The Haemodynamic Effects Of Nitric Oxide

Since the discovery of nitric oxide as an endothelium-derived relaxing factor in 1987, investigations on its precise modes of action have been carried out at an extraordinary rate. Nitric oxide is now implicated in many physiological and pathological processes — not just in the control of vascular resistance, but in nerve transmission, cell proliferation, inflammatory responses and so on. Despite such rapid progress, no attempt has been made to combine the current knowledge of this subject matter in a single textbook. This volume has been written with the above in mind and presents a topical, comprehensive overview of the biochemistry and the physiological and pathophysiological effects of nitric oxide as they relate to the cardiovascular system. The therapeutic implications of nitric oxide are also considered. The text comprises contributions from many of the leading international authorities on the topic including Professor L J Ignarro, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Contents:Physiology and Biochemistry of Nitric Oxide:Chemistry and Molecular Biology of Nitric Oxide Synthesis (A J Hobbs & L J Ignarro)Nitric Oxide Synthases Biology: Insights Gained from ‘Knockout’ Mice (A Papapetropoulos et al.)Inhibitors of Nitric Oxide Biosynthesis (G J Southan et al.)Peripheral Vascular Effects of Nitric Oxide:The Role of Nitric Oxide in Cerebrovascular Regulation and Stroke (C Iadecola)The Physiological and Pathophysiological Effects of Nitric Oxide in the Coronary Circulation (P Groves)The Effect of Nitric Oxide on Myocardial Function and Dysfunction (B D Prendergast & A M Shah)Clinical Implications of Nitric Oxide:Oxidative Tissue Injury, Nitric Oxide and Atherosclerosis (R P Patel et al.)Endothelial Dysfunction Associated with Cardiovascular Disease and Transplantation (G J Dusting & A M Dart)The Role and Therapeutic Implications of Nitric Oxide in Systemic Hypertension (P Forte & N Benjamin)and other papers Readership: Students and researchers in physiology, biochemistry and clinical methods/ laboratory medicine. Keywords:Endothelium;Vascular Smooth Muscle;Nitric Oxide Synthase;Nitrovasodilator;Shear Stress;Atherosclerosis;Hypertension;Septic Shock;Microcirculation;Coronary Circulation;Cerebal Circulation;Renal Circulation;Hepatic Circulation;Intestinal Circulation

This e-book will review special features of the cerebral circulation and how they contribute to the physiology of the brain. It describes structural and functional properties of the cerebral circulation that are unique to the brain, an organ with high metabolic demands and the need for tight water and ion homeostasis. Autoregulation is pronounced in the brain, with myogenic, metabolic and neurogenic mechanisms contributing to maintain relatively constant blood flow during both increases and decreases in pressure. In addition, unlike peripheral organs where the majority of vascular resistance resides in small arteries and arterioles, large extracranial and intracranial arteries contribute significantly to vascular resistance in the brain. The prominent role of large arteries in cerebrovascular resistance helps maintain blood flow and protect downstream vessels during changes in perfusion pressure. The cerebral endothelium is also unique in that its barrier properties are in some way more like epithelium than endothelium in the periphery. The cerebral endothelium, known as the blood-brain barrier, has specialized tight junctions that do not allow ions to pass freely and has very low hydraulic conductivity and transcellular transport. This special configuration modifies Starling's forces in the brain microcirculation such that ions retained in the vascular lumen oppose water movement due to hydrostatic pressure. Tight water regulation is necessary in the brain because it has limited capacity for expansion within the skull. Increased intracranial pressure due to vasogenic edema can cause severe neurologic complications and death.

