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This book illustrates the role of photoprotective and radioprotective metabolites from natural sources. Various classes of radioprotective metabolites derived from cyanobacteria, algae, fungi, bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and higher plants have been explained to reinforce the current knowledge in this field. In addition, the book elucidates the potential applications of these metabolites in pharmaceutics, cosmetics, and biomedical sciences that will help develop commercial products in modern anti-radiation therapeutics. Topics such as stress tolerance environmental strategies, evolutionary tendency, and biosynthetic route of radioprotective compounds for cost-effective large-scale industrial production of the metabolites are also covered in the book. This book will add to the understanding of radioprotective mechanisms and curative measures for various deleterious diseases leading to cancer development. This volume also offers the latest insights into current and upcoming issues that arise from solar and atomic radiations and their amelioration by inherent radioprotective mechanisms of green plants. This book benefits readers from academia, industry, colleges, and research students to better understand the impacts of various radiations and the development of radioprotective green compounds.

The Pharmacological Potential of Cyanobacteria explores the bioactive compounds isolated from cyanobacteria and their relationship to human health and biotechnological applications. The book presents an overview of the chemistry and ecology of cyanobacteria, focusing on culture needs and techniques of biomass production. It is organized according to the different biological activities and biotechnological applications of compounds discovered in recent years. Besides biological activity, the mechanism of action of compounds is explained, along with molecular structure. Finally, compounds already used in therapeutics and biotechnology, as well as those in phases of approval or clinical trials are explored. Each chapter is written by a different research group with expertise in the field and publications in peer reviewed journals. Researchers and students in pharmaceutical academic research, pharmaceutical industrial sector personnel, health professionals, and nutritionists will find this book to be very useful. - Covers all the bioactive compounds of cyanobacteria discovered thus far - Includes chapters by experts in the field, covering the chemistry and mechanisms of action of cyanobacteria-bioactive compounds - Provides a general overview of organisms, from biomass production to compound isolation and evaluation of bioactivities in different cell and cell-free systems

A thorough discussion of the structure, pharmacology, function, and role of G protein-coupled receptors In GPCRs as Therapeutic Agents, distinguished researcher Dr. Annette Gilchrist delivers an authoritative and in-depth compendium of a vibrant and active area of academic and industrial drug discovery. The book serves as an important reference for new and experienced researchers studying G protein-coupled receptors and discusses the molecular pharmacology of this important target class. It also includes up-to-date material on GPCR structures and structure-based drug design. The book explores the role of GPCRs in the treatment of disease and novel approaches to their study. In addition to providing information on the structure, pharmacology, and function of GPCRs, it discusses their role in disease states, and advances new methods for measuring GPCR activity in an accessible and engaging way. The book includes: A thorough introduction to the molecular pharmacology of G protein-coupled receptors, including up-to-date material on GPCR structures and structure-based drug design In-depth discussions of the evolving pharmacology for GPCRs, intracellular trafficking, and subcellular GPCR signaling Comprehensive explorations of allosteric modulation, receptor dimerization, deorphanization, and ubiquitination Fulsome treatments of the role played by GPCRs in the treatments of cancer, substance use disorders, cerebrovascular diseases, and metabolic diseasesPerfect for researchers in biochemistry, cell biology, and pharmacology, GPCRs as Therapeutic Agents will also earn a place in the libraries of professionals working in medicinal chemistry, structural biology, and clinical pharmacology.

There is a dramatic rise of novel drug use due to the increased popularity of so-called designer drugs. These synthetic drugs can be illegal in some countries, but legal in others and novel compounds unknown to drug chemistry emerge monthly. This thoughtfully constructed edited reference presents the main chromatographic methodologies and strategies used to discover and analyze novel designer drugs contained in diverse biological materials. The methods are based on molecular characteristics of the drugs belonging to each individual class of compounds, so it will be clear how the current methods are adaptable to future new drugs that appear in the market.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) has become an established method with widespread recognition as an analytical technique of choice in numerous analytical laboratories, including industrial and academic sectors. Pharmaceutical and biochemical research and quality control are the most important CE applications. This book provides a comparative assessment of related techniques on mode selection, method development, detection, and quantitative analysis and estimation of pharmacokinetic parameters and broadens the understanding of modern CE applications, developments, and prospects. It introduces the fundamentals of CE and clearly outlines the procedures used to mitigate several barriers, such as detection limits, signal detection, changing capillary environment, resolution separation of analytes, and hyphenation of mass spectrometry with CE, for a range of analytical problems. Each chapter outlines a specific electrophoretic variant with detailed instructions and some standard operating procedures. In this respect, the book meets its desired goal of rendering assistance to lovers of electrophoresis.

