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Skeletal muscle handbook of physiology. Section 10
Book reviews concerned with the biological accumulation of metals other than calcium, such as Si, Fe, Mn and Au, their detection and localization. The volume with its 50 chapters provides an excellent account of the self-organizing mineralization system interacting in the geological and biological environment.
Mammalian semiochemistry: the investigation of chemical signals between mammals-by ERIC S. ALBONE. 360~~. 1984. John Wiley, Chichester. E29.50. The Greek word for sign or signal is semeion, and the present book deals with how animals interact by means of chemical signals. The term will include pheromones but is a wider one that also includes chemical ecology. The subject has developed its own terminology so that allelochemics are semiochemicals mediating interaction between organisms of different species. whilst homeochemics are those mediating interaction between the same species. Allomones are chemicals favouring the emitting species (floral scent attracting pollinating insect) whilst kairomones favour the receiving species (predators attracted by the smell of the food plant or prey). Mammalian skin produces a wide range of chemicals. Sweat from the shirt of a young man can contain Cl8 and Cl9 steroids in microgram quantities (androsterone 71 pg: etiocholanone 44 pg: dihydro-epiandrosterone 30 pg). 90% of the steroids were in the free form and the other 10% were conjugated. The skin is a major excretion route for steroids and can indicate the internal endocrine state of the animal. In addition skin produces squalene, aliphatic monesters, mono and diglycerides, triglycerides and free fatty acids. Human skin synthesizes over 200 different fatty acids, possibly to allow a distinct “chemical signature for each individual”. Many mammals have developed specialized scent glands that are used in mating and territorial behaviour. The chemistry of these glands and their glandular secretions are being investigated and this volume describes what is at present known about this, as well as the chemicals secreted in the urine, reproductive tract, breath and saliva. In addition. microorganisms play an important role in the processing of chemicals in anal sacs, faeces, mouth, vagina, axilla and skin, and this is described. There is also a chapter written by Stephen Shirley on mammalian chemoreception. The book is well written and presented, and provides an excellent introduction to what will clearly be a very important subject. Not to be sniffed at!
Aging and cell function-edited 1984. Plenum Press, New York.
by J. E. JOHNSON. 283~~. $42.50.
This volume contains five chapters: (1) Evolutionary biology of ageing and longevity in mammalian species; (2) Receptors and ageing; (3) Metabolism of the brain, a measure of cellular function in ageing; (4) Age-related alteration in Beta-adrenergic modulation of cardiac cell function; (5) A systems analysis-thermodynamic view of cellular and organismic ageing. Though all the chapters arc of considerable interest, the first chapter will be of special interest to readers of this journal. In Man the maximum life span of 95 years has not apparently changed over the last 12,000 years, but the age to which 50% of the population survives has increased dramatically from the age of 35 in Classical Greece, to 48 in 15th Century England, 61 in USA (1900) to 72 in USA (1970). The maximum age potential of birds varies from Blue tit (9 years). European Robin (I 2), Swift (21), Herring Gull (36) and Royal Albatross (45). There is a relationship between the metabolic rate of an animal, its size and its potential life span. It is possible that metabolism leading to heat production is more ageing than metabolism producing kinetic energy.
947
Prevention of sexual maturity by removal of rats’ pituitary or castration also prolongs the life span. Restricted calorific diet can increase the life span of rats from 835 days to 1138 days, with a corresponding delay in the onset of sexual maturity (from 300 days to 1000 days). Natural antioxidants such as SOD, catalase, urate, alphatocopherol and carotenoids can all play a part in extending Ihe life span of a species. This is only part of the story and the reader will find a very interesting account of some of the factors that contribute to ageing and the duration of life span in this volume. Skeletal muscle handbook of physiology. by L. D. PEACHEY, R. H. ADRIAN and S. 1983. Distributed by Williams&Wilkins, for The American Physiological Society.
Section lo-edited R. GEIGER. 688 pp. Maryland, U.S.A. $145.
