This book is designed as an introductory text in neuroendocrinology; the study of the interaction between the brain and endocrine system and the influence of this on behaviour. The endocrine glands, pituitary gland and hypothalamus and their interactions and hormones are discussed. The action of steroid and thyroid hormone receptors and the regulation of target cell response to hormones is examined. The function of neuropeptides is discussed with respect to the neuroendocrine system and behaviour. The neuroimmune system and lymphokines are described and the interaction between the neuroendocrine and neuroimmune systems discussed. Finally, methods for studying hormonal influences on behaviour are outlined. Each chapter has review and essay questions designed for advanced students and honours or graduate students with a background in neuroscience, respectively.

This volume represents the first attempt to present in one place the clinical syndromes and the pathophysiologic basis for the "resistance states" to each of the classes of steroid hormones. Glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, androgens, estrogens, progesterone and vitamin D have widely diverse roles ranging from the control of homeostasis to reproduction and bone formation. They are similar in that they share a chemical structure and that their action is in the cell nucleus where they induce transcription of specific genes leading to synthesis of function-specific proteins. Clinical syndromes of steroid hormone resistance to androgens (complete and partial testicular feminization), aldosterone (pseudo hypoaldosteronism) and vitamin D (vitamin D-dependent rickets type II) have been known for many years. Progesterone and glucocorticoid resistance syndromes have been described only recently. Resistance to estrogens has not been reported in man or in animals. It is hoped that a detailed reexamination of what is known about each of these conditions at the clinical and molecular levels will enhance our understanding of the function of these hormones and their mechanisms of action. New insight and research initiatives should result. G.P. Chrousos D.L. Loriaus M.B. Lipsett vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The contents of this volume are based in part on the proceedings of an International Conference held in Bethesda in the summer of 1984. This conference was sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland.

This volume provides a detailed overview of the mechanisms by which steroid hormones regulate gene activity in target cells. It should be of interest to molecular biologists, endocrinologists, pharmacologists and clinicians interested in gene regulation hormones and steroid antagonists.

This updated second edition of Diagnosis and Management of Ovarian Disorders provides thorough, yet succinct insight into the ever-changing realm of ovarian disorders. It presents a novel multidisciplinary approach to the subject as described by clinicians, surgeons, pathologists, basic scientists and related medical researchers. Topics covered include reproductive technology, early diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and management of menopause among others. The breadth of information provided by this book will appeal to clinicians and researchers involved in the study and treatment of ovarian disorders.KEY FEATURES* Includes updated information on early diagnosis of ovarian cancer* Reviews new diagnostic techniques for ovarian disorders* Discusses latest information on reproductive technology* Presents translational treatment linking laboratory research with clinical medicine

Multicellular organisms require a means of intracellular communication to organize and develop the complex body plan that occurs during embryogenesis and then for cell and organ systems to access and respond to an ever changing environmental milieu. Mediators of this constant exchange of information are growth factors, neurotransmmitters, peptide and protein hormones which bind to cell surface receptors and transduce their signals from the extracellular space to the intracellular compartment. Via multiple signaling pathways, receptors of this general class affect growth, development and differentiation. Smaller hydrophobic signaling molecules, such as steroids and non-steroid hormones, vitamins and metabolic mediators interact with a large family of nuclear receptors. These receptors function as transcription factors affecting gene expression, to regulate the multiple aspects of animal and human physiology, including development, reproduction and homeostasis. The aim of this book is to cover various aspects of intracellular signaling involving hormone receptors.

Glucocorticoids regulate multiple metabolic and developmental processes and play a vital role in the maintenance of basal and stress-related homeostasis. For the last 50 years, pharmacologic doses of glucocorticoids have been used in the treatment of inflammatory, autoimmune, and lymphoproliferative diseases and in the prevention of allograft rejection, while substitution doses have been employed in the management of adrenocortical insufficiency. aspects of glucocorticoid action, in particular, (i) the impact of maternal and early life stress on stress-related gene regulation in the offspring; (ii) the importance of glucocorticoids and their receptors; (iii) further understanding of the mechanisms of GR action, including its effect on chromatin modulation, its interaction with coactivators and corepressors, and the genetic dissection of GR function in mice; (iv) The interaction of hGR with other transcription factors, such as NF-kappa-B, p53, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and the chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor II (COUP-TFII); recycling, ubiquitination and degradation of the receptor, actions of the GR-beta isoform, a novel synthetic nonsteroidal target gene-specific agonist, the importance of target tissue activity of 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 in glucocorticoid action in health and disease, the interaction of the receptor with the nutrient carnitine, the anthrax products protective antigen (PA) and lethal factor (LF), and the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)-encoded molecules Vpr and Tat; (vi) an update on the effects of glucocorticoids on the immune system; and (vii) the clinical implications of glucocorticoid action, including glucocorticoid resistance/hypersensitivity, familial and sporadic glucocorticoid resistance, and the effects of stress and depression.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis controls reactions to stress and regulates various body processes such as digestion, the immune system, mood and sexuality, and energy usage. This volume focuses on the role it plays in the immune system and provides substantive experimental and clinical data to support current understanding in the field, and potential applications of this knowledge in the treatment of disease. - Evidence presented in this book suggests that the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems form the Neuroendoimmune Supersystem, which integrates all the biological functions of higher organisms both in health and disease for their entire life cycle - Contributors include both the scientists who initiated the work on the HPA axis and on the autonomic nervous system, and those who joined the field later