' Book Reviews 109

influence of brain factors on prolactin secretion; intra- cellular pituitary mechanisms regulating prolactin; modi- fication of prolactin by steroids; target cell function and peripheral receptors; comparative aspects of prolactin pro- duction and function; physiological relevance of pituitary and non-pituitary prolactins; neurochemical components and prolactin; experimental and clinical effects of prolactin behaviour and brain function; pathogenesis of prolactin- omas; clinical and therapeutic aspects or hyperprolactin- emia.

Prolactin a polypeptide with 197 residues, whose genomic structure is known, induces milk synthesis. Prolactin can also induce nest building behaviour in rats, stimulates somatic growth and feeding, can affect learning behaviour, and increases grooming; some of these effects being via the dopaminergic path to the nucleus accumbens.

This well produced volume provides an excellent detailed account of the current research work being carried out on prolactin.

Chemotherapy of Gastrointestinal Hehninths---Edited by H. Vanden Bossche, D. Thienpont and P. G. Janssens. Hand- book of Experimental Pharmacology. Vol. 77.719 pp. 1985. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. US$198.

It is estimated that three billion people are infected with GI helminths and that most farm animals get infected each year. The anti-helminth treatment of farm animals has developed into a valuable multi billion dollar industry. The present volume described the epidemiology of GI helminths in man; the epidemiology and control of GI helminths in animals; the pharmacology of anthelmintics; chemotherapy of GI nematodiasis in man and animals (ruminants, equines, pigs, carnivores and birds); chemotherapy of intestinal trematodiasis in man, mammals; and chemotherapy of tapeworm infections in man and animals.

The chapters are well written and fully documented. There is an excellent subject index in which all the helminth species are given together with drugs used against each species. This book provides an excellent summary and orientation of what is at present known about anthelmintics and will be a valuable help in the development of new drugs.

Endocytosis--Edited by I. Pastan and M. C. Willingham. 326 pp. 1985. Plenum Press, New York. US$42.50.

Cells are able to regulate the entry of substrates. The cell surface has receptors often clustered in groups that look like coated pits under EM. There are 500-1000 coated pits per cultured cell and they occupy about 1% of the cell surface. The ligands bind to the receptors on the coated pit and then are internalized as a receptorsome or endosome and trans- ported to the Golgi system. There is a relationship between the ligand concentration and the number of receptors on the cell's membrane. This multi-author volume discusses the pathway of endocytosis; receptors; hepatic receptors for asialoglycoproteins; clathrin coated membranes; transferrin receptor mediated endocytosis; IgA and galactose specific pathways; toxins; acidification of endosomes and lysosomes; mathematical modeling of receptor mediate endocytosis; endocytosis in cultured cells. The reviews are clearly written, well illustrated, with good bibliographies and provide a valuable contribution to our understanding of the dynamics of cell activity.

Somatosmtitr--Edited by Y. C. Patel and G. S. Tan- nenbaum. 524 pp. 1985. Plenum Press, New York. US$75. (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, Vol. 188).

The major form of somatostatin (SS) is the 14 amino acid (AA) peptide that inhibits the secretion of growth hormone,

insulin and glucagon. It is synthesized by many tissues including the brain, hypothalamus, and pancreatic islets. There is a 28 AA form (SS28), and SS14 and SS18 are made from prepro-somatostatin which is a signal hydrophobic peptide of 20--25 AA followed by a proregion of 80-100 AA. This multi-authored symposium discusses the synthesis of SS; its processing into the smaller peptides; its synthesis and role in the brain, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract and tu- mors, and the mechanisms of action of SS and its analogs.

Comparisons of Type I and Type II Diabetes---Edited by M. Vranic, C. H. Hollenberg and G. Steiner. 351 pp. 1985. Plenum Press, New York. US$55. (Advances in Experi- mental Medicine and Biology, Vol. 189).

Type I diabetes starts in childhood with the autoimmune destruction of the ,B-cells. The patient shows insulin- dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Type II diabetes (non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus NIDDM) is associated with ageing, overnutrition and diminished exercise. The genetic susceptibility to IDDM is mainly on the short arm of chromosome 6 within the HLA gene locus. IDDM is unknown or rare amongst the Japanese, Indians, Chinese, Eskimos, and Polynesians. There are other groups of di- abetics such as: (a) gestational diabetics where glucose intolerance develops during pregnancy; (b) those with glu- cose levels between normal and diabetic due to impaired glucose tolerance; and (c) those with transient hyper- glyciemias. In the overnight fasted individual, glucose up- take is primarily by the brain, blood cells, peripheral nerve and renal medulla; all of which have glucose uptake that is not insulin sensitive. The level of glucose in the body is set by the blood sugar level, insulin, and the liver and it is likely that in Type II diabetics, the liver sets the blood sugar level too high. There are millions of inactive, obese middle age people who do not have Type II diabetes, and whose/Lcells are able to secrete 200-300 units of insulin a day and overcome thier tissues insulin insensitivity and so achieve normal glucose homeostasis. This is discussed in the present multi-authored volume which also gives details of the genetics and immunology, the pathophysiology and meta- bolic abnormalities, and the complications, found in Type I and Type II diabetics.

Ion Measurements in Physiology and Medicine---Edited by M. Kessler, D. K. Harrison and J. Hoper. 336 pp. 1985. Springer, Berlin. Softcover DM 120.

Electrodes have been developed so that specialized elec- trodes will measure pH, oxygen, potassium, sodium, lith- ium, calcium, chloride, copper, bicarbonate, glucose, 5HT, dopamine, etc. The recent developments have been to make the electrodes more selective to a specific ligand and to develop complex electrodes using bound enzymes for given substrates. The present volume contains published papers from an international meeting held in Germany and pro- vides an excellent account of the present uses of extracellular and intracellular ion electrodes.

Neuroendocrine Correlates of Stress--Edited by K. W. McKerns and V. Pantic. 345 pp. 1985. Plenum Press, New York. US$52.50.

The volume contains edited papers presented at the twelth meeting of the International Foundation for Biochemical Endocrinology. Different types of stressing agents are con- sidered (immunological, temperature, immobilization, exer- cise, pre- and post-natal condition, acupuncture, spinal section, opioid peptides) on neurotransmitters, releasing factors, and hormonal systems. The volume will be of