The volume has 4 main sections: (1) Structure; (2) Contraction; (3) Excitation-Contraction coupling; (4) Specialization, Adaptation and Disease. There are 20 chapters and 27 authors. The big changes that have taken place over the past 10 years are the improved resolution of scanning and transmission EM pictures of muscle, and the development of freeze fracture and high voltage EM, so that the structure of muscle fibres, the fibre ends, neuromuscular junction, muscle membranes and organelles are much clearer and better known. Immuno-histochemical techniques have allowed the location of fast twitch and slow twitch myosin, C protein, troponin and aldolase, within the muscle fibres. X-ray diffraction studies on living muscle still provides the best method of high resolution analysis of changes in skeletal muscle during various stages of contraction. Time resolved mechanical measurements on single muscle fibre contraction have demonstrated at least four separate dynamic steps in the cycle of cross bridge action. The role of surface depolarization, calcium entry and pH changes in inducing muscle contraction are being analysed with optical probes and the picture is not yet clear. The volume provides a comprehensive account of the state of the subject up to 1982. It is well illustrated with EM pictures, graphs and diagrams and there are excellent reference lists at the end of each chapter. The volume is written with the specialist in mind. It would help the less specialized reader if there were detailed factual summaries that presented what is new and what remains to be done, at the end of each chapter. Possibly this can be done in the next edition. Cystic fibrosis~--edited by D. LAWSON. 446 pp. 1984. John Wiley, Chichester. f15. This is the proceedings of the 9th International CF Congress. CF is a disease of secretory epithelia. It is common amongst Caucasians (one in two thousand children born have CF) and less common in Blacks and Orientals. It is probably inherited through an autosomal recessive factor. The sweat has an increased salinity due to reduced chloride permeability of the epithelial cells lining the sweat gland. The mucus has an increased viscosity and this affects the respiratory tract. some salivary glands, digestive and bilary tracts, pancreas and genito-urinary tract. Pancreatic insufficiency and respiratory infection are secondary effects. The respiratory tract tends to become infected with a mucoid variety of P.wudon~onas orruginosa, which can lead to pulmonary insufficiency and death. Though it is possible to treat patients with percussive massage of the chest to loosen the mucus. a self-treatment regime can be set up involving forced expiration, postural drainage, percussion and ventilation with chest compression. The genetic basis of this disease is not known. nor is the molecular lesion underlying the production of thick mucus
948
Book reviews
and high chloride secretions known. It cannot be detected in the amniotic fluid. This volume with its 10 lectures and 250 poster presentations provides an up-to-date account of the research being carried out to elucidate the origins and treatment of CF. Theeneyclopae~a of drug abuse--R. O’BRIEN and S. COHEN. 454 pp. 1984. Facts on File, Bicester, New York. i26.50. There are 500 entries about drugs, their use, abuse. and their role in modern society. The drugs treated range from alcohol, caffeine, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, through to nicotine, histamine and strychnine. There are several useful appendices. These are on street language; 54 tables of incidence of drug use in different countries; drug names and their equivalents; fines and convictions for drug use and trafficking; sources of information; a detailed bibliography and an index. For example, the article on caffeine tells you that a 5 oz cup of percolated coffee will contain 110 mg of caffeine and that 6 cups of coffee a day will provide over 600mg of caffeine. A dose of 350 mg a day can lead to dependence. Caffeine is rapidly absorbed through the Gl tract and reaches a peak blood level in 30 min. Its half-life in the body is 3.5 hr. It increases the heart rate and rhythm, stimulates gastric acid secretion, may elevate blood pressure, inhibits glucose metabolism and may raise blood sugar levels. It is a CNS stimulant, and postpones and shortens sleep. Fatalities from caffeine poisoning are rare. Only seven deaths have been recorded to date. It is present also in tea, 45 mg a cup: cocoa. 