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Recent progress in hormone research. Vol. V
158
BOOK
REVIEWS
Recent Progress in Hormone Research. Vol. V. Edited by GREGORY PINCTJS. Academic Press Inc., New York, N. Y., 1950. 537 pp. Price $8.80. This volume covers the papers presented and the discussion thereof at the sixth annual meeting of the Laurentian Hormone Conference held at Franconia, New Hampshire, in September 1949. The contents are divided into six sections covering the following subjects: I. Humoral Mediators in Nervous Transmission; II. Ovarian Physiology and Function; III. Pituitary Physiology and Function; IV. Chemistry and Physiology of the Sex Hormone; V. Hormones and Tumors; and VI. Mechanisms of Hormone Action. There are 14 chapters written by authorities and for the specialist. The titles of each paper reflect the complexities of the present days of endocrinology. They are: “Sympathetic Hormonal Transmission” by Tainter and Luduena; “The Acetylcholine System in Neural Function” by Gerard; “The Vasculature of the Ovary and Ovarian Function” by Reynolds; “Androgenic Activity of the Ovary” by Parkes; “Some Aspects of the Physiology of Estrogenic Hormones” by Paschkis and Rakoff; “Maintenance of the Corpus Luteum and Physiologic Actions of Progesterone” by Bradbury, Brown, and Gray; “Steroid Control of Pituitary Function” by Greep and Jones; “Factors Affecting the Control of the Pituitary Gland” by Noble, Plunkett, and Taylor; “Studies on Estrogen Conjugates” by Grant and Beall; “The Chemical Estimation of Steroid Hormone Metabolites” by Engel; “Experimental Endocrine Tumors with Special Reference to the Adrenal Cortex” by Woolley; “The Virilieing Syndrome in Man” by Soffer, Gabrilove, Jailer, and Jacobs; “The Effect of the Hyperglycemic Factor of the Pancreas and of Epinephrine on Glycogenolysis” by Sutherland; and “Hormone-Enzyme Relationships” by Meyer and McShan. The last two chapters are timely as the reviewer feels that the study on the mechanism of hormonal action is one of the most important aspects inendocrinological research. Meyer and McShan summarized their observations on the changes of various enzymic activities in tissues of normal and hormonal-deficient animals. The in vitro effect of estrogens and related compounds on oxidative enzymes was also included in their discussions. Sutherland from Cori’s laboratory described the biological and chemical nature of the hyperglycemic factor of the pancreas and classified it as a true hormone. It is clearly demonstrated that the phosphorylase system of liver is affected by the hyperglycemic factor or epinephrine. The fact that epinephrine either in viva or in vitro causes the accumulation of hexose 6-phosphates indicates the site of action by this hormone. It is to be hoped that similar studies with other hormones in an isolated enzyme system will furnish us valuable information as to the mechanisms whereby these powerful biocatalysts act. The remaining chapters are critical review articles and some contain heretofore unpublished data. For example, the interesting studies of Noble et al. on the effects of lithosperm extracts on the action of some anterior pituitary hormones have not been presented elsewhere. As in the previous volumes, there are lively discussions at the end of each chapter. These discussions are valuable additions to the main contents of the presented papers. The editing task has been expertly executed by Pincus. The only difficulty noted by the reviewer is the inconsistency of terms employed by various authors. The term luteotrophin was used for lactogenic hormone on p. 249, while the hormone was
BOOK
159
REVIEWS
named lactogen on p. 507. It would be easier a uniform terminology in future volumes.
for the general CHOH
Ha0
reader
if the editor
LI, Berkeley,
Progress in Biochemistry. By FELIX HAUROWITZ, Professor University, S. Karger, Basel, and Interscience Publishers, xii and 405 pp. Price $7.50.
adopted
California
of Chemistry, Indiana Inc., New York, 1950.
