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Book Platelet Activating Factor Acetylhydrolases  PAF AH

Download or read book Platelet Activating Factor Acetylhydrolases PAF AH written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2015-12-01 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume of The Enzymes summarizes the most important discoveries associated with a group of enzymes that play an important role in normal biological processes as presented and discussed by leaders authorities in the field. - Contributions from leading authorities - Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field of enzymes

Book Platelet Activating Factor and Related Lipid Mediators 2

Download or read book Platelet Activating Factor and Related Lipid Mediators 2 written by Santosh Nigam and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-29 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the last decade, research on platelet-activating factor (PAF) has expanded exponentially. Previous conferences on PAF in Paris, 1983, and the subsequent conferences in Gatlinburg, Ten nessee, Tokyo, Snowbird, Utah, and Berlin, at three-yearly intervals, have chronicled the devel opments in the field ofPAF. This volume records the proceedings of the Fifth International Con gress on PAF and Related Lipid Mediators, held at the Free University Medical Hospital Ben jamin Franklin in Berlin, from September 12-16, 1995. We are very much indebted to Free Uni versity Berlin for providing tremendous facilities and financial support. It was a great pleasure to have positive and generous input from the German Science Council (DFG), Bonn, Germany, and British·Biotech, Oxford, United Kingdom. Their support was crucial in making the congress a scientific success. Twenty other organizations provided additional financial support, for which we extend our deepest appreciation. The editors would like to thank all of those who participated in this congress and the authors for their contributions. The organization and planning of the Berlin Congress were carried out by an organizing committee. We gratefully acknowledge the support and assistance of the organizing commit tee members, especially Renate Nigam and Renate Roux for their untiring efforts to make the congress successful. Many colleagues also supported the congress with dedication, hard work, and expert input. We are grateful to them. We also wish to acknowledge the support of G. Sravan Kumar and Louis Kock for their efforts in producing this volume.

Book Regulation of Platelet activating Factor Acetylhydrolase by Oxidized Phospholipids and Proinflammatory Cytokines

Download or read book Regulation of Platelet activating Factor Acetylhydrolase by Oxidized Phospholipids and Proinflammatory Cytokines written by Muralikrishna Mukkamala and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Platelet-Activating Factor Acetylhydrolase (PAFAH) is a monocyte-derived phospholipase A2 that catalyzes the hydrolysis of platelet-activating factor (PAF) and has been implicated in atherosclerosis. Although PAF and other proinflammatory stimuli are postulated to induce the enzyme, mechanisms controlling PAFAH expression are largely unknown at present. We have shown that PAFAH induction in monocytes is increased in response to oxidized phospholipids. The PAFAH 5' flanking region has at least 10 putative Stat elements, and IL-6 has been shown to be downstream from the prostaglandin receptor, EP2, which has been shown to bind oxidized phospholipids, prompting the hypothesis that Stat proteins might regulate its expression. To test this hypothesis, we treated human monocytes with IL-6, a monocyte-derived cytokine that activates Stat3, IL-8, a monocyte-derived cytokine induced by Stat3, and oxidized 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-3-phosphocholine (oxPAPC), a major component of the oxidized LDL particle. Two monocyte-derived cell types, macrophages (MO) and dendritic cells (DC) were prepared from primary human monocytes. The cells were treated with various doses of IL-6, IL-8, or oxPAPC for various time frames in the absence of serum. Culture supernatants from the cytokine-treated cells were harvested and screened for PAFAH protein and activity and cell monolayers were assessed for PAFAH mRNA by quantitative real time PCR (qPCR). Cells treated with oxPAPC were further analyzed for secreted IL-6 using ELISA and activation of Stat3 using Western Blot. Both IL-6 and IL-8 induced PAFAH expression in a dose-dependent manner. Although both MO and DC responded to the cytokines, preliminary experiments suggested that induction of PAFAH is more robust in DC than MO. Cytokine-treated cells exhibited increased PAFAH activity in their culture supernatants that correlated with increased PAFAH protein levels. Treatment with oxPAPC induced IL-6 secretion and subsequent Stat3 activation in DC. Together, these data support the hypothesis that PAFAH expression is regulated by oxidized phospholipids and proinflammatory cytokines in developing atheromas.