13 mg; and some soft drinks, 30-60 mg. This and much more of interest will be found in the volume. The book is written in an easy style and it can be understood and enjoyed by the general reader as well as the pharmacologist. and it provides data that would not be easy to find elsewhere. Pharmacology of the benzodiazepinesedited by E. USDIN, P. SKOLNICK, J. F. TALLMAN, D. GREENBLATT and S. M. PAUL. 670 pp. 1983. Verlag Chimie, Weinheim, Basel; Deerfield Beach, Florida. $9 1. This is the proceedings of a conference held in Bethesda in 1982. The volume is in 10 sections. (1) BZ in the treatment of anxiety and depression; (2) BZ receptors, bi~hemistry and pharmacology; (3) BZ and GABA; (4) BZ and sleep; (5) Pharmacokinetics and distribution; (6) BZ and animal behaviour; (7) BZ receptors and new drug development; (8) Neurophysiology of BZ; (9) Endogenous ligands and modulators; (10) Adverse effects, tolerance and dependence. The brain contains specific receptor sites or recognition sites for BZ and these receptors are tightly coupled to other regulatory units such as the GABA receptor and the barbiturate recognition sites. This supra-molecular complex can be activated by minor tranquillizers as well as BZ. It is possible that there may be an endogenous BZ ligand of a peptide nature (or possibly a purine derivative): more work is needed before any definite conclusion can be made. The 57 papers presented are well illustrated and contain detailed bibliographies with full titles of the papers. There is a good subject index and the volume will be very usefui to those interested in the scientific basis of the pharamacology of the BZs. Pyretics and antipyretics. Handbook of experimental pbarmacology, Vol. a-edited by A. S. MILTON. 691 pp. 1982. Springer Verlag, Berlin. DM 440. Fever was one of the first symptoms of infection to be recognised by ancient physicians, though it was based on how the patient felt, The scientific analysis of fever depended on the development of the thermometer which only came mto use in the 1720s. Even today the regulation of body temperature at 37°C is one indication of adequate homeosta-
sis, and the various conditions that lead to disruption of this control are described in the present multi-authored volume. The subjects described in each chapter are as follows: (1) Body heat; (2) Fever and its role in disease, rationale for antipyretics; (3) Thermoregulation, its changes during infection with endotoxin-producing micro-organisms; (4) Exogenous pyrogens; (5) Endogenous pyrogens; (6) Role of central neurotransmitters in fever; (7) Role of ions in thermoregulation and fever; (8) Electrophysiology of the anterior hypothalamus, thermoregulation and fever; (9) Cyclic nucleotides and fever; (10) Prostaglandins in fever and the mode of action of antipyretic drugs; (I 1) Protein synthesis and fever: (12) The chemistry of non-steroid antipyretic agents, structure- activity relationships: (13) Therapeutic agents affecting body temperature; (14) Capsaicin type pungent agents producing pyrexia; (15) The pathophysiology of fever in the neonate; (16) The treatment of fever from a clinical viewpoint; (17) Malignant hyperthermia: a review; (18) Febrile convulsions; (19) The pyrogenic responses of non-mammalian vertebrates; (20) The pyrogenic responses of invertebrates. As the chapter headings indicate, pyrogens set off a chain of reactions involving prostaglandins, cyclic AMP. the anterior hypothalamus and changes in metabolism. There are special conditions where temperature control fails, such as in malignant hyperthermia (MH), the development of an unexpected fever during anaesthesia, which is inherited through an autosomal dominant gene. In one case of a family of 138 individuals, 21 developed MH during anaesthesia and 8 of these died during or shortly after completion of surgery. MH is also found in racing greyhounds, race horses, cattle and some breeds of pig. Although aspirin is still the major treatment of mild pyrexia and thousands of tons are consumed each year. the side effects are such that aspirin (like penicillin), if put forward as a new drug today, would most probably not get approval from the FDA. A wide range of new antipyretic drugs have been developed partly through routine screening and partly through greater understanding of the development of pyrexia in the body. The present volume provides an excellent account of the scientific basis of pyrexia and also indicates lines for future research and development. Test your unde~t~nding of ~urophysiolo~ -R. W. MURRAY. 291 pp. 1983. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. f25 hardback, &8.95 paperback. This book is in three parts: Part I. Basic principles of electricity. Ohms Law, capacitances, exponentials, membrane potentials, recording techniques, spike shapes, bridge circuits, voltage clamping; Part II. Problems, problem solving, graphs. formulae and constants. problems in experimental technique, ions and membrane potentials, nerve and muscle cells, sense organs, synapse; Part III gives answers and comments. The book is very well written and the author has had a lot of experience in teaching neurophysiology to students. As a result, he has been able to make things simple but rigorous. It has a very functional approach with the experimental data and the animal always in mind. A student working through this book will certainiy get a good understanding of neurophysiology (nerve, muscle and synapses), and get considerable enjoyment in the process. Mammalian neuroendocrinology by G. W. BENNETTand S. A. WHITEHEAD. 279 pp. 1983. Oxford University Press. Oxford. $29.95. The links between endocrinology and neurophysjology are complex and important, and many chemicals that initially were thought to be concerned with the endocrinological systems such as TRH (thyrotropin releasing hormone) and somatostatin are now also involved as trdnsmitters:moduhitars in the CNS. The present book provides a clear and concise account of