Gasotransmitters-principally nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-are endogenous signaling molecules that play a significant role in the biomedical, clinical, and health sciences, as well as in population health studies. In Signal Transduction and the Gasotransmitters: NO, CO, and H2S in Biology and Medicine, a panel of distinguished researchers and clinicians review the biological and biomedical aspects of gasotransmitters, emphasizing their signaling transduction mechanisms in general, and ion channel regulation in particular. The authors discuss the endogeneous metabolism and regulation of gasotransmitters, their toxicological profiles and biological actions, and their interactions in terms of their production and effects. The physiological roles of NO, CO, and H2S in the regulation of the cardiovascular, neuronal, and gastrointestinal systems, as well as of cell metabolism, are also reviewed, along with the interaction of the gastrotransmitters with KATP,KCa voltage-gated Ca2+, voltage-gated Na+, and cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels. Included in the array of different mechanisms for the interaction of NO, CO, and H2S are channel phosphorylation, S-nitrosylation, carboxylation, sulfuration, and altered cellular redox status. The authors also offer guidance and suggestions for exploring and further characterizing other still unknown gasotransmitters. Authoritative and comprehensive, Signal Transduction and the Gasotransmitters: NO, CO, and H2S in Biology and Medicine offers clinical scientists and physicians not only a deeper understanding, but also a cutting-edge review, of the critically important field of gasotransmitter biology and medicine.

Balancing basic science with information on everyday clinical practice, Blumgart's Surgery of the Liver, Biliary Tract and Pancreas, 7th Edition, provides you with expert guidance and advances in the field so you can offer patients the most optimal diagnostic and surgical care. In two convenient volumes, Dr. William Jarnagin and his team of internationally recognized surgeons cover exactly what you need to know, including advances in diagnostic and surgical techniques, minimally invasive surgeries, new interventional diagnostic techniques, and all relevant diseases. This comprehensive, practical reference is designed to help you choose and perform the most appropriate procedures that will minimize inpatient hospital time, curtail costs, and reduce overall recovery time for your patients. Presents cutting-edge guidance on pathology, diagnostics, surgery and non-operative intervention of the liver, biliary tract, and pancreas in one highly regarded, authoritative reference. Covers all surgical approaches, both open and minimally invasive. Considers all worldwide opinions and approaches to management, and includes key data on surgical outcomes to better inform clinical decision-making. Contains 161 chapters with updated references and additional figures—more than 1,500 illustrations in all. The imaging section has been reorganized to reflect a disease-based approach. Includes new and expanded sections on advances in molecular characterization of benign and malignant HPB diseases, perioperative management, interventional techniques, minimally invasive surgery and robotics, and therapeutic advances for malignant disease. Features a section dedicated entirely to operative technique, plus a new historical chapter authored by Professor Jacques Belghitti: “Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery: Historical Perspective.

Nitroglycerin and other organic nitrates have been used for over a century in the treatment of angina pectoris. Millions of patients, throughout the world, have placed nitroglycerin tablets under the tongue and have experienced rapid and dramatic relief from the chest pain that frequently occurs as a manifestation of disease of the coronary arteries. The empirical observation of the safe use of nitrates for tile alleviation of the symptoms of angina have led to their widespread medical acceptance. The use of organic nitrates preceded any knowledge of their mechanism of action or their ultimate metabolic fate. Thus, more simply stated, although sub lingual nitrates helped the patients, little was known concerning what these drugs do to the body or what the body does to the drugs. A substantial number of investigators have focused on these questions especially during the last two decades. We now have considerably more insight into the pathways of degradation of organic nitrates and the relationship of the metabolic processes to the biological action of these agents. Similarly, considerable effort has been expended in understanding the mechanism of action of these agents directly on vascular smooth muscle and on cardiac work and performance. Finally, there is a more substantive understanding of the physiology of the coronary circulation as well as the" pathophysiologic manifestations of myocardial disease.

Vascular Innervation and Receptor Mechanisms: New Perspectives reviews the areas of structure, function, and pathophysiology of the circulatory system. The text focuses on the role of neuropeptides and structural function of endothelium. The book begins with a brief discussion on the background of autonomic and sensory nerves in the circulatory system, which is provided in Chapter 1. Having established the basic studies in the circulatory system, the book moves to the discussion on the analysis of peptidergic innervations and peptides in vascular control in various disorders. The last part of the book features the clinical applications of neuropeptides, perivascular peptides, and vasoactive peptides in different diseases and regulation, such as cardiovascular regulation, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and migraine and cluster headache. The text will be a good reference to both students and professionals in the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine.