- Email: [email protected]
Lehrbuch der physiologischen chemie
622
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA
BOOK
VOL. 1 6 ( I 9 5 5 )
REVIEWS
Porphyri~,s, their Biological and Chemical Importa~ce,
b y A. VANNOTTI. T r a n s l a t e d
C. R I m N ( ; T O X , M . A . , P h . D . , D . S c . , H i l g e r a n d W a t t s
by
L t d . , L o n d o n , I 9 5 4 , x -}- 258
+ x v p a g e s . I2 illus., I5 p l a t e s . Price 5os. net. In 1937 VANNOTTI, University-Professor at Lausanne, published his excellent m o n o g r a p h present publication is in no sense a new revision of the first one b u t a new book e m b o d y i n g m o d e r n conceptions of p i g m e n t metabolism and recording much new material. The original was written in French and has been translated and revised b y the well-known a u t h o r i t y on p o r p h y r i n s , Prof. C. R~IiXG'rON of the University College Hospital Medical School, London. This well-written n n m o g r a p h presents in an excellent w a y the biological and clinical p r o b l e m s of p o r p h y r i n chenlistry. VANNOTTI d e m o n s t r a t e s t h a t p o r p h y r i n s exert n u m e r o u s actions in the body and nla} pluy directly or indirectly t h r o u g h secondary biochemical or neuro-vegetative mechanisms, an essential p a r t in the regulation of i m p o r t a n t vital p h e n o m e l m in the body. This m o n o g r a p h s t a r t s with a c h a p t e r on physio-chemical characteristics ol porphyriJ~s, the m e t h o d s of extraction and qualitative and q u a n t i t a t i v e determination of porphyrins. [t gives a useful s u r v e y of the occurrence of p o r p h y r i n s in Nature. In the following chapters on physiological and pathological m e t a b o l i s m of p o r p h y r i n in nlan he discusses m a n y of the existing theories and shows t h a t up to now there is no general a g r e e m e n t on ninny points. In dealing with the biological actions of t~orphyrins the writer discusses first their photosensitizing action, and then the action of p o r p h y r i n s on the circulatory system, the action on the intestine and the general manifestations in the body, for instance the functional relationship between calcium, calcification, calcium balance and the nletabolism of porphyrins. B u t a clinician as VANXOTTI c a n n o t write a book a b o u t p o r p h y r i n w i t h o u t giving a clear picture of their pathological importance for the h u m a n being. The last c h a p t e r s deal with p o r p h y r i n and the t r e a t m e n t of p o r p h y r i n diseases. The classification of p o r p h y r i n s is still a point of discussion, and we t h i n k we have not reached a final a g r e e m e n t in this matter. The clinician and the general practitioner will lind in the c h a p t e r " T r e a t m e n t of Porphyrin diseases" w h a t can be done to help their patients, klthcmgh we still c a n n o t speak of a rational t h e r a p y for porphyria, we can say t h a t t o d a y t r e a t m e n t has progressed from a purely s y m p t o l n a t i c to a s y s t e m a t i c basis which has recently given modest b u t neverthcless encouraging results, l t h i n k it is an excellent book t h a t will satisfy e v e r y b o d y who is interested in this p a r t i c u l a r p a r t of h u m a n pathology. C. D. DE ].:\NGEN (Utrecht)
Po@hyri~ze und Porphyri~zehra~zkheife~z. The
Lehrbuch der Physiologischen Chemic,
b y S. EDLBACHER AND F . IASUTHARDT. W a i t e r d e
G r u y t e r a n d Co., B e r l i n , I I . A u f l a g e , I(~54, 813 p a g e s , 61 ill., D . M . 4 2 . - - . This is the second edition of Professor LEUTHARDT'S revision and extension of the well-known t e x t b o o k by the late Professor EDLBACHER. The fact t h a t a new edition had to be p r e p a r e d so soon after publication of the I o t h edition in 1952 proves the usefulness of this book. There are no f u n d a m e n t a l changes as c o m p a r e d to the previous edition (Biochim. Biophys. Acta, i i 119531 455)" Solne c h a p t e r s h a v e changed places and a new c h a p t e r on p h o t o s y n t h e s i s has been added. An i m p o r t a n t i m p r o v e m e n t is the addition of a reference list (of 25 pages) of m o d e r n books and reviews at the end of the textbook. [,. N. \VENT (Kingston, Jamaica)