Mammalian semiochemistry: the investigation of chemical signals between mammals-by ERIC S. ALBONE. 360~~. 1984. John Wiley, Chichester. E29.50. The Greek word for sign or signal is semeion, and the present book deals with how animals interact by means of chemical signals. The term will include pheromones but is a wider one that also includes chemical ecology. The subject has developed its own terminology so that allelochemics are semiochemicals mediating interaction between organisms of different species. whilst homeochemics are those mediating interaction between the same species. Allomones are chemicals favouring the emitting species (floral scent attracting pollinating insect) whilst kairomones favour the receiving species (predators attracted by the smell of the food plant or prey). Mammalian skin produces a wide range of chemicals. Sweat from the shirt of a young man can contain Cl8 and Cl9 steroids in microgram quantities (androsterone 71 pg: etiocholanone 44 pg: dihydro-epiandrosterone 30 pg). 90% of the steroids were in the free form and the other 10% were conjugated. The skin is a major excretion route for steroids and can indicate the internal endocrine state of the animal. In addition skin produces squalene, aliphatic monesters, mono and diglycerides, triglycerides and free fatty acids. Human skin synthesizes over 200 different fatty acids, possibly to allow a distinct “chemical signature for each individual”. Many mammals have developed specialized scent glands that are used in mating and territorial behaviour. The chemistry of these glands and their glandular secretions are being investigated and this volume describes what is at present known about this, as well as the chemicals secreted in the urine, reproductive tract, breath and saliva. In addition. microorganisms play an important role in the processing of chemicals in anal sacs, faeces, mouth, vagina, axilla and skin, and this is described. There is also a chapter written by Stephen Shirley on mammalian chemoreception. The book is well written and presented, and provides an excellent introduction to what will clearly be a very important subject. Not to be sniffed at!
Aging and cell function-edited 1984. Plenum Press, New York.
by J. E. JOHNSON. 283~~. $42.50.
This volume contains five chapters: (1) Evolutionary biology of ageing and longevity in mammalian species; (2) Receptors and ageing; (3) Metabolism of the brain, a measure of cellular function in ageing; (4) Age-related alteration in Beta-adrenergic modulation of cardiac cell function; (5) A systems analysis-thermodynamic view of cellular and organismic ageing. Though all the chapters arc of considerable interest, the first chapter will be of special interest to readers of this journal. In Man the maximum life span of 95 years has not apparently changed over the last 12,000 years, but the age to which 50% of the population survives has increased dramatically from the age of 35 in Classical Greece, to 48 in 15th Century England, 61 in USA (1900) to 72 in USA (1970). The maximum age potential of birds varies from Blue tit (9 years). European Robin (I 2), Swift (21), Herring Gull (36) and Royal Albatross (45). There is a relationship between the metabolic rate of an animal, its size and its potential life span. It is possible that metabolism leading to heat production is more ageing than metabolism producing kinetic energy.
947
Prevention of sexual maturity by removal of rats’ pituitary or castration also prolongs the life span. Restricted calorific diet can increase the life span of rats from 835 days to 1138 days, with a corresponding delay in the onset of sexual maturity (from 300 days to 1000 days). Natural antioxidants such as SOD, catalase, urate, alphatocopherol and carotenoids can all play a part in extending Ihe life span of a species. This is only part of the story and the reader will find a very interesting account of some of the factors that contribute to ageing and the duration of life span in this volume. Skeletal muscle handbook of physiology. by L. D. PEACHEY, R. H. ADRIAN and S. 1983. Distributed by Williams&Wilkins, for The American Physiological Society.
Section lo-edited R. GEIGER. 688 pp. Maryland, U.S.A. $145.
