- Email: [email protected]
Signal Transduction and the Gasotransmitters: NO, CO, and H2S in Biology and Medicine
Book Reviews
excluded. One can only agree with the statement in the preface from the author, a London surgeon, that truly, this must ‘reflect the compiler’s tastes and prejudices’.
mechanisms for many phenomena that have previously been difficult to understand and explain. It is clearly written and easy to read. I can recommend it unreservedly.
G. Smith Leicester, UK E-mail: [email protected]
K. H. Simpson Leeds, UK E-mail: [email protected]
doi:10.1093/bja/aei504
doi:10.1093/bja/aei505
Psychological Methods of Pain Control: Basic Science and Clinical Perspectives. Progress in Pain Research and Management, Volume 29. D. D. Price and M. C. Bushnell. Published by IASP Press, Seattle. Pp. 308; indexed; illustrated. Price US$63.00. ISBN 0-931092-52-3.
Signal Transduction and the Gasotransmitters: NO, CO, and H2S in Biology and Medicine. R. Wang (editor). Published by Humana Press, Totowa. Pp. 400; indexed; illustrated. Price £159.00. ISBN 1-58829-349-1.
This is another in the series of excellent books from IASP Press that consistently produces current and high quality texts. Pain is a multidimensional problem that involves sensory, emotional and evaluative processes. The psychological aspects of acute and chronic pain assessment and treatment are very important. Recent advances in sophisticated brain imaging have allowed a much better understanding of some of the psychological influences on the pain experience. The editors have assembled an impressive group of internationally recognized experts in this field to contribute to our understanding of this topic. The authors explore the complex inter-relationship between sensory and affective components of pain and how these dimensions can be modulated by cognitive factors and treatments. The book has four sections. The first section reviews the general mechanisms of pain modulation. It covers the four-stage model of pain processing, taking the reader through the mechanisms of psychological influences on pain, in a clear and concise manner. This section also explains how the pain experience can be modified by psychological factors, at various different neural levels and within specific dimensions. The text moves away from the classical model of dichotomous centres and pathways for sensory and affective pain components and describes more integrated and parallel systems. This section also covers important, pre-clinical, animal data that adds to our understanding. The final chapter in this section by McGrath and Dade is a clear exposition of strategies to decrease acute and chronic pain and more importantly disability. The second section covers pain modulation by attention, cognitive factors and emotions. The chapter on attention and distraction includes some fascinating data on functional brain imaging. The chapter that explores the interaction between pain and emotion includes data on pain-related fear and anxiety that is, especially, clinically relevant. Linton’s chapter on environmental and learning issues is particularly relevant, as it covers the process whereby acute pain becomes chronic and moves on to how an understanding of this may lead to improvement in treatment strategies. The whole of the third section of the book explores the modulation of pain by placebos, which is of great importance both experimentally and clinically. The first chapter in this section is the clearest account of neural mechanisms for the placebo effect that I have ever seen. This section also includes the clinical impact of the placebo effect, the ethics of placebos in research, factors that alter the magnitude of the placebo effect, brain imaging studies, and methods of altering the placebo response. The final section of the book covers hypnosis. It includes an excellent summary of the neurophysiology of hypnosis, with recent brain imaging data. A final chapter by Barber on the mechanisms and clinical applications of hypnosis for analgesia is excellent. This book has something in it for all basic scientists and healthcare professionals involved in acute and chronic pain assessment or management. It expands our understanding of the neural
This book describes the new concept of gasotransmitters, including NO, CO and H2S molecules. These gaseous molecules share common chemical features and biological action modes, but differ from classical neurotransmitters and humoral factors. The book is in five parts, with a total of 22 chapters, most of which are very well written and extensively referenced. Inevitably for a book with 18 first authors, there is repetition, but this is not excessive. In practice, the book is detailed and provides a valuable resource for understanding the role of NO, CO and H2S in signal transduction. The descriptions of the physiological roles of NO, CO and H2S in the regulation of the cardiovascular, neuronal and gastrointestinal systems are probably not of major interest to the general anaesthetist, but would be useful for those involved in research in this area. Part I (Gasotransmitters: past, present and future) is well written and presented. The appendix describes the new concept of gasotransmitters and details the origin of this concept. Part II (The emergence of the first gasotransmitter: nitric oxide) is rather long and the chapters are of variable quality and disjointed. Chapter 6 is clear and well structured but chapter 5 describes the cardioprotective effects of NO without direct relation to the other chapters. Part III (Story of a silent killer: the resurgence of carbon monoxide as the second gasotransmitter) is easier to read and many of the chapters have a summary followed by a general conclusion. Part IV (Gas of the rotten egg: hydrogen sulphide as the third gasotransmitter) describes the actions of H2S, which is less well known than NO and CO. The 6 chapters within this part are specific and well presented. The comparisons made between NO, CO and H2S in Parts III and IV are clear and extensively researched compared with much of Part II. Taken as a whole it is difficult to find continuity between Parts II, III and IV. The final Part briefly summarizes the roles of gasotransmitters and potential gasotransmitters in metabolism. Another chapter comparing common mechanisms for NO, CO and H2S would have been useful for the non-specialist. Unfortunately, there is no description of the different mechanism that follows calcium liberation. No conclusions or summary are made at the end of this book and an illustration summarizing relevant information would have been appreciated. In summary, this book is very well documented, but seems to be more descriptive than explanatory. The book is an excellent source of references for signal transduction mechanisms underlying the physiological functions of NO, CO and H2S. The new concept of gasotransmitters has been described in an impressive amount of detail but its future (clinical) relevance remains undetermined.
