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This 2nd edition has been extensively updated and provides comprehensive and current insight into congenital heart diseases, from embryonic development through to clinical features, including human genetics and our current knowledge of the underlying molecular pathways.The book is divided into three parts: an introduction to the development of the heart and its vessels, an overview of the molecular pathways affecting the development of various cardiovascular structures, and a main section focusing on the different types of structural and nonstructural congenital heart diseases, including their clinical features, underlying genetic alterations and insights from animal models and pathways. All chapters have been updated and new chapters added on state-of-the-art approaches including stem cells and organoids, cardiac metabolism, single cell transcriptomics and 3D reconstruction of human heart development. The clinical chapters have been extended and include new sections on diagnostic imaging techniques. Taken together, the book, written by and for clinicians and researchers, provides an integrated and up-to-date resource for all those who want to learn more about both the clinical aspects and the genetic and molecular basis of congenital heart disease.

The book will contain reviews and brief research articles from the participants attending the International Society for Arterial Chemoreception (ISAC) meeting, to be held in Lisbon in Portugal in June/July 2020. Since ISAC was first established, almost 70 years ago, many advances in the classical field of arterial O2, CO2 and pH sensing have been achieved but the most impressive ones are probably related to the non-canonical roles of the carotid body, as its involvement in sympatho-mediated diseases. Over the recent years, the carotid body field has gained attention with the findings that carotid body dysfunction is associated with the development/maintenance of highly prevalent diseases from cardio-metabolic diseases to asthma. Knowing that most of the patients with these pathologies lack long-term disease control, it is imperative to define new pathophysiological mechanisms aiming to find new therapeutic targets for treatment and prevention. This book will cover a broad range of topics related, not only with the fundamental knowledge of the mechanisms related with the chemical sensing in the carotid body, but also with the adaptive and mal-adaptive responses of arterial chemoreceptors to O2-dependent and O2-independent mechanisms, namely with their impact on respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic homeostasis in healthy and disease conditions. This volume will be required text for all the researchers in the field of arterial chemoreceptors and will provide a valuable reference source for years to come.

This book on “Renin-Angiotensin System in Cardiovascular Disease” includes 25 chapters, which are organized in three sections, namely (i) modulatory aspects, (ii) pathophysiological aspects, and (iii) pharmacotherapeutic aspects. It includes an updated as well as comprehensive knowledge about molecular and cellular aspects for the role of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the pathophysiology and therapy of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, and heart failure. This book emphasizes the molecular and cellular mechanisms, signaling transduction pathways involved in the development of different cardiovascular diseases due to the prolonged activation of RAS. Furthermore, biochemical mechanisms are outlined for the inhibition of this system by the blockade of angiotensin converting enzyme as well as angiotensin II type 1 receptors in patients suffering from cardiovascular abnormalities. Since cardiovascular disease is the number onecause of death worldwide, leading to approximately 17.9 million deaths each year, there is a keen interest in understanding the pathogenesis and improving its therapy. In this regard, we can attest that this book provides ample information about essential components of RAS and their role in the development of cardiovascular disease.From the selection of recognized global experts in their area of investigation, this book can be seen to cover diverse cardiovascular aspects and molecular and cellular mechanisms of angiotensin II action for the development of different cardiovascular abnormalities. It is our contention that this book will be most suitable for promoting knowledge in the field of RAS biology and will be of great interest to health professionals involved in both experimental and clinical cardiology as well as academic investigators and cardiovascular scientists, graduate students, and fellows worldwide.

This book addresses the phenomenon of biological autoluminescence (also known as ultraweak photon emission, UPE, biochemiluminescence, or biophotons) and deals with a very broad spectrum of subjects, ranging from basic observational studies to molecular mechanisms, free-radical processes, physics of electron excitation and photon emission, as well as detection techniques. The chapter topics include UPE in plants, animals, and the human body; microorganisms and subcellular structures; and model systems, illustrating its high prevalence. Several sections of the book provide some backstory, with emphasis on methodology, unresolved questions, and existing controversies. The authors raise and discuss complex, potentially divisive aspects: Are there any reasons to assume the existence of non-chemical interaction in biological systems? Can research results in the field of mitogenetic radiation, delayed luminescence, and oxychemiluminescence of model systems, be correctly interpreted? Whatdoes the future hold for this area of research? Altogether, this publication gives the reader a thorough overview of biological autoluminescence (UPE, biophotonics) research, making it ideal for students and researchers who are new to the area as well as those who are specializing in it.

