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The airways; neural control in health and disease
Gen. Pharmac. Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 393-394, 1989
Pergamon Press plc. Printed in Crreat Britain
BOOK REVIEWS Calcium in Drug Actions--Edited by P. F. Baker. 567 pp. 1988. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. DM 590. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. Volume 88. Calcium plays a very important role in many biological systems. These are dealt with in the following chapters: chemical factors determining the affinity of a receptor for calcium; Troponin C and calmodulin as calcium receptors; ligand binding sites on calmodulin; calcium channels as drug receptors; chemistry of calcium channel agnnists and antagonists; Apamin sensitive calcium dependent K channel.; drug effects on plasma membrane calcium transport; inhibitors of sodium-calcium exchange; effect of Ruthenium red and other agents on mitochondrial calcium metabolism; calcium uptake and release from sarcoplasmic reticulum, sensitivity to methylxanthines and ryanodine; effect oflithium in stimulus response coupling; phorbol esters and protein kinase C; drugs acting on calcium channels; calcium and synaptic function; role of calcium in exocytosis; exo-endocytosis mechanisms; calcium metabolism in smooth muscle; drugs affecting cardiac calcium metabolism; hormonal control of extracellular calcium; biphosphonates, a new class of drugs in diseases of bone and calcium metabolism; calcium and hypertension; calcium chelators and calcium ionophores; lead-calcium interactions and lead toxicity; alkaline earths, transition metals and lanthanides. These multi-authored reviews are very well written and provide an excellent account of many of the ubiquitous roles of calcium. This book will be much consulted in the library. Adenosine and Adenine Nncleotides: Physiology and Pharmacology-Edited by D. M. Paton. 305 pp. 1988. Taylor and Francis, London. £40. It is nearly sixty years since Drury and Szent-Gyorgyi described the cardiac effects of adenosine and related compounds. Since then there has been a great interest in these compounds as transmitters and modulators in the nervous and neuromuscular systems. This multi-authored symposium volume has the following main sections; classification and properties of adenosine receptors; receptors for adenine nucleotides; mechanisms of action of adenosine; actions of adenosine on the cardiovascular system, rele~e and in vivo actions of adenosine and ATP; mechanism of action of methyl xanthines. Increased knowledge of the structure of the specific receptors will help in the synthesis of analogues that are more specific for given sites and so have important clinical applications.
plasma exudation; mucociliary function; repiratory mucus. The increased knowledge in the complexity of the chemical systems involved in neural regulation of lung function should help develop new and more effective drugs for the treatment of lung malfunctions. Pathophysiology and Treatment of Inhalation Injuries--Edited by J. Loke. 576 pp. 1988. Marcel Dekker, New York. ($125 U.S.A. and Canada) $150. This multi-authored volume deals with; airway repair and adaptation to injury inhalation; airway responses to inhaled sulphur dioxide; pulmonary performance in animals exposed to toxic agents; inhalation toxicity of metal particles and vapours; diagnostic imaging of inhalation lung injury; bronchoalveolar lavage; inhalation injury in burn patients; battlefield chemical inhalation injury; inhalation drug abuse; environmental inhaled agents and their relation to lung cancer; the toxic environment with special emphasis on smoke inhalation. Concise Encyclopedia Biochemistry. 2nd Edn. Thomas Scott and Mary Eagleson. 649 pp. 1988. Walter de Gruyter, Bedim DM148 $89.90. The first edition was published in 1983 and proved to be a very useful volume. This new edition has been considerably expanded and many new topics included whilst old ones have been expanded and amended. Genetic engineering and cloning which received scant attention in the first edition are well represented in this new edition. Basic biochemistry is well represented as well as bacitracine, balata, Bay region theory of carcinogenesis, benzoquinones, beta cyanins, bicuculline, biflavenoids, bile pigments, biogenic amines, biomembranes, biosensory, biotin, bioluminescence, blasticidines, blizt blot, blood coagulation, bombesin, bombykol, buffers (an excellent 3 page table), and so on for each letter of the alphabet. Each is described in a concise but clear series of paragraphs. References to the literature are given together with formulae, diagrams and tables. It is a great advantage to have information presented in a nut shell, and the book will be of great use to all students who have to write essays, biochemists, pharmacologists, physiologists biologists and physicians who wish to have specific information quickly. It is a delightful and informative volume to browse through and is one of the books on biochemistry that you should actually consider buying for your own use. Your colleagues will be very impressed by your knowledge.
