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Atlas of experimental toxicological pathology. Vol. 13. Current histopathology
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Reviews of recent publications--Fd Chem. Toxic. Vol. 26, No. 9
Health Foundation suggests that there are really two types of carcinogen, the genotoxic and the epigenetic, that they act in different ways both quantitatively and qualitatively and that they should be regulated differently, with epigenetic carcinogens presenting less of a risk to the human population. It seemed that most of the participants agreed with this concept. However, hidden in the discussion were enough indications that this was not a unanimous view. It is a shame then that there was no formal presentation of the alternative case--that because many human cancers may not be related to exposure to genotoxic carcinogens it is odd to consider regulating what can be called 'promoters' less stringently than 'initiators'. The book is well produced, with clear type and illustrations in the standard Banbury Report format. Copious references are given. I am less sure about the usefulness of the verbatim discussion--an edited version might have been of more benefit to the reader! This minor quibble aside, I can thoroughly recommend this book as an introduction to what is clearly becoming an important area of controversy in toxicology. I await the sequel. [David LovelI--BIBRA]
Attitudes to Toxicology in the European Economic Community. Edited by P. L. Chambers. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 1987. pp. v i i i + 190. £28.50. ISBN 0-471-91769-9. Any light shed upon the objectives, intentions and problems of EEC regulation in toxicological areas is very welcome. This volume brings a little sunlight from a winter symposium in Tenerife in late 1986, organized by the European Society of Toxicology, the EC Commission and the University of La Laguna. Presumably such a venue requires the speakers to be exceptionally good to keep participants in the hall. Whatever the case the quality of each of the papers is very high. In addition, for a meeting report the various chapters are surprisingly relevant to the central theme, although in common with all such products the book is a collection rather than a synthesis of views. Contributions by the EC Commission stating its position on the Toxicology Action Programme, Control of Chemicals, Environmental Research programme and Cosmetics make easier reading than the more official documents covering these areas, and help to indicate some of the underlying thinking. The book is divided into sections on chemicals in large production, pharmaceutical chemicals, cosmetics substances and a miscellany under the heading of future toxicological controls. I could not do justice to any of the individual presentations by attempting to summarize their content. It would be equally unjust to select any one paper for particular mention. Suffice it to say that each of the major topics is explored from a number of angles, which adds to
an understanding of the problems of regulatory toxicology in these areas. If the book has any fault it is not in what is written but rather its timing. With the concept of the Single Market 1992 now accelerating developments on the European scene this book will fade rapidly into history. However, for anyone wishing to gain an initial insight into regulatory toxicology in the EC I could recommend no better starting point. [Paul Brantom--BIBRA]
Atlas of Experimental Toxicological Pathology. Vol. 13. Current Histopathology. By C. Gopinath, D. E. Prentice & D. J. Lewis. MTP Press Ltd, Lancaster, 1987. pp. 175. £75.00. ISBN 0-85200-332-3. This is the thirteenth volume in this series of atlases on special topics in histopathology, and it maintains the high standards of earlier volumes. It differs from its predecessors and other volumes planned for the future in that instead of dealing with a specific organ or system, it covers the common changes induced in each of the organs in laboratory animals by a variety of toxic agents, and so derives its title--"Experimental Toxicological Pathology". The layout of the book is conventional, with a separate chapter devoted to each organ or system. Photomicrographs are grouped six to a page and are accompanied by a few lines of explanatory text. The photomicrographs are of exceptional quality, both in terms of clarity and colour rendition, for which the authors and publishers are to be congratulated. Most of the photomicrographs are of conventional waxembedded sections Stained with haematoxylin and eosin, but also included are examples of resinembedded toluidine-blue stained material and tissue treated with special stains. There are also occasional electron micrographs. Apart from the text accompanying each photomicrograph, additional text covering several pages in each chapter explains in more detail the lesions illustrated. The authors have put a significant effort into this part of the book, and as a result the coverage is good, concise and well referenced. A major criticism of the book is the frequent deliberate omission of the specific agent responsible for the lesions illustrated. This omission is due to the confidential nature of many of the studies from which the material is derived, but it will prove to be a major irritation to those involved in research or academic study. One is also a little unhappy at the failure of the book title to convey to the potential purchaser, who may not have had the opportunity to see the book beforehand, that only non-neoplastic lesions are included. It is to be hoped that a companion volume covering neoplastic pathology will follow, since together they would constitute a prime reference source for the description of lesions observed by those engaged in toxicological pathology. [Derek Grant--BIBRA]