This book presents the latest findings in the field of cardiac mechanobiology in health and disease.Cardiac mechanobiology provides knowledge of all aspects of mechanobiology of the heart. Cardiomyogenesis is discussed as well as the mechanobiology of cardiac remodeling and regeneration. The molecular mechanisms of mechanoperception and mechanotransduction in cardiomyocytes are explained, as well as stretch induced differentiation of cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. This volume of the series Cardiac and Vascular Biology complements the volume Vascular Mechanobiology in Physiology and Disease (volume 8) published in this series. The book is aimed at clinicians as well as researchers in cardiovascular biology, bioengineering and biophysics, and also represents an educational resource for young researchers and students in these fields.

This book provides a comprehensive reference guide to plant-derived antioxidants, their beneficial effects, mechanisms of action, and role in disease prevention and improving general health (anti-ageing effect). The content is divided into three main parts, the first of which covers various antioxidants (such as polyphenols, carotenoids, tocopherols, tocotrienols, glutathione, ascorbic acid), their origins, plant biochemistry and industrial utilization. In turn, the book's second, main part focuses on antioxidants'beneficial health effects, explains biochemical fundamentals such as the free radical theory and oxidative stress, and discusses antioxidants'role in e.g. cancer, cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, degenerative diseases and ageing. The third part reviews general laboratory methods for antioxidant screening, preservation and determination. Written by an international team of experts, this highly interdisciplinary book will benefit a broad range of health professionals and researchers working in biochemistry, biotechnology, nutrition, plant science and food chemistry. It offers an indispensable, up-to-date guide for anyone interested in antioxidants and the role of a plant-based diet in disease prevention and control

This book provides a concise yet comprehensive review of the morphological, biochemical, electrical, mechanical, and metabolic properties of vascular smooth muscle, the regulation of vascular activities and the intracellular signaling involved. It particularly focuses on newly identified vasoactive agents, enzymes and transduction mechanisms. It also discusses the latest findings in the regulation of cerebral, coronary and pulmonary circulation as well as vascular activity under hypoxia and ageing. The second edition intends to update the contents of the first edition with the latest achievements in the regulation of vascular activities from biochemical, structural, genetic, physiological, and pharmacological aspects. In addition, two new chapters related to microRNA and extracellular vesicles have been added to reflect their newly discovered important roles in vascular activities. The contraction and dilatation activities of vasculature are of fundamental importancefor maintaining circulation homeostasis and adapting to physiological changes. Over the last four decades, there have been significant advances in our understanding of the biochemical, structural, genetic, physiological, and pharmacological aspects of vascular activity regulation, and these insights into the responsiveness of blood vessels under normal and pathophysiological conditions help to provide valuable weapons in the fight vascular diseases. The book is of interest to researchers and graduate students, both in basic research and in clinic settings, in the field of vascular biology.

This fully updated third edition of the encyclopedia covers all aspects of pharmacology, from the chemistry of drugs and the biochemistry of drug targets to the clinical application of drugs, with emphasis on molecular mechanisms. It also includes techniques for describing the effects of drugs and characterizing drug targets. With over 2,000 entries and 350 detailed essays by leading experts, this book is also an up-to-date and important reference for scientists in fields outside pharmacology, students, health care workers, teachers, physicians, and laypersons. Available both in print and as a fully searchable and hyperlinked electronic online edition.

This comprehensive, up-to-date reference work compiles the scientific research on the relationship between various forms of cancer and reactive oxygen species (ROS). It is well known that ROS play a key role in the various steps leading to malignancy, this includes increase in DNA mutation rates. The book brings together exciting reviews, written by leading experts all over the world. The book is divided into four broad sections. Each section describes the role of oxidative stress and underlying mechanisms and pathways, at various stages of cancer, including its role in carcinogenesis, cancer progression and metastasis. Further, the book describes how the reactive oxygen species (ROS) modulate gene expression and signal transduction pathways in cancer. The book discusses the ways to interfere with the cancer progression, and design of anti-cancer drugs. The book provides an integrated approach for better understanding of the development phases of oxidative stress-induced cancers, and mainly the current perspectives about mechanistic aspects of cancer initiation, progression and metastasis. It is a highly resourceful book and would be extremely important to clinicians, students and researchers in the field of cancer genetics, therapeutics and oncology.