The Airways; Neural Control in Health and Disease---Edited by M. A. Kaliner and P. J. Barnes. 688 pp. 1988. Marcel Dekker. New York. ($125 USA & Canada). $150. This multi-authored volume deals with autonomic neural control of the airways; innervation of the lung; neural elements in human airways; adrenergic regulation; autonomic function in patients with airways obstruction; adrenergic agnnists in asthma; cholinergic effector mechanism in airway smooth muscle; vagal reflexes; modulation of cholinergic system; parasympathetic ganglia; anticholinergic drugs in bronchial asthma; neuropeptides; peptidergic nerves; noradrenegic non-cholinergic inhibitory nervous system; VIP; bioactive peptides in capsaicin sensitive C fibres; mast cells; bronchial hyperactivity; control of airway smooth muscle; 393
Clinical Stndles in Medical Biochemistry--Edited by R. H. Glew and S. P. Peters. 259 pp. 1987. Oxford University Press. £15 (paper) This multi-authored book contains 25 case histories each of which iUustmtes a biochemical problem. The cases illustrated are creatine kinase isoenzymes and the diagnosis of myocardiai infarction; hyaline membrane; biochemical markers in cancer; sickle cell anemia; congenital dysflbrinogenemia; bacterial toxins in cholera and diptheria; neonatal hypoglycemia; pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency; G6PDH deficiency; biotin and multiple carboxylase deficiency; systematic carnitine deficiency; diabetes mellitus; antitrypsin deficiency; mannose 6 phosphate receptors and I cell disease; Gaucher's disease; phenylketonuria; Marfan's syndrome; errors in urea synthesis; LDL and familial hypercholestero-
Pergamon Press plc. Printed in Crreat Britain
BOOK REVIEWS Calcium in Drug Actions--Edited by P. F. Baker. 567 pp. 1988. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. DM 590. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. Volume 88. Calcium plays a very important role in many biological systems. These are dealt with in the following chapters: chemical factors determining the affinity of a receptor for calcium; Troponin C and calmodulin as calcium receptors; ligand binding sites on calmodulin; calcium channels as drug receptors; chemistry of calcium channel agnnists and antagonists; Apamin sensitive calcium dependent K channel.; drug effects on plasma membrane calcium transport; inhibitors of sodium-calcium exchange; effect of Ruthenium red and other agents on mitochondrial calcium metabolism; calcium uptake and release from sarcoplasmic reticulum, sensitivity to methylxanthines and ryanodine; effect oflithium in stimulus response coupling; phorbol esters and protein kinase C; drugs acting on calcium channels; calcium and synaptic function; role of calcium in exocytosis; exo-endocytosis mechanisms; calcium metabolism in smooth muscle; drugs affecting cardiac calcium metabolism; hormonal control of extracellular calcium; biphosphonates, a new class of drugs in diseases of bone and calcium metabolism; calcium and hypertension; calcium chelators and calcium ionophores; lead-calcium interactions and lead toxicity; alkaline earths, transition metals and lanthanides. These multi-authored reviews are very well written and provide an excellent account of many of the ubiquitous roles of calcium. This book will be much consulted in the library. Adenosine and Adenine Nncleotides: Physiology and Pharmacology-Edited by D. M. Paton. 305 pp. 1988. Taylor and Francis, London. £40. It is nearly sixty years since Drury and Szent-Gyorgyi described the cardiac effects of adenosine and related compounds. Since then there has been a great interest in these compounds as transmitters and modulators in the nervous and neuromuscular systems. This multi-authored symposium volume has the following main sections; classification and properties of adenosine receptors; receptors for adenine nucleotides; mechanisms of action of adenosine; actions of adenosine on the cardiovascular system, rele~e and in vivo actions of adenosine and ATP; mechanism of action of methyl xanthines. Increased knowledge of the structure of the specific receptors will help in the synthesis of analogues that are more specific for given sites and so have important clinical applications.
