if accompanied by the transcripts of the discussions which followed each pre- sentation. Thanks to the generous suppport of the Menarini Foun- dation, represented at the meeting by Dr. Sergio Gorini, and thanks to the reviewing work done by the Chairpersons of each session, by many participants, by Dr. Donata Brugioni, by Mrs. Katherine Loparco and by my collaborators Drs. Marcella Devoto and Luis J. V. Galietta, that idea has generated this book, which should be a helpful tool at least for some years for all those interested in understanding how the CFTR gene works. Prof. G. Romeo CONTENTS Cystic Fibrosis - A Strategy for the Future *...*. 1 R. Williamson Molecular Genetics of cystic Fibrosis ...*...*. . 9 L. -C. Tsui, J. Rommens, B. Kerem, R. Rozmahel, J. Zielenski, D. Kennedy, D. Markiewicz, N. Plavsic, J. -L. Chou, D. Bozon and M.

Left ventricular hypertrophy represents one of the most common complications of the hypertensive state. Indeed, since the Framigham Heart Study, several epidemiological studies have provided clearcut evidence that cardiac hypertrophy represents an important and independent risk factor for the hypertensive patient. Since the introduction of quantitative ultrasound techniques to evaluate cardiac function and state, the research in the field of left ventricular hypertrophy has been par- ticularly active and fruitful, allowing us to gain new information on the pathophysiology of this condition and on its diagnostic and therapeutic approach. The international symposium "Hypertension and the Heart," one of the most impor- tant meetings held on this issue in recent years, promoted by Fondazione Internazionale Menarini, dealt with cardiac hypertrophy in its structural, molecular, pathophysiological, and clinical aspects, and with related complications, such as myocardial ischemia, arrhyth- mias, and congestive heart failure. Prof. A. Zanchetti v CONTENTS Session I: Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: Structural Aspects and Mechanisms 1. Relations of Left Ventricular Geometry and Function to Prognosis in Hypertension ...Richard B. Devereux, Giovanni de Simone, and Mary J. Roman 2. Left Ventricular Hypertrophy, Arterial Compliance, and Aging ...13 Mary 1. Roman, Antonello Ganau, Pier Sergio Saba, and Richard B. Devereux 3. Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Arterial Blood Pressure in Experimental Models of Hypertension ...23 ...