Endothelium, the new volume in the Advances in Pharmacology series, presents readers with a variety of chapters that cover various endothelium-derived mediators and their changes with gender, and during vascular development, senescence, and hypertensive disorders. Topics include endothelium, nitric oxide, gap junctions, potassium channels, endothelin, vascular development, vascular permeability, gender, aging, and preeclampsia. With contributions from the best authors in the field, the volume is an essential resource for pharmacologists, immunologists, and biochemists alike. - Contains contributions from the best authors in the field - Provides an essential resource for pharmacologists, immunologists, and biochemists - Covers endothelium-derived mediators and their changes

Recent publications have addressed specific aspects of the endothelins, such as their roles in disease or the importance of endothelin receptors. However, in this book the entire field of endothelins is covered. This includes the pathways of endothelin production and their regulation, the local and systemic actions of endothelins, receptors for the endothelins and the signalling pathways employed, and the involvement of endothelins in a range of diseases. Attention is also paid to the development through chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of endothelin antagonists and endothelin-converting enzyme inhibitors, with mention of all the important members of these drug classes. This leads to well-rounded discussions of the potential therapeutic benefit of endothelin inhibitors.

The drugs named calcium channel blockers (CCBs) were initially termed cal­ cium antagonists (see Chapter 1). They are also designated as calcium entry blockers (CEBs), calcium blockers, calcium channel antagonists, calcium channel inhibitors (and in French anticalciques). As this is reported in several chapters of this book, their main effect is a blockade of calcium entry into cells through voltage operated calcium channels (VOCCs). Chemically related drugs, such as Bay K 8644, exert the opposite effect by increasing the proba­ bility of calcium channel opening. One of the subcommittees of the Nomenclature Committee (NC-IUPAR) of the International Union of Pharmacology has been devoted to the classification of calcium channels and the site of action of drugs modifying channel function. The members of this Committee are noted for their significant contribution to the field (Tab. 1). A report has been published in 1992 in Pharmacological Reviews [3]. A list of criteria was approved for the identification of distinct drug binding 2 sites on Ca + channels. It included: (a) the demonstration of a stereoselective binding site supported by drug interaction studies (competition with other drugs, non-competitive interactions with other sites, reversal of inhibitory effects by channel activators); (b) demonstration of the electrophysiologieal effects of the drug and selectivity of action compared to other sites; (c) deter­ mination of the affinity for the type and subtype of ion channel. These criteria have identified different classes of Ca antagonists (see Chapter 2).

This volume provides reviews of six topics demonstrating the breadth of the field and recent successes in medicinal chemistry. Each of the first five chapters takes an important biochemical target as its theme and provides an insight into current progress in drug design. The last chapter focuses on the vital subject of pharmacokinetics and the great strides that have been made in this discipline during the past decade. All chapters provide an insight into the skills required of the modern medicinal chemist, in particular, the use of an appropriate selection of the wide range of tools now available to solve key scientific problems.•Presents the latest research in the field of drug discovery •Publishes on a twice yearly basis to bring you the most innovative updates in medicinal chemistry •Available as an online resource via ScienceDirect

The advances made in vascular biology in the last 25 years have considerably changed the perception that one could have of the endothelial cells. Once considered as a diffusion barrier preventing the access of the blood cells to the vascular matrix, the endothelium is now recognized as playing a major role in the control of blood fluidity, platelet aggregation, and vascular tone, but also in immunology, inflammation, angiogenesis, and for serving as a metabolizing and an endocrine organ.-- from the prefaceCardiovascular diseases, so prevalent in the Western world during the twentieth century, could well become the scourge of the twenty-first century in emerging countries as well as the West. Endothelial dysfunction linked to an imbalance in the synthesis and/or release of contracting and relaxing factors is often evoked to explain the initiation of the cardiovascular pathology or its development and perpetuation. Two decades ago, when nitric oxide was demonstrated to mediate endothelium-dependent relaxations, the vascular world seemed convinced that nitric oxide was the ultimate and sole explanation for such relaxations. However not everyone agreed.EDHF: The Complete Story is the work of two leading researchers who did not accept that simple conclusion, but instead continued to search, along with others, for a deeper understanding of the ways in which endothelial cells communicate with the underlying smooth muscle to signal it to hyperpolarize. Now with most, if not all, of those ways, uncovered, the authors offer this summary as way of bringing closure to the quest.This monograph reports on the work of many researchers. It summarizes the significant recent discoveries concerning endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizations, which are likely to play a much more important role in cardiovascular physiology and pathology than was originally foreseenExtensively illustrated with original diagrams and schematics that summarize the different steps of endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization, the text is designed for vascular biologists, and cardiologists, as well as graduate students looking to gain an understanding of the intimate functioning of the blood vessel wall.

Hypericum extract preparations are used extensively in many countries to treat mildly to moderately depressed patients. While this was based previously on traditional experience, extensive research over the last 10 years has given a broad preclinical and clinical basis to justify the use of Hypericum as an antidepressant. This book reviews the available data related to the biochemical, functional, and behavioural pharmacology of Hypericum and its active constituents. The clinical chapters overview the evidenced basis for its use as an antidepressant, initial data in anxiety and somatoform disorders, and the site effect profile of Hypericum and its possible relevant drug interactions. The known pharmacokinetics of the relevant constituents and the biopharmaceutical quality of commercially available Hypericum preparations are also discussed.

Understanding the nature and role of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor is crucial in the quest for improved treatments for hypertension, diabetes, ischemia-reperfusion, and other vascular disorders. EDHF 2002 is based on the proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizations. It will be of interest not only to physiologists and pharmacologists puzzled by the complexity of the interactions between the endothelium and underlying vascular smooth muscle cells, but also clinical researchers and physicians treating patients with cardiovascular diseases.