plasma exudation; mucociliary function; repiratory mucus. The increased knowledge in the complexity of the chemical systems involved in neural regulation of lung function should help develop new and more effective drugs for the treatment of lung malfunctions. Pathophysiology and Treatment of Inhalation Injuries--Edited by J. Loke. 576 pp. 1988. Marcel Dekker, New York. ($125 U.S.A. and Canada) $150. This multi-authored volume deals with; airway repair and adaptation to injury inhalation; airway responses to inhaled sulphur dioxide; pulmonary performance in animals exposed to toxic agents; inhalation toxicity of metal particles and vapours; diagnostic imaging of inhalation lung injury; bronchoalveolar lavage; inhalation injury in burn patients; battlefield chemical inhalation injury; inhalation drug abuse; environmental inhaled agents and their relation to lung cancer; the toxic environment with special emphasis on smoke inhalation. Concise Encyclopedia Biochemistry. 2nd Edn. Thomas Scott and Mary Eagleson. 649 pp. 1988. Walter de Gruyter, Bedim DM148 $89.90. The first edition was published in 1983 and proved to be a very useful volume. This new edition has been considerably expanded and many new topics included whilst old ones have been expanded and amended. Genetic engineering and cloning which received scant attention in the first edition are well represented in this new edition. Basic biochemistry is well represented as well as bacitracine, balata, Bay region theory of carcinogenesis, benzoquinones, beta cyanins, bicuculline, biflavenoids, bile pigments, biogenic amines, biomembranes, biosensory, biotin, bioluminescence, blasticidines, blizt blot, blood coagulation, bombesin, bombykol, buffers (an excellent 3 page table), and so on for each letter of the alphabet. Each is described in a concise but clear series of paragraphs. References to the literature are given together with formulae, diagrams and tables. It is a great advantage to have information presented in a nut shell, and the book will be of great use to all students who have to write essays, biochemists, pharmacologists, physiologists biologists and physicians who wish to have specific information quickly. It is a delightful and informative volume to browse through and is one of the books on biochemistry that you should actually consider buying for your own use. Your colleagues will be very impressed by your knowledge.
The Airways; Neural Control in Health and Disease---Edited by M. A. Kaliner and P. J. Barnes. 688 pp. 1988. Marcel Dekker. New York. ($125 USA & Canada). $150. This multi-authored volume deals with autonomic neural control of the airways; innervation of the lung; neural elements in human airways; adrenergic regulation; autonomic function in patients with airways obstruction; adrenergic agnnists in asthma; cholinergic effector mechanism in airway smooth muscle; vagal reflexes; modulation of cholinergic system; parasympathetic ganglia; anticholinergic drugs in bronchial asthma; neuropeptides; peptidergic nerves; noradrenegic non-cholinergic inhibitory nervous system; VIP; bioactive peptides in capsaicin sensitive C fibres; mast cells; bronchial hyperactivity; control of airway smooth muscle; 393
Clinical Stndles in Medical Biochemistry--Edited by R. H. Glew and S. P. Peters. 259 pp. 1987. Oxford University Press. £15 (paper) This multi-authored book contains 25 case histories each of which iUustmtes a biochemical problem. The cases illustrated are creatine kinase isoenzymes and the diagnosis of myocardiai infarction; hyaline membrane; biochemical markers in cancer; sickle cell anemia; congenital dysflbrinogenemia; bacterial toxins in cholera and diptheria; neonatal hypoglycemia; pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency; G6PDH deficiency; biotin and multiple carboxylase deficiency; systematic carnitine deficiency; diabetes mellitus; antitrypsin deficiency; mannose 6 phosphate receptors and I cell disease; Gaucher's disease; phenylketonuria; Marfan's syndrome; errors in urea synthesis; LDL and familial hypercholestero-