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA
BOOK
VOL. 1 6 ( I 9 5 5 )
REVIEWS
Porphyri~,s, their Biological and Chemical Importa~ce,
b y A. VANNOTTI. T r a n s l a t e d
C. R I m N ( ; T O X , M . A . , P h . D . , D . S c . , H i l g e r a n d W a t t s
by
L t d . , L o n d o n , I 9 5 4 , x -}- 258
+ x v p a g e s . I2 illus., I5 p l a t e s . Price 5os. net. In 1937 VANNOTTI, University-Professor at Lausanne, published his excellent m o n o g r a p h present publication is in no sense a new revision of the first one b u t a new book e m b o d y i n g m o d e r n conceptions of p i g m e n t metabolism and recording much new material. The original was written in French and has been translated and revised b y the well-known a u t h o r i t y on p o r p h y r i n s , Prof. C. R~IiXG'rON of the University College Hospital Medical School, London. This well-written n n m o g r a p h presents in an excellent w a y the biological and clinical p r o b l e m s of p o r p h y r i n chenlistry. VANNOTTI d e m o n s t r a t e s t h a t p o r p h y r i n s exert n u m e r o u s actions in the body and nla} pluy directly or indirectly t h r o u g h secondary biochemical or neuro-vegetative mechanisms, an essential p a r t in the regulation of i m p o r t a n t vital p h e n o m e l m in the body. This m o n o g r a p h s t a r t s with a c h a p t e r on physio-chemical characteristics ol porphyriJ~s, the m e t h o d s of extraction and qualitative and q u a n t i t a t i v e determination of porphyrins. [t gives a useful s u r v e y of the occurrence of p o r p h y r i n s in Nature. In the following chapters on physiological and pathological m e t a b o l i s m of p o r p h y r i n in nlan he discusses m a n y of the existing theories and shows t h a t up to now there is no general a g r e e m e n t on ninny points. In dealing with the biological actions of t~orphyrins the writer discusses first their photosensitizing action, and then the action of p o r p h y r i n s on the circulatory system, the action on the intestine and the general manifestations in the body, for instance the functional relationship between calcium, calcification, calcium balance and the nletabolism of porphyrins. B u t a clinician as VANXOTTI c a n n o t write a book a b o u t p o r p h y r i n w i t h o u t giving a clear picture of their pathological importance for the h u m a n being. The last c h a p t e r s deal with p o r p h y r i n and the t r e a t m e n t of p o r p h y r i n diseases. The classification of p o r p h y r i n s is still a point of discussion, and we t h i n k we have not reached a final a g r e e m e n t in this matter. The clinician and the general practitioner will lind in the c h a p t e r " T r e a t m e n t of Porphyrin diseases" w h a t can be done to help their patients, klthcmgh we still c a n n o t speak of a rational t h e r a p y for porphyria, we can say t h a t t o d a y t r e a t m e n t has progressed from a purely s y m p t o l n a t i c to a s y s t e m a t i c basis which has recently given modest b u t neverthcless encouraging results, l t h i n k it is an excellent book t h a t will satisfy e v e r y b o d y who is interested in this p a r t i c u l a r p a r t of h u m a n pathology. C. D. DE ].:\NGEN (Utrecht)
Po@hyri~ze und Porphyri~zehra~zkheife~z. The
Lehrbuch der Physiologischen Chemic,
b y S. EDLBACHER AND F . IASUTHARDT. W a i t e r d e
G r u y t e r a n d Co., B e r l i n , I I . A u f l a g e , I(~54, 813 p a g e s , 61 ill., D . M . 4 2 . - - . This is the second edition of Professor LEUTHARDT'S revision and extension of the well-known t e x t b o o k by the late Professor EDLBACHER. The fact t h a t a new edition had to be p r e p a r e d so soon after publication of the I o t h edition in 1952 proves the usefulness of this book. There are no f u n d a m e n t a l changes as c o m p a r e d to the previous edition (Biochim. Biophys. Acta, i i 119531 455)" Solne c h a p t e r s h a v e changed places and a new c h a p t e r on p h o t o s y n t h e s i s has been added. An i m p o r t a n t i m p r o v e m e n t is the addition of a reference list (of 25 pages) of m o d e r n books and reviews at the end of the textbook. [,. N. \VENT (Kingston, Jamaica)