The volume has 4 main sections: (1) Structure; (2) Contraction; (3) Excitation-Contraction coupling; (4) Specialization, Adaptation and Disease. There are 20 chapters and 27 authors. The big changes that have taken place over the past 10 years are the improved resolution of scanning and transmission EM pictures of muscle, and the development of freeze fracture and high voltage EM, so that the structure of muscle fibres, the fibre ends, neuromuscular junction, muscle membranes and organelles are much clearer and better known. Immuno-histochemical techniques have allowed the location of fast twitch and slow twitch myosin, C protein, troponin and aldolase, within the muscle fibres. X-ray diffraction studies on living muscle still provides the best method of high resolution analysis of changes in skeletal muscle during various stages of contraction. Time resolved mechanical measurements on single muscle fibre contraction have demonstrated at least four separate dynamic steps in the cycle of cross bridge action. The role of surface depolarization, calcium entry and pH changes in inducing muscle contraction are being analysed with optical probes and the picture is not yet clear. The volume provides a comprehensive account of the state of the subject up to 1982. It is well illustrated with EM pictures, graphs and diagrams and there are excellent reference lists at the end of each chapter. The volume is written with the specialist in mind. It would help the less specialized reader if there were detailed factual summaries that presented what is new and what remains to be done, at the end of each chapter. Possibly this can be done in the next edition. Cystic fibrosis~--edited by D. LAWSON. 446 pp. 1984. John Wiley, Chichester. f15. This is the proceedings of the 9th International CF Congress. CF is a disease of secretory epithelia. It is common amongst Caucasians (one in two thousand children born have CF) and less common in Blacks and Orientals. It is probably inherited through an autosomal recessive factor. The sweat has an increased salinity due to reduced chloride permeability of the epithelial cells lining the sweat gland. The mucus has an increased viscosity and this affects the respiratory tract. some salivary glands, digestive and bilary tracts, pancreas and genito-urinary tract. Pancreatic insufficiency and respiratory infection are secondary effects. The respiratory tract tends to become infected with a mucoid variety of P.wudon~onas orruginosa, which can lead to pulmonary insufficiency and death. Though it is possible to treat patients with percussive massage of the chest to loosen the mucus. a self-treatment regime can be set up involving forced expiration, postural drainage, percussion and ventilation with chest compression. The genetic basis of this disease is not known. nor is the molecular lesion underlying the production of thick mucus
948
Book reviews
and high chloride secretions known. It cannot be detected in the amniotic fluid. This volume with its 10 lectures and 250 poster presentations provides an up-to-date account of the research being carried out to elucidate the origins and treatment of CF. Theeneyclopae~a of drug abuse--R. O’BRIEN and S. COHEN. 454 pp. 1984. Facts on File, Bicester, New York. i26.50. There are 500 entries about drugs, their use, abuse. and their role in modern society. The drugs treated range from alcohol, caffeine, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, through to nicotine, histamine and strychnine. There are several useful appendices. These are on street language; 54 tables of incidence of drug use in different countries; drug names and their equivalents; fines and convictions for drug use and trafficking; sources of information; a detailed bibliography and an index. For example, the article on caffeine tells you that a 5 oz cup of percolated coffee will contain 110 mg of caffeine and that 6 cups of coffee a day will provide over 600mg of caffeine. A dose of 350 mg a day can lead to dependence. Caffeine is rapidly absorbed through the Gl tract and reaches a peak blood level in 30 min. Its half-life in the body is 3.5 hr. It increases the heart rate and rhythm, stimulates gastric acid secretion, may elevate blood pressure, inhibits glucose metabolism and may raise blood sugar levels. It is a CNS stimulant, and postpones and shortens sleep. Fatalities from caffeine poisoning are rare. Only seven deaths have been recorded to date. It is present also in tea, 45 mg a cup: cocoa. 