One hundred papers treat advances in research of the effects and uses of prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes in such medical fields as organ transplantation, male erectile dysfunction, amniotic fluid infection and labour, renal function, anti-inflammatory drugs, allergic and aspirin-intolerant asthma, angioplasty and heart ischemia, Alzheimer's disease, vessel wall hyperplasia, and more. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This book is a comprehensive overview of invited contributions on Helicobacter pylori infection in gastritis and gastric carcinogenesis. The first part of the book covers topics related to the pathophysiology of gastric mucosal defense system and gastritis including the gastroprotective function of the mucus, the capsaicin-sensitive afferent nerves and the oxidative stress pathway involved in inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy in H. pylori related gastritis. The next chapters deal with molecular pathogenesis and treatment, which consider the role of neuroendocrine cells in gastric disease, DNA methylation in H. pylori infection, the role of antioxidants and phytotherapy in gastric disease. The final part presents the effects of cancer risk factors associated with H. pylori infection. These chapters discuss the serum pepsinogen test, K-ras mutations, cell kinetics, and H. pylori lipopolysaccharide, as well as the roles of several bacterial genes (cagA, cagT, vacA and dupA) as virulence factors in gastric cancer, and the gastrokine-1 protein in cancer progression.

Gastric secretions contain hydrogen ions at a concentration that is more than one million times higher than their intracellular concentration. This phenomenal gradient as well as the demonstrated ability of gastric juice to digest tissues has motivated clinicians and investigators alike to emphasize acid secretion and acid ablation in studying the pathogenesis and therapy of peptic ulcer disease. Conse quently, over the past 150 years, we have made considerable progress in under standing the mechanisms and regulation of acid secretion by the stomach. Not surprisingly, therapy for both peptic disease and mucosal injury has also been predominantly directed at either neutralizing acid or suppressing its production. During the past 10 years, attention has been focused on factors other than acid in the genesis and therapy of ulcer disease. Work done worldwide demon strated that acid hypersecretion is not a common event in peptic ulcer disease. Therefore, we began realizing that factors other than acid secretion may be important in the genesis of ulcer disease or in gastroduodenal mucosal damage. In addition, new physiological information has established that the gas troduodenal mucosa is normally protected by a complex series of events includ ing mucus and bicarbonate secretion, cell renewal, surface mucosal restitution, and preservation of the microvasculature and mucosal proliferative zone.

This special topic issue of 'Digestive Diseases' contains contributions discussing the subject in-depth. 'Digestive Diseases' is a well-respected, international peer-reviewed journal in Gastroenterology. Special topic issues are included in the subscription.

In recent years, there have been significant advances both in understanding the mechanisms involved in gastrointestinal mucosal injury and protection, as well as in the development of successful strategies for prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal injury. Nevertheless, many people worldwide still suffer from gastrointestinal damage.This book contains contributions by an international panel of researchers in the form of up-to-date reviews on the mechanisms of gastrointestinal injury and protection. These are complemented by papers discussing how these new findings about cell/tissue injury and cytoprotection/organoprotection can be applied to the prevention and treatment of tissue damage in the gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, the publication includes a special chapter on Andre Robert, who has discovered the phenomenon of gastric cytoprotection.This publication will be of great interest for both basic and clinical researchers in gastroenterology and pharmacology, reviewing the advances made so far and pointing towards future developments.