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Brain reward systems and abuse
548
Book Reviews
In summary, Vol. 4 of this series of Pineal Research Reviews presents up-to-date reviews of important topics in pineal research by leaders in the field. The volume thus continues the high standards set by its preceding volumes. G. M. BROWN Professor Brown is ]rom McMaster Unit~ersit3', 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada LSN 3Z5
Brain Reward Systems and Abuse. Edited by J. ENGEL, L. ORELAND,D. H. INGVAR, B. PEgNOW, S. ROSSNERand L. A. PELaORN. ISBN 0-88167-263-7. Price: $64.50. Raven Press, New York, 1987. The contributions to this book were originally presented at the Seventh International Berzelius Symposium organized by the Swedish Society of Medicine. My immediate first impression was that this is a very "thin" volume for such a vast topic. Yet despite what appears from the index to be rather limited overall coverage of drugs of abuse, the quality of the individual contributions make this a very stimulating text. The first five chapters focus on reward systems in the brain and the positive reinforcing properties of drugs. Drug self-administration experiments are discussed in a number of these chapters as the means to demonstrate reinforcing properties of compounds and as a means to delineate the endogenous substrates of the reward. Two of the chapters examine more specific cellular changes related to activation of reward systems. Activation of reinforcement systems can alter an animal's overt behaviour, but one chapter presents evidence that such conditioning can also occur for single cell firing rates in the presence of "reinforcing transmitters and drugs". Finally, measurement of changes in cerebral glucose utilization is considered as a potential means to discriminate between different reinforcers. Different areas of brain were found to have increased metabolism following selfstimulation of the ventral tegmental area as compared with the~ substantia nigra. The opiates, PCP, ethanol, CNS stimulants and nicotine each provide the subject for a chapter, most of which focu~ on CNS mechanisms of action of the drugs. To this end, the chapter on the clinical effects of stimulants, although extremely interesting, seems out of place in this text. A link between endogenous opioid receptors and ethanol may suggest a basis for the reinforcing properties of alcohol and its abuse. But, if this is the case, 1 was surprised to find that in two further chapters, especially in the discussion of strategies for the identification of pharmacological modulators of ethanol consumption, attention was focused on the monoamines. The final two chapters move away from discussions of the cellular effects of the drugs of abuse to consider, (1) the personality trait and motive of sensation seeking in the abuser and, (2) the behavioural psychology of addiction. The later advances an interesting argument that drug dependence is a "love relationship,' to pleasure and as such can not be an illness in need of medical treatment. Excessive use of a drug can lead to medical problems, but addiction should be treated by "modification of destructive or asocial behaviours'. This book is very well presented. With all the rush to get the latest meetings into print as soon as possible, one often forgets how pleasant it is to read a type-set rather than a camera-ready text. I can only compliment each of the contributors and the editors for a book which I found
extremely informative and a great pleasure to rcatl, l'his book is expensive, but I would recommend it w anyone interested in this very important area of research
BRUCEHOLMAN Dr R. Bruce Holman is Reader in Physiology & Biochemistt~v in the Department of Physiology & BiochemisttT. University of Reading, Reading, Berks.. U.K
Ion Channels and Receptors. The Journal o f Experimental Biology Vol. 124. Edited by J. E. T~rmRNE with W. A. FOSTEg and P. K. SeHOFIELO. ISBN 0-948601-027. Price: £20. The Company of Biologists Ltd, Cambridge, 1986. This book investigates the biochemical mechanisms behind receptor mediated membrane ion permeability changes and how this is related to physiological changes within the cell. The contributions are written by recognised authors in their respective fields and should be of interest to electrophysiologists and molecular biologists alike. Hormones/transmitters that regulate ion channel function do so by either directly activating ion channels, as is the case for the nicotinic cholinergic receptor, or indirectly by the production of second messengers. This book concerns itself with the link between receptor mediated changes in ion channel function and receptor activated production of various second messengers. Most of the contributions are a concise account of the authors salient experiments, outlining briefly experimental procedure and presenting data for discussion in a wider context. The articles are written in a style comprehensible by those unfamiliar with the intricacies of the subject, but detailed enough to be of interest to specialists in the field. The beauty of the book lies in the diversity of topics covered, which gives the reader an excellent overview of our understanding of receptor/ion channel interactions in a variety of tissues and experimental conditions. The breadth of the book does however, restrict indepth discussion in " - ; one area. It is stressed in the introductory chapter by Evans and Levitan that the aim is to outline "new advances that are occurring in the field of ion channel and receptor research". This the book achieves, offering the reader a perspective of the experimental approaches used in this field, rather than an indepth knowledge in any one area. The book does however suffer from there being no clear logical order of articles, which leaves the reader wondering how the various studies are related. The experimental systems discussed range from sensory neuronal growth cones from cultured Aplysia californica sensory neurones as models for the study of nerve terminal serotonin-sensitive potassium channels (Siegelbaum et aL), to mammalian clonal pituitary cell lines where peptide secretion is correlated with receptor mediated second messenger production and membrane permeability changes (Drummond). Amongst the discussions of the molecular mechanisms behind ion channel control the reader is reminded of the gross physiological consequences of ion channel activity. This is particularly well emphasised in articles by Lemos et al. concerning the control of peptide hormone release, Petersen et al., who discuss the role of potassium channels in secretary cell function and Moonlenaar et al. who discuss the mechanism of growth factor effects on cell proliferation.
