The present volume contains all the contributions and general discussion presented at the International Satellite Meeting on Func tion and Metabolism of Phospholipids in Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems held at Cortona, Tuscany, Italy in August 1975. The Satellite Meeting was organized on the frame of the 5th Inter national Congress of the International Society for Neurochemistry (Barcelona, 2-7 september 1975) and was just run before it. The publication of the scientific content of this volume has been made possible by the collaboration of the speakers, the discussants, the Meeting Chairman, the section chairmen and of all the scientists who have taken part at the Symposium and who deeply and actively discussed the lectures and the contributions to the General Discus sion which were delivered. In order to obtain rapid publication of the volume, however, the single discussions for each delivered contribution will not be reported here. The general subject of membrane structure, of the turnover of its lipid components in CNS and PNS, their functional implica tions and pharmacological actions, was explored in details from the stand-points of the various contributors in biophysics, biochem istry, physiology, cytology, pharmacology and pathology. The whole Symposium was effiCiently introduced and closed by Dr. W. Stoffel. The meeting has been thought to have been very successful.

One of the most active and productive areas of biological science in the past decade has been the study of the biochemical and biophysical prop erties of cell membranes. There is little doubt that membranes are essen tial components of all cellular systems and that each type of membrane manifests specific and characteristic cellular functions. In the nervous system, important events such as neurotransmission, receptor binding, ion transport, axonal transport, and cell uptake are all known to take place within the neural cell membrane. Phospholipids, one of the major components of membranes, not only provide the membrane with its structural integrity and physical proper ties, but also play an important role in regulating membrane function. Attention has recently been focused on the asymmetric localization of these molecules, the identification of discrete metabolic pools of phospholipids within the membrane matrix, and their involvement in sig nal transmission. Although synaptic membranes generally lack an active mechanism for the de novo biosynthesis of phospholipids, a number of enzymic routes are present for their interconversions and for facilitating metabolic turnover. Metabolites generated during the interconversion reactions may also exert a great influence in modulating membrane func tions. The phosphogylcerides of neural membranes are especially enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, only very small amounts of these fatty acids are present in the free form, and they are maintained in dynamic equilibrium with the membrane phospholipids.

The present volume contains all the contributions and general discussion presented at the International Satellite Meeting on Function and Metabolism of Phospholipids in Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems held at Cortona, Tuscany, Italy in August 1975. The Satellite Meeting was organized on the frame of the 5th International Congress of the International Society for Neurochemistry (Barcelona, 2-7 September 1975) and was just run before it. The publication of the scientific content of this volume has been made possible by the collaboration of the speakers, the discussants, the Meeting Chairman, the section chairmen and of all the scientists who have taken part at the Symposium and who deeply and actively discussed the lectures and the contributions to the General Discussion which were delivered. In order to obtain rapid publication of the volume, however, the single discussions for each delivered contribution will not be reported here. The general subject of membrane structure, of the turnover of its lipid components in CNS and PNS, their functional implications and pharmacological actions, was explored in details from the stand-points of the various contributors in biophysics, biochemistry, physiology, cytology, pharmacology and pathology. The whole Symposium was efficiently introduced and closed by Dr. W. Stoffel. The meeting has been thought to have been very successful. It gave certainly in our opinion a noticeable stimulus to biochemical research workers in the field of lipid neurochemistry. The editors express their thanks to the authors of the papers and to the Plenum Publishing Company for the rapid response.which has enabled the prompt publication of this volume, and to the auditorium of the meeting, which was attended by more than two hundred research workers actively interested in problems of lipid neurochemistry.

Diet and Health examines the many complex issues concerning diet and its role in increasing or decreasing the risk of chronic disease. It proposes dietary recommendations for reducing the risk of the major diseases and causes of death today: atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (including heart attack and stroke), cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, liver disease, and dental caries.

Lipid Signaling and Metabolism provides foundational knowledge and methods to examine lipid metabolism and bioactive lipid signaling mediators that regulate a broad spectrum of biological processes and disease states. Here, world-renowned investigators offer a basic examination of general lipid, metabolism, intracellular lipid storage and utilization that is followed by an in-depth discussion of lipid signaling and metabolism across disease areas, including obesity, diabetes, fatty liver disease, inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular disease and mood-related disorders. Throughout, authors demonstrate how expanding our understanding of lipid mediators in metabolism and signaling enables opportunities for novel therapeutics. Emphasis is placed on bioactive lipid metabolism and research that has been impacted by new technologies and their new potential to transform precision medicine. - Provides a clear, up-to-date understanding of lipid signaling and metabolism and the impact of recent technologies critical to advancing new studies - Empowers researchers to examine bioactive lipid signaling and metabolism, supporting translation to clinical care and precision medicine - Discusses the role of lipid signaling and metabolism in obesity, diabetes, fatty liver disease, inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular disease and mood-related disorders, among others