13 mg; and some soft drinks, 30-60 mg. This and much more of interest will be found in the volume. The book is written in an easy style and it can be understood and enjoyed by the general reader as well as the pharmacologist. and it provides data that would not be easy to find elsewhere. Pharmacology of the benzodiazepinesedited by E. USDIN, P. SKOLNICK, J. F. TALLMAN, D. GREENBLATT and S. M. PAUL. 670 pp. 1983. Verlag Chimie, Weinheim, Basel; Deerfield Beach, Florida. $9 1. This is the proceedings of a conference held in Bethesda in 1982. The volume is in 10 sections. (1) BZ in the treatment of anxiety and depression; (2) BZ receptors, bi~hemistry and pharmacology; (3) BZ and GABA; (4) BZ and sleep; (5) Pharmacokinetics and distribution; (6) BZ and animal behaviour; (7) BZ receptors and new drug development; (8) Neurophysiology of BZ; (9) Endogenous ligands and modulators; (10) Adverse effects, tolerance and dependence. The brain contains specific receptor sites or recognition sites for BZ and these receptors are tightly coupled to other regulatory units such as the GABA receptor and the barbiturate recognition sites. This supra-molecular complex can be activated by minor tranquillizers as well as BZ. It is possible that there may be an endogenous BZ ligand of a peptide nature (or possibly a purine derivative): more work is needed before any definite conclusion can be made. The 57 papers presented are well illustrated and contain detailed bibliographies with full titles of the papers. There is a good subject index and the volume will be very usefui to those interested in the scientific basis of the pharamacology of the BZs. Pyretics and antipyretics. Handbook of experimental pbarmacology, Vol. a-edited by A. S. MILTON. 691 pp. 1982. Springer Verlag, Berlin. DM 440. Fever was one of the first symptoms of infection to be recognised by ancient physicians, though it was based on how the patient felt, The scientific analysis of fever depended on the development of the thermometer which only came mto use in the 1720s. Even today the regulation of body temperature at 37°C is one indication of adequate homeosta-
sis, and the various conditions that lead to disruption of this control are described in the present multi-authored volume. The subjects described in each chapter are as follows: (1) Body heat; (2) Fever and its role in disease, rationale for antipyretics; (3) Thermoregulation, its changes during infection with endotoxin-producing micro-organisms; (4) Exogenous pyrogens; (5) Endogenous pyrogens; (6) Role of central neurotransmitters in fever; (7) Role of ions in thermoregulation and fever; (8) Electrophysiology of the anterior hypothalamus, thermoregulation and fever; (9) Cyclic nucleotides and fever; (10) Prostaglandins in fever and the mode of action of antipyretic drugs; (I 1) Protein synthesis and fever: (12) The chemistry of non-steroid antipyretic agents, structure- activity relationships: (13) Therapeutic agents affecting body temperature; (14) Capsaicin type pungent agents producing pyrexia; (15) The pathophysiology of fever in the neonate; (16) The treatment of fever from a clinical viewpoint; (17) Malignant hyperthermia: a review; (18) Febrile convulsions; (19) The pyrogenic responses of non-mammalian vertebrates; (20) The pyrogenic responses of invertebrates. As the chapter headings indicate, pyrogens set off a chain of reactions involving prostaglandins, cyclic AMP. the anterior hypothalamus and changes in metabolism. There are special conditions where temperature control fails, such as in malignant hyperthermia (MH), the development of an unexpected fever during anaesthesia, which is inherited through an autosomal dominant gene. In one case of a family of 138 individuals, 21 developed MH during anaesthesia and 8 of these died during or shortly after completion of surgery. MH is also found in racing greyhounds, race horses, cattle and some breeds of pig. Although aspirin is still the major treatment of mild pyrexia and thousands of tons are consumed each year. the side effects are such that aspirin (like penicillin), if put forward as a new drug today, would most probably not get approval from the FDA. A wide range of new antipyretic drugs have been developed partly through routine screening and partly through greater understanding of the development of pyrexia in the body. The present volume provides an excellent account of the scientific basis of pyrexia and also indicates lines for future research and development. Test your unde~t~nding of ~urophysiolo~ -R. W. MURRAY. 291 pp. 1983. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. f25 hardback, &8.95 paperback. This book is in three parts: Part I. Basic principles of electricity. Ohms Law, capacitances, exponentials, membrane potentials, recording techniques, spike shapes, bridge circuits, voltage clamping; Part II. Problems, problem solving, graphs. formulae and constants. problems in experimental technique, ions and membrane potentials, nerve and muscle cells, sense organs, synapse; Part III gives answers and comments. The book is very well written and the author has had a lot of experience in teaching neurophysiology to students. As a result, he has been able to make things simple but rigorous. It has a very functional approach with the experimental data and the animal always in mind. A student working through this book will certainiy get a good understanding of neurophysiology (nerve, muscle and synapses), and get considerable enjoyment in the process. Mammalian neuroendocrinology by G. W. BENNETTand S. A. WHITEHEAD. 279 pp. 1983. Oxford University Press. Oxford. $29.95. The links between endocrinology and neurophysjology are complex and important, and many chemicals that initially were thought to be concerned with the endocrinological systems such as TRH (thyrotropin releasing hormone) and somatostatin are now also involved as trdnsmitters:moduhitars in the CNS. The present book provides a clear and concise account of