The original German edition of this excellent volume published in 1948 under the title Fortschritte der Biochemie: 1938-1947 was reviewed in Archives of Biochemistry 21, 462 (1949). According to the author, about one-fifth of the original text has been rewritten at the cost of eliminating a report on most of the work published before 1939. The quality of the American edition is the equal of its original. The translation may, however, unfortunately, contribute to increase the inertia of graduate students in using the German language, still indispensable in the sciences. F. F. NORD, Metabolism and Function. A Collection of Papers Dedicated the Occassion of his 65th Birthday. Edited by D. NACHMANSOFIN. Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., 1950. 348 pp.
New
York,
N. Y.
to Ott,o Meyerhof on Elsevier Publishing
This volume is a bound collection of reprints of papers, the original edition of which appeared as an issue of Biochimica et Biophysicu Acta, Vol. 4 (1950). It contains seven research papers on Muscle, six research papers on Nerve, three research papers on Drug Action, and twenty-two research papers on Intermediate Metabolism. F. F. NORD, New York, N. Y. Hormone Assay. Edited by C. W. EMMENS, Department of Veterinary Physiology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Academic Press Inc., New York, N. Y., Coincident with rapid progress in recent years in 1950. xii + 556 pp. Price $10.00. the purification of hormonal substances and their identification in body fluids, there has existed necessarily a constant demand for quantitative assay procedures. For the most part, assay methods of adequate precision and specificity have been developed. Ordinarily the literature on bioassay and chemical methods for hormones are widely scattered and it is most appropriate at this time that a volume devoted exclusively to methods becomes available. In Hormone Assay, Professor Emmens as Editor has enlisted the aid of 17 collaborators, each of them widely recognized in endocrine research, and with assay methodology in particular. Well-recognized and widely employed methods for the greater part are presented in detail. Lesser well-known procedures are outlined as suggestive of ultimate usefulness but for full details one would find it necessary to consult the original papers, references to which are entirely adequate. References to qualitative tests are omitted except in cases when the development into quantitative techniques seems possible. The tist chapter by Professor Emmens calls attention to the need for statistical evaluation of biological or chemical assay and gives details of the various mathe-
BOOK
REVIEWS
Recent Progress in Hormone Research. Vol. V. Edited by GREGORY PINCTJS. Academic Press Inc., New York, N. Y., 1950. 537 pp. Price $8.80. This volume covers the papers presented and the discussion thereof at the sixth annual meeting of the Laurentian Hormone Conference held at Franconia, New Hampshire, in September 1949. The contents are divided into six sections covering the following subjects: I. Humoral Mediators in Nervous Transmission; II. Ovarian Physiology and Function; III. Pituitary Physiology and Function; IV. Chemistry and Physiology of the Sex Hormone; V. Hormones and Tumors; and VI. Mechanisms of Hormone Action. There are 14 chapters written by authorities and for the specialist. The titles of each paper reflect the complexities of the present days of endocrinology. They are: “Sympathetic Hormonal Transmission” by Tainter and Luduena; “The Acetylcholine System in Neural Function” by Gerard; “The Vasculature of the Ovary and Ovarian Function” by Reynolds; “Androgenic Activity of the Ovary” by Parkes; “Some Aspects of the Physiology of Estrogenic Hormones” by Paschkis and Rakoff; “Maintenance of the Corpus Luteum and Physiologic Actions of Progesterone” by Bradbury, Brown, and Gray; “Steroid Control of Pituitary Function” by Greep and Jones; “Factors Affecting the Control of the Pituitary Gland” by Noble, Plunkett, and Taylor; “Studies on Estrogen Conjugates” by Grant and Beall; “The Chemical Estimation of Steroid Hormone Metabolites” by Engel; “Experimental Endocrine Tumors with Special Reference to the Adrenal Cortex” by Woolley; “The Virilieing Syndrome in Man” by Soffer, Gabrilove, Jailer, and Jacobs; “The Effect of the Hyperglycemic Factor of the Pancreas and of Epinephrine on Glycogenolysis” by Sutherland; and “Hormone-Enzyme Relationships” by Meyer and McShan. The last two chapters are timely as the reviewer feels that the study on the mechanism of hormonal action is one of the most important aspects