139
A. Mansart Sheffield, UK E-mail: [email protected] doi:10.1093/bja/aei506
excluded. One can only agree with the statement in the preface from the author, a London surgeon, that truly, this must ‘reflect the compiler’s tastes and prejudices’.
mechanisms for many phenomena that have previously been difficult to understand and explain. It is clearly written and easy to read. I can recommend it unreservedly.
G. Smith Leicester, UK E-mail: [email protected]
K. H. Simpson Leeds, UK E-mail: [email protected]
doi:10.1093/bja/aei504
doi:10.1093/bja/aei505
Psychological Methods of Pain Control: Basic Science and Clinical Perspectives. Progress in Pain Research and Management, Volume 29. D. D. Price and M. C. Bushnell. Published by IASP Press, Seattle. Pp. 308; indexed; illustrated. Price US$63.00. ISBN 0-931092-52-3.
Signal Transduction and the Gasotransmitters: NO, CO, and H2S in Biology and Medicine. R. Wang (editor). Published by Humana Press, Totowa. Pp. 400; indexed; illustrated. Price £159.00. ISBN 1-58829-349-1.
This is another in the series of excellent books from IASP Press that consistently produces current and high quality texts. Pain is a multidimensional problem that involves sensory, emotional and evaluative processes. The psychological aspects of acute and chronic pain assessment and treatment are very important. Recent advances in sophisticated brain imaging have allowed a much better understanding of some of the psychological influences on the pain experience. The editors have assembled an impressive group of internationally recognized experts in this field to contribute to our understanding of this topic. The authors explore the complex inter-relationship between sensory and affective components of pain and how these dimensions can be modulated by cognitive factors and treatments. The book has four sections. The first section reviews the general mechanisms of pain modulation. It covers the four-stage model of pain processing, taking the reader through the mechanisms of psychological influences on pain, in a clear and concise manner. This section also explains how the pain experience can be modified by psychological factors, at various different neural levels and within specific dimensions. The text moves away from the classical model of dichotomous centres and pathways for sensory and affective pain components and describes more integrated and parallel systems. This section also covers important, pre-clinical, animal data that adds to our understanding. The final chapter in this section by McGrath and Dade is a clear exposition of strategies to decrease acute and chronic pain and more importantly disability. The second section covers pain modulation by attention, cognitive factors and emotions. The chapter on attention and distraction includes some fascinating data on functional brain imaging. The chapter that explores the interaction between pain and emotion includes data on pain-related fear and anxiety that is, especially, clinically relevant. Linton’s chapter on environmental and learning issues is particularly relevant, as it covers the process whereby acute pain becomes chronic and moves on to how an understanding of this may lead to improvement in treatment strategies. The whole of the third section of the book explores the modulation of pain by placebos, which is of great importance both experimentally and clinically. The first chapter in this section is the clearest account of neural mechanisms for the placebo effect that I have ever seen. This section also includes the clinical impact of the placebo effect, the ethics of placebos in research, factors that alter the magnitude of the placebo effect, brain imaging studies, and methods of altering the placebo response. The final section of the book covers hypnosis. It includes an excellent summary of the neurophysiology of hypnosis, with recent brain imaging data. A final chapter by Barber on the mechanisms and clinical applications of hypnosis for analgesia is excellent. This book has something in it for all basic scientists and healthcare professionals involved in acute and chronic pain assessment or management. It expands our understanding of the neural
This book describes the new concept of gasotransmitters, including NO, CO and H2S molecules. These gaseous molecules share common chemical features and biological action modes, but differ from classical neurotransmitters and humoral factors. The book is in five parts, with a total of 22 chapters, most of which are very well written and extensively referenced. Inevitably for a book with 18 first authors, there is repetition, but this is not excessive. In practice, the book is detailed and provides a valuable resource for understanding the role of NO, CO and H2S in signal transduction. The descriptions of the physiological roles of NO, CO and H2S in the regulation of the cardiovascular, neuronal and gastrointestinal systems are probably not of major interest to the general anaesthetist, but would be useful for those involved in research in this area. Part I (Gasotransmitters: past, present and future) is well written and presented. The appendix describes the new concept of gasotransmitters and details the origin of this concept. Part II (The emergence of the first gasotransmitter: nitric oxide) is rather long and the chapters are of variable quality and disjointed. Chapter 6 is clear and well structured but chapter 5 describes the cardioprotective effects of NO without direct relation to the other chapters. Part III (Story of a silent killer: the resurgence of carbon monoxide as the second gasotransmitter) is easier to read and many of the chapters have a summary followed by a general conclusion. Part IV (Gas of the rotten egg: hydrogen sulphide as the third gasotransmitter) describes the actions of H2S, which is less well known than NO and CO. The 6 chapters within this part are specific and well presented. The comparisons made between NO, CO and H2S in Parts III and IV are clear and extensively researched compared with much of Part II. Taken as a whole it is difficult to find continuity between Parts II, III and IV. The final Part briefly summarizes the roles of gasotransmitters and potential gasotransmitters in metabolism. Another chapter comparing common mechanisms for NO, CO and H2S would have been useful for the non-specialist. Unfortunately, there is no description of the different mechanism that follows calcium liberation. No conclusions or summary are made at the end of this book and an illustration summarizing relevant information would have been appreciated. In summary, this book is very well documented, but seems to be more descriptive than explanatory. The book is an excellent source of references for signal transduction mechanisms underlying the physiological functions of NO, CO and H2S. The new concept of gasotransmitters has been described in an impressive amount of detail but its future (clinical) relevance remains undetermined.
139
A. Mansart Sheffield, UK E-mail: [email protected] doi:10.1093/bja/aei506