Glucocorticoid Signaling

This timely volume provides a comprehensive overview of glucocorticoids and their role in regulating many aspects of physiology and their use in the treatment of disease. The book is broken into four sections that begin by giving a general introduction to glucocorticoids and a brief history of the field. The second section will discuss the effects of glucocorticoids on metabolism, while the third section will cover the effects of glucocorticoids on key tissues. The final section will discuss general topics, such as animal models in glucocorticoid research and clinical implications of glucocorticoid research. Featuring chapters from leaders in the field, this volume will be of interest to both researchers and clinicians.

Over recent years, impressive advances in genetic/epigenetic technology have greatly improved the understanding of the pathogenesis of pediatric endocrine diseases due to hormone resistance and hypersensitivity.This book presents reviews of thyroid hormone and thyroid hormone receptor resistance, and genetics and epigenetics of parathyroid hormone resistance. Abnormalities of the pituitary-gonadal axis affecting puberty as well as androgen receptor are covered. Novel insights into the diseases affecting ACTH, glucocorticoid and aldosterone receptors are discussed. Further chapters address new aspects of the physiology of the GH and IGF-1 axis as well as the diseases related to GH-IGF-1 receptor and post-receptor signaling defects. A key chapter on metabolic insights into insulin resistance is also included. Covering clinical and genetic aspects of hormone resistance and hypersensitivity, this book will be a useful tool in the hands of scientists, physicians and other healthcare professionals who wish to be up to date with novel research findings in this area.

Recent years have seen spectacular advances in the field of circadian biology. These have attracted the interest of researchers in many fields, including endocrinology, neurosciences, cancer, and behavior. By integrating a circadian view within the fields of endocrinology and metabolism, researchers will be able to reveal many, yet-unsuspected aspects of how organisms cope with changes in the environment and subsequent control of homeostasis. This field is opening new avenues in our understanding of metabolism and endocrinology. A panel of the most distinguished investigators in the field gathered together to discuss the present state and the future of the field. The editors trust that this volume will be of use to those colleagues who will be picking up the challenge to unravel how the circadian clock can be targeted for the future development of specific pharmacological strategies toward a number of pathologies.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis controls reactions to stress and regulates various body processes such as digestion, the immune system, mood and sexuality, and energy usage. This volume focuses on the role it plays in the immune system and provides substantive experimental and clinical data to support current understanding in the field, and potential applications of this knowledge in the treatment of disease. * Evidence presented in this book suggests that the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems form the Neuroendoimmune Supersystem, which integrates all the biological functions of higher organisms both in health and disease for their entire life cycle. * Contributors include both the scientists who initiated the work on the HPA axis and on the autonomic nervous system, and those who joined the field later.

The Encyclopedia of Endocrine Diseases is an authoritative reference developed by 16 international experts who recruited the world's top scientists for contributions. This stellar reference work focuses on nearly 500 endocrine diseases addressing everything from acromeglay, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, Von Hippel-Lindau Disease, unexplained weight loss, to androgen related disorders. This encyclopedia is an essential addition to any library collection written to be accessible for both the clinical and non-clinical reader. Associate Editors include: Eli Y. Adashi, John P. Bilezikian, George P. Chrousos, Junichi Fukata, Julianne Imperato-McGinley, Hiroo Imura, Antonio Liuzzi, Frank L. Moore, Daniel Porte, Jens F. Rehfeld, Ellis Samols, Gustav Schonfeld, Pierre C. Sizonenko, Wilmar M. Wiersinga. Also available online via ScienceDirect featuring extensive browsing, searching, and internal cross-referencing between articles in the work, plus dynamic linking to journal articles and abstract databases, making navigation flexible and easy. For more information, pricing options and availability visit www.info.sciencedirect.com. * Includes nearly 500 entries addressing all aspects of endocrine diseases * More than 800 eminent researchers contributed from 25 different countries around the world * More than 900 figures and 450 tables displayed * Comprehensive glossary comprising 1500 definitions * The Editor-in-Chief is former editor of the journal Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology and has contributed to over 40 books in the field of endocrinology.

During the last two decades, evidence of increasing trends of several endocrine-related disorders has been strengthened. These disorders often come with lack of uniform diagnosis and/ or even unclear endocrine disruption. The later is mainly due to abnormal classical changes in the blood- released hormone to its targeted organ, abnormal communication between cells within a tissue or organ (paracrine), within the same cell (intracrine) or signals which act on the same cell (autocrine). This challenging status drives endocrinologists to the urgent need to address enormous knowledge gaps in this wide field of research (Endocrinology). From the perspective point of view that "hormones control our bodies", we need to get these hormones rebalanced so we can restore overall health. That is simply endocrinology!

Osteoporosis is one of the most clinically relevant disabling chronic disease encountered in clinical practice. A common cause of osteoporosis is glucocorticoid excess, as glucocorticoids may increase bone resorption, inhibit bone formation, have indirect actions on bone by decreasing intestinal calcium absorption and induce hypercalciuria. This book presents a comprehensive overview of the effects of glucocorticoids on bone metabolism and structure and on the diagnosis and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. It aims at providing updated information on the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of this often dramatic complication of glucocorticoid excess. Being one of the few publications completely devoted to glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis it will heighten the awareness of specialists who prescribe glucocorticoids of the clinical relevance of this treatment complication. 'Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis' is addressed to clinical experts as well as to general practitioners who will both benefit from the comprehensive and integrative view of the management of patients exposed to glucocorticoids.