Lung diseases are leading causes of death and disability globally, with about 65 million people suffering from COPD, and 334 million from asthma. Each year, tens of millions of people develop and can die from lung infections such as pneumonia and TB. Systemic inflammation may induce and exacerbate local inflammatory diseases in the lungs, and local inflammation can in turn cause systemic inflammation. There is increasing evidence of the coexistence of systemic and local inflammation in patients suffering from asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases, and the co-morbidity of two or more local inflammatory diseases often occurs. For example, rheumatoid arthritis frequently occurs together with, and promotes the development of, pulmonary hypertension. This co-morbidity significantly impacts quality of life, and can result in death for some patients. Current treatment options for lung disease are neither always effective, nor condition-specific; there is a desperate need for novel therapeutics in the field. Additionally, the molecular and physiological significance of most major lung diseases is not well understood, which further impedes development of new treatments, especially in the case of coexistent lung diseases with other inflammatory diseases. Great progress has been made in recent years in many areas of the field, particularly in understanding the molecular geneses, regulatory mechanisms, signalling pathways, and cellular processes within lung disease, as well as basic and clinical technology, drug discovery, diagnoses, treatment options, and predictive prognoses. This is the first text to aggregate these developments. In two comprehensive volumes, experts from all over the world present state-of-the-art advances in the study of lung inflammation in health and disease. Contributing authors cover well-known as well as emerging topics in basic, translational, and clinical research, with the aim of providing researchers, clinicians, professionals, and students with new perspectives and concepts. The editors hope these books will also help to direct future research in lung disease and other inflammatory diseases, and result in the development of novel therapeutics.

This book offers a systematic review of the cutting-edge knowledge in stress medicine. Cellular redox imbalance, resulting from overproduction of reactive oxide species (ROS), leads to oxidative stress and subsequent occurrence and development of many diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, pain, etc. In addition, ROS can induce post-translational modification of proteins and play roles through redox signaling pathways. In this book, the authors attempt to re-define the key concepts in oxidative stress, such as oxidative eustress and oxidative distress, revisit the pivotal signaling of oxidative stress in human diseases, and discuss the debate in current anti-oxidant strategies, such as natural products and drug repurposing. This book serves as a reference to graduate students and researchers in this growing field.

This book is a continuance of the topic: “DAMPs in Human Diseases”, the basics of which were described in a first volume by the same author. This second volume presents our current understanding of the impact of sterile stress/injury-induced innate immune responses on the etiopathogenesis of human diseases by focusing on those diseases that are pathogenetically dominated by DAMPs, i.e., on polytrauma, various solid organ injuries (brain, lung, kidney, liver), atherosclerosis, and cerebro-cardiovascular diseases. Our growing understanding of the pathogenetic function of activating DAMPs and suppressive DAMPs (“SAMPs”) is used as a point of departure to explore how these molecules can be used as biomarkers to extend and improve current diagnostic and prognostic modalities. Moreover, this new knowledge about the pathogenetic function of DAMPs and SAMPs is taken as a sound and plausible reason for discussing their implications for present and future treatment of the diseases addressed here. In this context, the focus is on the potential of DAMPs as future therapeutic targets and SAMPs as future therapeutics, applied in strict compliance with safety precautions, as also recommended in this work. The book is intended for professionals from all medical and paramedical disciplines who are interested in applying innovative data from inflammation and immunity research to clinical practice. The readership will include practitioners and clinicians working in the broad field of acute and chronic inflammatory/fibrotic diseases, in particular, traumatologists and intensivists; neurologists and neurosurgeons; cardiologists and cardiac surgeons; pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons; vascular surgeons; nephrologists; gastroenterologists and hepatologists; and pharmacists. Also available: Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns in Human Diseases - Vol. 1: Injury-Induced Innate Immune Responses

This textbook focuses on the vascular biology and physiology that underlie vascular disorders in clinical medicine. Vascular biomedicine is a rapidly growing field as new molecular mechanisms of vascular health and disease are unraveled. Many of the major cardiovascular diseases including coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke and vascular dementia are diseases of the vasculature. In addition vascular injury underpins conditions like kidney failure and cardiovascular complications of diabetes. This field is truly multidisciplinary involving scientists in many domains such as molecular and vascular biology, cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology and immunology and inflammation. Clinically, specialists across multiple disciplines are involved in the management of patients with vascular disorders, including cardiologists, nephrologists, endocrinologists, neurologists and vascular surgeons. This book covers a wide range of topics and provides an overview of the discipline of vascular biomedicine without aiming at in-depth reviews, but rather offering up-to-date knowledge organized in concise and structured chapters, with key points and pertinent references. The structure of the content provides an integrative and translational approach from basic science (e.g. stem cells) to clinical medicine (e.g. cardiovascular disease). The content of this book is targeted to those who are new in the field of vascular biology and vascular medicine and is ideal for medical students, graduate and postgraduate students, clinical fellows and academic clinicians with an interest in the vascular biology and physiology of cardiovascular disease and related pathologies.