Book Lipid Mediators

    Book Details:
  • Author : Fiona M. Cunningham
  • Publisher :
  • Release : 1994
  • ISBN :
  • Pages : 402 pages

Download or read book Lipid Mediators written by Fiona M. Cunningham and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume provides an overview of lipid mediators from synthesis to inhibition. It addresses the immune system and its diseases from a pharmacological viewpoint and combines clinical aspects with basic science.

Book The Regulation of Platelet Activating Factor Acetylhydrolase by Bioactive Phospholipids

Download or read book The Regulation of Platelet Activating Factor Acetylhydrolase by Bioactive Phospholipids written by Rachael Griffiths and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAFAH) is elevated in atherosclerosis and may play a role in pathogenesis of this disease. Molecular mechanisms regulating the expression of this lipoprotein-associated PLA2 are indistinct. Mildy oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and monocytes (the primary source of PAFAH) are co-localized in early atheromas. Monocytes are activated by oxidized phospholipids (oxPL) in the oxLDL particle. We hypothesized that oxPL-activated monocytes are the source of increased levels of PAFAH in atherosclerosis. We found that PAFAH expression is significantly induced by OxPAPC and in particular long-chain fractions of oxPAPC in monocytes and cytokine-differentiated DC, but not cytokine-differentiated MO. Furthermore, spontaneously differentiated MO and DC from monocytes of non-periodontitis and aggressive periodontitis subjects, oxPAPC induced PAFAH in DC alone. 1-palmitoyl-2-epoxyisoprostane-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PEIPC) is a particularly bioactive component of long-chain oxPAPC fractions that binds the prostaglandin receptor subtypes DP1 and EP2. We revealed using selective agonists and antagonists of these receptors that DP1 and EP2 are required for the induction of PAFAH expression. OxPAPC stimulates IL-6 release from monocytes and this cytokine is required for oxPAPC-induced PAFAH expression. We next tested the hypothesis that oxPAPC did not induce PAFAH in MO because a key component of the signaling machinery was lacking. Flow cytometric and immunoblot analyses demonstrated that MO express very low levels of IL-6 receptor in comparison to DC and monocytes. Based on these observations, we propose that long-chain oxPL induce PAFAH expression by binding DP1 and/or EP2 and stimulating IL-6 production. These data strongly support the hypothesis that oxLDL-activated DC are the source of high PAFAH levels in atherosclerosis. Platelet activating factor (PAF) is the inflammatory phospholipids for which PAFAH is named. PAF has been shown by other investigators to induce the expression of PAFAH. In our physiologically relevant monocytes, PAF suppresses PAFAH transcription and expression. 1-palmitoyl-2-(5-oxovaleroyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (POVPC) is a short-chain oxPL that signals through the PAF receptor. Our preliminary data suggest that like PAF, POVPC suppresses PAFAH expression in monocytes. Further investigation into the effects of the short-chain oxPL are warranted. Our data support the hypothesies that oxPL-activated DC are the source of high PAFAH levels in atherosclerosis.

Book Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Download or read book Necrotizing Enterocolitis written by David J. Hackam and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2020 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first textbook devoted entirely to understanding and treating necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), one of the leading causes of death and disability in premature infants. NEC continues to occur in neonatal units across the world, and the overall mortality has remained stubbornly high since its first description decades ago. Despite significant research into NEC, and a greater understanding of its underlying causes, there is no single source of information to which the care team can turn for guidance. This book fills that important gap in clinical care. In selecting the topics for this inaugural textbook, three guiding principles have been followed. First, to include chapters that provide detailed information for the medical team - the doctors and nurses, the therapists and pharmacists, the chaplains and the child life workers - so that each team member can optimally recognize, prevent and treat patients with this disease. Second, to ensure that chapters cover the depth and breadth of the latest clinical and scientific research into NEC, each selected to identify specific preventative strategies or therapies for this disease. Third, and perhaps most importantly, to focus not only on the child with NEC, but also on the child's family, in order to provide comprehensive information about a disease that families have barely heard about, until the jarring day when their precious infant is affected by it. This book therefore: serves as a "how-to guide" for the care of the infant with NEC summarises critical new research and offers guidelines for future key research areas addresses the complex and difficult issues surrounding care of the critically ill infant suffering from NEC Written for the entire health care team including paediatric surgeons, neonatologists, developmental paediatricians, epidemiologists, ethicists, child life professionals, therapists and specialist nurses, each team member will find this book of value. This book was written to demystify this cruel disease, and to unlock its closely held secrets of pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Book High Density Lipoproteins