Reviews of recent publications--Fd Chem. Toxic. Vol. 26, No. 9
Health Foundation suggests that there are really two types of carcinogen, the genotoxic and the epigenetic, that they act in different ways both quantitatively and qualitatively and that they should be regulated differently, with epigenetic carcinogens presenting less of a risk to the human population. It seemed that most of the participants agreed with this concept. However, hidden in the discussion were enough indications that this was not a unanimous view. It is a shame then that there was no formal presentation of the alternative case--that because many human cancers may not be related to exposure to genotoxic carcinogens it is odd to consider regulating what can be called 'promoters' less stringently than 'initiators'. The book is well produced, with clear type and illustrations in the standard Banbury Report format. Copious references are given. I am less sure about the usefulness of the verbatim discussion--an edited version might have been of more benefit to the reader! This minor quibble aside, I can thoroughly recommend this book as an introduction to what is clearly becoming an important area of controversy in toxicology. I await the sequel. [David LovelI--BIBRA]
Attitudes to Toxicology in the European Economic Community. Edited by P. L. Chambers. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 1987. pp. v i i i + 190. £28.50. ISBN 0-471-91769-9. Any light shed upon the objectives, intentions and problems of EEC regulation in toxicological areas is very welcome. This volume brings a little sunlight from a winter symposium in Tenerife in late 1986, organized by the European Society of Toxicology, the EC Commission and the University of La Laguna. Presumably such a venue requires the speakers to be exceptionally good to keep participants in the hall. Whatever the case the quality of each of the papers is very high. In addition, for a meeting report the various chapters are surprisingly relevant to the central theme, although in common with all such products the book is a collection rather than a synthesis of views. Contributions by the EC Commission stating its position on the Toxicology Action Programme, Control of Chemicals, Environmental Research programme and Cosmetics make easier reading than the more official documents covering these areas, and help to indicate some of the underlying thinking. The book is divided into sections on chemicals in large production, pharmaceutical chemicals, cosmetics substances and a miscellany under the heading of future toxicological controls. I could not do justice to any of the individual presentations by attempting to summarize their content. It would be equally unjust to select any one paper for particular mention. Suffice it to say that each of the major topics is explored from a number of angles, which adds to
an understanding of the problems of regulatory toxicology in these areas. If the book has any fault it is not in what is written but rather its timing. With the concept of the Single Market 1992 now accelerating developments on the European scene this book will fade rapidly into history. However, for anyone wishing to gain an initial insight into regulatory toxicology in the EC I could recommend no better starting point. [Paul Brantom--BIBRA]
Atlas of Experimental Toxicological Pathology. Vol. 13. Current Histopathology. By C. Gopinath, D. E. Prentice & D. J. Lewis. MTP Press Ltd, Lancaster, 1987. pp. 175. £75.00. ISBN 0-85200-332-3. This is the thirteenth volume in this series of atlases on special topics in histopathology, and it maintains the high standards of earlier volumes. It differs from its predecessors and other volumes planned for the future in that instead of dealing with a specific organ or system, it covers the common changes induced in each of the organs in laboratory animals by a variety of toxic agents, and so derives its title--"Experimental Toxicological Pathology". The layout of the book is conventional, with a separate chapter devoted to each organ or system. Photomicrographs are grouped six to a page and are accompanied by a few lines of explanatory text. The photomicrographs are of exceptional quality, both in terms of clarity and colour rendition, for which the authors and publishers are to be congratulated. Most of the photomicrographs are of conventional waxembedded sections Stained with haematoxylin and eosin, but also included are examples of resinembedded toluidine-blue stained material and tissue treated with special stains. There are also occasional electron micrographs. Apart from the text accompanying each photomicrograph, additional text covering several pages in each chapter explains in more detail the lesions illustrated. The authors have put a significant effort into this part of the book, and as a result the coverage is good, concise and well referenced. A major criticism of the book is the frequent deliberate omission of the specific agent responsible for the lesions illustrated. This omission is due to the confidential nature of many of the studies from which the material is derived, but it will prove to be a major irritation to those involved in research or academic study. One is also a little unhappy at the failure of the book title to convey to the potential purchaser, who may not have had the opportunity to see the book beforehand, that only non-neoplastic lesions are included. It is to be hoped that a companion volume covering neoplastic pathology will follow, since together they would constitute a prime reference source for the description of lesions observed by those engaged in toxicological pathology. [Derek Grant--BIBRA]