Book Reviews
In summary, Vol. 4 of this series of Pineal Research Reviews presents up-to-date reviews of important topics in pineal research by leaders in the field. The volume thus continues the high standards set by its preceding volumes. G. M. BROWN Professor Brown is ]rom McMaster Unit~ersit3', 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada LSN 3Z5
Brain Reward Systems and Abuse. Edited by J. ENGEL, L. ORELAND,D. H. INGVAR, B. PEgNOW, S. ROSSNERand L. A. PELaORN. ISBN 0-88167-263-7. Price: $64.50. Raven Press, New York, 1987. The contributions to this book were originally presented at the Seventh International Berzelius Symposium organized by the Swedish Society of Medicine. My immediate first impression was that this is a very "thin" volume for such a vast topic. Yet despite what appears from the index to be rather limited overall coverage of drugs of abuse, the quality of the individual contributions make this a very stimulating text. The first five chapters focus on reward systems in the brain and the positive reinforcing properties of drugs. Drug self-administration experiments are discussed in a number of these chapters as the means to demonstrate reinforcing properties of compounds and as a means to delineate the endogenous substrates of the reward. Two of the chapters examine more specific cellular changes related to activation of reward systems. Activation of reinforcement systems can alter an animal's overt behaviour, but one chapter presents evidence that such conditioning can also occur for single cell firing rates in the presence of "reinforcing transmitters and drugs". Finally, measurement of changes in cerebral glucose utilization is considered as a potential means to discriminate between different reinforcers. Different areas of brain were found to have increased metabolism following selfstimulation of the ventral tegmental area as compared with the~ substantia nigra. The opiates, PCP, ethanol, CNS stimulants and nicotine each provide the subject for a chapter, most of which focu~ on CNS mechanisms of action of the drugs. To this end, the chapter on the clinical effects of stimulants, although extremely interesting, seems out of place in this text. A link between endogenous opioid receptors and ethanol may suggest a basis for the reinforcing properties of alcohol and its abuse. But, if this is the case, 1 was surprised to find that in two further chapters, especially in the discussion of strategies for the identification of pharmacological modulators of ethanol consumption, attention was focused on the monoamines. The final two chapters move away from discussions of the cellular effects of the drugs of abuse to consider, (1) the personality trait and motive of sensation seeking in the abuser and, (2) the behavioural psychology of addiction. The later advances an interesting argument that drug dependence is a "love relationship,' to pleasure and as such can not be an illness in need of medical treatment. Excessive use of a drug can lead to medical problems, but addiction should be treated by "modification of destructive or asocial behaviours'. This book is very well presented. With all the rush to get the latest meetings into print as soon as possible, one often forgets how pleasant it is to read a type-set rather than a camera-ready text. I can only compliment each of the contributors and the editors for a book which I found
extremely informative and a great pleasure to rcatl, l'his book is expensive, but I would recommend it w anyone interested in this very important area of research
BRUCEHOLMAN Dr R. Bruce Holman is Reader in Physiology & Biochemistt~v in the Department of Physiology & BiochemisttT. University of Reading, Reading, Berks.. U.K
Ion Channels and Receptors. The Journal o f Experimental Biology Vol. 124. Edited by J. E. T~rmRNE with W. A. FOSTEg and P. K. SeHOFIELO. ISBN 0-948601-027. Price: £20. The Company of Biologists Ltd, Cambridge, 1986. This book investigates the biochemical mechanisms behind receptor mediated membrane ion permeability changes and how this is related to physiological changes within the cell. The contributions are written by recognised authors in their respective fields and should be of interest to electrophysiologists and molecular biologists alike. Hormones/transmitters that regulate ion channel function do so by either directly activating ion channels, as is the case for the nicotinic cholinergic receptor, or indirectly by the production of second messengers. This book concerns itself with the link between receptor mediated changes in ion channel function and receptor activated production of various second messengers. Most of the contributions are a concise account of the authors salient experiments, outlining briefly experimental procedure and presenting data for discussion in a wider context. The articles are written in a style comprehensible by those unfamiliar with the intricacies of the subject, but detailed enough to be of interest to specialists in the field. The beauty of the book lies in the diversity of topics covered, which gives the reader an excellent overview of our understanding of receptor/ion channel interactions in a variety of tissues and experimental conditions. The breadth of the book does however, restrict indepth discussion in " - ; one area. It is stressed in the introductory chapter by Evans and Levitan that the aim is to outline "new advances that are occurring in the field of ion channel and receptor research". This the book achieves, offering the reader a perspective of the experimental approaches used in this field, rather than an indepth knowledge in any one area. The book does however suffer from there being no clear logical order of articles, which leaves the reader wondering how the various studies are related. The experimental systems discussed range from sensory neuronal growth cones from cultured Aplysia californica sensory neurones as models for the study of nerve terminal serotonin-sensitive potassium channels (Siegelbaum et aL), to mammalian clonal pituitary cell lines where peptide secretion is correlated with receptor mediated second messenger production and membrane permeability changes (Drummond). Amongst the discussions of the molecular mechanisms behind ion channel control the reader is reminded of the gross physiological consequences of ion channel activity. This is particularly well emphasised in articles by Lemos et al. concerning the control of peptide hormone release, Petersen et al., who discuss the role of potassium channels in secretary cell function and Moonlenaar et al. who discuss the mechanism of growth factor effects on cell proliferation.