inendocrinological research. Meyer and McShan summarized their observations on the changes of various enzymic activities in tissues of normal and hormonal-deficient animals. The in vitro effect of estrogens and related compounds on oxidative enzymes was also included in their discussions. Sutherland from Cori’s laboratory described the biological and chemical nature of the hyperglycemic factor of the pancreas and classified it as a true hormone. It is clearly demonstrated that the phosphorylase system of liver is affected by the hyperglycemic factor or epinephrine. The fact that epinephrine either in viva or in vitro causes the accumulation of hexose 6-phosphates indicates the site of action by this hormone. It is to be hoped that similar studies with other hormones in an isolated enzyme system will furnish us valuable information as to the mechanisms whereby these powerful biocatalysts act. The remaining chapters are critical review articles and some contain heretofore unpublished data. For example, the interesting studies of Noble et al. on the effects of lithosperm extracts on the action of some anterior pituitary hormones have not been presented elsewhere. As in the previous volumes, there are lively discussions at the end of each chapter. These discussions are valuable additions to the main contents of the presented papers. The editing task has been expertly executed by Pincus. The only difficulty noted by the reviewer is the inconsistency of terms employed by various authors. The term luteotrophin was used for lactogenic hormone on p. 249, while the hormone was
BOOK
159
REVIEWS
named lactogen on p. 507. It would be easier a uniform terminology in future volumes.
for the general CHOH
Ha0
reader
if the editor
LI, Berkeley,
Progress in Biochemistry. By FELIX HAUROWITZ, Professor University, S. Karger, Basel, and Interscience Publishers, xii and 405 pp. Price $7.50.
adopted
California
of Chemistry, Indiana Inc., New York, 1950.
The original German edition of this excellent volume published in 1948 under the title Fortschritte der Biochemie: 1938-1947 was reviewed in Archives of Biochemistry 21, 462 (1949). According to the author, about one-fifth of the original text has been rewritten at the cost of eliminating a report on most of the work published before 1939. The quality of the American edition is the equal of its original. The translation may, however, unfortunately, contribute to increase the inertia of graduate students in using the German language, still indispensable in the sciences. F. F. NORD, Metabolism and Function. A Collection of Papers Dedicated the Occassion of his 65th Birthday. Edited by D. NACHMANSOFIN. Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., 1950. 348 pp.
New
York,
N. Y.
to Ott,o Meyerhof on Elsevier Publishing
This volume is a bound collection of reprints of papers, the original edition of which appeared as an issue of Biochimica et Biophysicu Acta, Vol. 4 (1950). It contains seven research papers on Muscle, six research papers on Nerve, three research papers on Drug Action, and twenty-two research papers on Intermediate Metabolism. F. F. NORD, New York, N. Y. Hormone Assay. Edited by C. W. EMMENS, Department of Veterinary Physiology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Academic Press Inc., New York, N. Y., Coincident with rapid progress in recent years in 1950. xii + 556 pp. Price $10.00. the purification of hormonal substances and their identification in body fluids, there has existed necessarily a constant demand for quantitative assay procedures. For the most part, assay methods of adequate precision and specificity have been developed. Ordinarily the literature on bioassay and chemical methods for hormones are widely scattered and it is most appropriate at this time that a volume devoted exclusively to methods becomes available. In Hormone Assay, Professor Emmens as Editor has enlisted the aid of 17 collaborators, each of them widely recognized in endocrine research, and with assay methodology in particular. Well-recognized and widely employed methods for the greater part are presented in detail. Lesser well-known procedures are outlined as suggestive of ultimate usefulness but for full details one would find it necessary to consult the original papers, references to which are entirely adequate. References to qualitative tests are omitted except in cases when the development into quantitative techniques seems possible. The tist chapter by Professor Emmens calls attention to the need for statistical evaluation of biological or chemical assay and gives details of the various mathe-