Teratogenesis and reproductive toxicology

Teratogenesis and reproductive toxicology

374 Book Reviews Magacolon or Hirschprung's disease is attributed to absence or degeneration of ganglion cells in the affected gut wall. There is al...

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374

Book Reviews

Magacolon or Hirschprung's disease is attributed to absence or degeneration of ganglion cells in the affected gut wall. There is also a reduction in VIPergie cells. In ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease there is a failure of the mucus barrier against microorganisms and antigens, and there is also an immunopathological mechanism in the colon wall. All these topics and the related evidence are given in detail in this well presented volume.

Each chapter is clearly written with good illustrations and tables. There is a complete reference list at the end of each chapter with full titles of all papers. The volume should do much to help in developing skills and methodology of developmental teratology, besides indicating possible pitifall and dangers.

A Guide to General Toxicology--Edited by F. Homburger, J. A. Hayes and E. W. Pelikan. 410 pp. Karger, Basel. 1983.

This is the published proceedings of a meeting held in Stirling University in June 1983. The consumption of wines, whisky, rum, brandy, and gin, depend to some extent on the flavours of the drink. These flavours will depend on the original source of the material (i.e. The type of grapes, the type of malt and cereal); the nature of the yeast used for the fermentation process; the manner in which the fluid is distilled, and the type of wood in which the spirit is matured. The last being of prime importance in determining the flavour of malt whisky. Over 400 volatile ftavours have been detected in rum and over 300 have been detected in whisky. In many cases there are similar components in rum, whisky and brandy but their ratios differ. On the other hand some compounds such as 2-ethyl 3-methyl butyric acid have only been reported in

There are 15 contributors to this volume and the topics covered are as follows. Clinical chemistry in toxicology. Clinical toxicology. Neurotoxicology. Immunotoxicology. Systemic responses to toxic agents. Inhalation toxicology. Measuring the effects of poisons. Basic concepts in toxicokinetics. Chemical basis of toxicology. Toxicity of methanol and ethanol. Carcinogenesis concepts. Carcinogenesis chemistry. Metal toxicity. Toxicology of ionising radiation. Factors influencing the results of animal experiments in toxicology. In vivo testing in the study of toxicity and safety evaluation. In vivo reproductive and mutagenicity tests. Mutagenesis and carcinogenesis in mammalian cells. Mutagens and carcinogens in bacteria. Regulatory toxicology. The book is designed to act as a textbook for undergraduate and graduate students who wish to know "what is toxicology?" and it will serve this purpose admirably since it is well written, clear in what it describes and covers the major points.

Teratogenesis and Reproductive Toxicology--Edited by E, M. Johnson and D. M. Kochlar. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. Volume 65. 372 pp. DM290. US $125. Springer, Berlin. 1983. This volume with its 24 contributors presents an important series of linked reviews on developmental toxicology. The titles of the chapters are: Assessment of potential hazards to the unborn in the workplace. Pharmacokinetic modeling and the teratologist. Placental drug metabolism. Genetic differences in drug metabolism: proposed relationship to human birth defects. Viruses as teratogens. Hormonal involvement in palatal differentiation. Membrane lipids and differentiation. Hormone receptors and malformations. Mutagens as teratogens, a correlative approach. Behavioural testing procedure, a review. Behavioural teratology, a new frontier in neuro-behavioural research. Abnormal lung function induced by prenatal insult. Postnatal alterations of gastrointestinal physiology, hematology, clinical chemistry and other non-CNS parameters. Detection of teratogens using cells in culture. Embryonic organs in culture. Whole embryos in culture. The role of an artificial embryo in detecting potential teratogenic hazards.

Flavour of Distilled Beverages. Origin and Development-Edited by J. R. Piggott. 279 pp. £18~50. John Wiley, Chichester (by Ellis Horwood Ltd for the Society of Chemical Industry). 1983.

rum.

Amino acids and sugars in the original cereal will alter by the Maillard reaction during processing to produce Strecker aldehydes, Pyrrolizine and Pyridine derivatives that can have a caramel or a corny, nutty, bready flavour. Kilning and roasting can convert cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, and ferrulic acid into 4-vinyl and 4-ethyl phenols. The Lehtonen phenols contribute to the smoky aroma of whisky and the contents of cresols and eugenols form the main differences between malt and other whiskies. Acetaldehyde and acetaldehyde diethyl acetal, are found in rum, whisky and brandy and up to 50 acetals have been detected in rums. Rum also contains l-propanol, 2-methyl 1-propanol, 2-methyl l-butanol, 3-methyl l-butanol (isoamyl alcohol), phenyl ethyl alcohol, isobutanol, secondary butanol, and the following acids: acetic, propionic, isobutyric, butyric, acrylic, sovaleric, valeric, hexanoic, heptanoic, octanoic, decanoic, laurie, myristic, palmitic, linoleic, oleic and stearic. In addition considerable study has been made of the aromatics in wines. In some cases they are oxidation and reaction products from the original ingredients (type of grape, whether stones are present in the fruit). In other cases they come from the maturing in wooden casks. Thirty phenols have been detected in wines, the most interesting of which are 4-ethyl and 4-vinyl phenols, quiacols, tyrosol, acetovanillone and hydroxy aceto phenone isomers. Though a considerable amount of scientific information is being developed concerning the probable chemical basis for the differences in taste and smell of specific brands of spirits and of good and bad vintage wines, the chemical complexity of the natural product is enormous and at some stage decisions have to be made concerning the compounds of first, second and third order importance. The present volume will help give the basis for such future decisions.