This first volume of the comprehensive, two-volume work on oxidative stress in lung disease introduces the molecular mechanisms, and the role of oxidants in the progression of different lung diseases. The lungs of humans and animals are under constant threat from oxidants from either endogenous (e.g. in situ metabolic reactions) or exogenous sources (e.g. air pollutants). Further, oxidative stress causes the oxidation of proteins, DNA and lipids, which in turn generates secondary metabolic products. The book consists of sections, each focusing on different aspects of oxidant-mediated lung diseases. As such it is a unique reference resource for postgraduate students, biomedical researchers and also for the clinicians who are interested in studying and understanding oxidant-mediated lung diseases. The second volume will incorporate other aspects of oxidant-mediated lung diseases, including prevention and therapeutics.

This book presents current understanding of the importance of modern immunology in the etiopathogenesis of human diseases and explores how this understanding is impacting on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and prophylaxis. As the core of modern immunology, the “danger/injury model” is introduced and addressed throughout the book. Volume I of the book describes the network of damage-associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPs) and examines the central role of DAMPs in cellular stress responses and associated regulated cell death, the promotion and resolution of inflammation, the activation of innate lymphoid cells and unconventional T cells, the stimulation of adaptive immunity, and tissue repair. The significance of DAMPs in a wide range of human diseases will then be explored in Volume II of the book, with discussion of the implications of injury-induced innate immunity for present and future treatments. This book is written for professionals from all medical and paramedical disciplines who are interested in the introduction of innovative data from immunity and inflammation research into clinical practice. The readership will include practitioners and clinicians such as hematologists, rheumatologists, traumatologists, oncologists, intensive care anesthetists, endocrinologists such as diabetologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, pharmacists, and transplantologists.

Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen sind als multifaktorielle polygenetische Krankheitsbilder gekennzeichnet, an deren Zustandekommen neben pathologischen Veränderungen der Blutgefäße des Herzens und der Niere auch solche des Blutdrucks, des Stoffwechsels sowie zentralnervöse Faktoren beteiligt sind. Die Aufdeckung molekulargenetischer Zusammenhänge zwischen bestimmten Genen und dem Auftreten von Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen hat eine frühe Diagnostik und damit eine individuelle Prävention und Therapie möglich gemacht. Die thematische Breite dieses Bandes zeigt, in welchem Maß heute schon molekularbiologische Techniken unverzichtbarer Bestandteil diagnostisch/prophylaktischer Verfahren geworden sind und sich therapeutische Möglichkeiten auch bei diesen Erkrankungen eröffnen.

'Bio-Farms for Nutraceuticals'can be said to have been born of the NUTRA-SNACKS project within the Sixth Framework Programme Priority on Food Quality and Safety. One objective of NUTRA -SNACK S was to improve the nutritional and eating properties of ready-to-eat products and semi-prepared foodstuffs through better monitoring of the quality and safety of raw materials and the development of innovative processes along the production chain. Another main objective of the project was the production of ready-to-eat snacks with high nutraceutic activity. Seven research institutes and three companies in six European countries were involved in this effort. The co-operation resulted in the production of food having a high content of natural metabolites with the following beneficial health effects: anticancer, antilipidemic, anticholesterol, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antihypertensive, anti-inflamatory and antioxidant activities.

The term mitochondrion is derived from Latin, with mitos meaning thread and chondrion meaning granules. Indeed, under the light microscope, mitochondria often appear as rods or granules within the cytoplasm. For decades after initial visualization of mitochondria by light microscopy, mitochondrial function remained clouded. However, with the development of differential centri- gation and electron microscopy, it was discovered that a chief function of the mitochondria was the generation of ATP for the remainder of the cell. For many years, the energy generating function of the mitochondria was considered the primary, if not the sole function of the mitochondria. During that period, inves- gators attempted to obtain information on the mechanism of ATP synthesis and the regulation of electron transport. In the first chapter of the book, Dr. Hassinen summarizes those studies, providing clear pictures on the transformation of reducing equivalents into a proton gradient and the mechanism by which the F F 1 0 ATPase utilizes the proton gradient to generate ATP. He also summarizes the key regulatory steps of the citric acid cycle, which is the major source of reducing equivalents for the electron transport chain. In the heart, most of the carbon that feeds into the citric acid cycle is derived from fatty acid metabolism. Although fatty acid utilization provides most of the ATP for contraction, a proper balance must be maintained between the utilization of fatty acids and that of glucose. In the second chapter, Drs.

Im vorliegenden Band stehen lokal wirksame Hormonsysteme, Gewebshormone, ihre auto-, para- und intrakrinen Funktionen sowie ihre Störungen als Ursache von Erkrankungen im Mittelpunkt der Darstellung. Namhafte Experten haben hundert Jahre nach der Einführung des Hormonbegriffes durch Starling 1905 den gegenwärtigen Wissensstand in 25 Kapiteln zusammengeführt, der dem interessierten Leser eine umfassende Orientierung über dieses interdisziplinäre Fachgebiet erlaubt.