    Book Details:
  • Author : Arnold von Eckardstein
  • Publisher : Springer
  • Release : 2015-01-13
  • ISBN : 9783319096643
  • Pages : 0 pages

Download or read book High Density Lipoproteins written by Arnold von Eckardstein and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-01-13 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology on “High Density Lipoproteins – from biological understanding to clinical exploitation” contributing authors (members of COST Action BM0904/HDLnet) summarize in more than 20 chapters our current knowledge on the structure, function, metabolism and regulation of HDL in health and several diseases as well as the status of past and ongoing attempts of therapeutic exploitation. The book is of interest to researchers in academia and industry focusing on lipoprotein metabolism, cardiovascular diseases and immunology as well as clinical pharmacologists, cardiologists, diabetologists, nephrologists and other clinicians interested in metabolic or inflammatory diseases.

Book Bioprospecting of Plant Biodiversity for Industrial Molecules

Download or read book Bioprospecting of Plant Biodiversity for Industrial Molecules written by Santosh Kumar Upadhyay and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-06-22 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BIOPROSPECTING OF PLANT BIODIVERSITY FOR INDUSTRIAL MOLECULES A comprehensive collection of recent translational research on bioresource utilization and ecological sustainability Bioprospecting of Plant Biodiversity for Industrial Molecules provides an up-to-date overview of the ongoing search for biodiverse organic compounds for use in pharmaceuticals, bioceuticals, agriculture, and other commercial applications. Bringing together work from a panel of international contributors, this comprehensive monograph covers natural compounds of plants, endophyte enzymes and their applications in industry, plant bioprospecting in cosmetics, marine bioprospecting of seaweeds, and more. Providing global perspectives on bioprospecting of plant biodiversity, the authors present research on enzymes, mineral micro-nutrients, biopesticides, algal biomass, and other bioactive molecules. In-depth chapters assess the health impacts and ecological sustainability of the various biomolecules and identify existing and possible applications ranging from ecological restoration to production of essential oils and cosmetics. Other topics include, bio-energy crops as alternative fuel resources, the role of plants in phytoremediation of industrial waste, and the industrial applications of endophyte enzymes. This comprehensive resource: Includes a through introduction to plant biodiversity and bioprospecting Will further the knowledge of application of different plants and improve research investigation techniques. Summarizes novel approaches for researchers in food science, microbiology, biochemistry, and biotechnology Bioprospecting of Plant Biodiversity for Industrial Molecules is an indispensable compendium of biological research for scientists, researchers, graduate and postgraduate students, and academics in the areas of microbiology, food biotechnology, industrial microbiology, plant biotechnology, and microbial biotechnology.

Book Omega Fatty Acids in Brain and Neurological Health

Download or read book Omega Fatty Acids in Brain and Neurological Health written by Ronald Ross Watson and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2019-06-12 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research has clearly established a link between omega fatty acids and general health, particularly cardiovascular health. Omega Fatty Acids in Brain and Neurological Health, Second Edition, illustrates the importance of omega-3 fatty acids in longevity, cognitive impairment and structure and function of the brain's neurons and also the adverse effects of omega-6 fatty acids on neurological function. This book encompasses some of the most recent research on the links between omega fatty acids and the developing brain, aging, dementia, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis, including the role of omega-3 fatty acid supplements on hippocampal neurogenesis, substantia nigra modulation, migraine headaches, the developing brain in animals, sleep and neurodegenerative diseases. This completely updated second edition focuses on the counterbalancing dietary and tissue omega-6 fatty acids as well as it studies the effects in pregnancy and early infancy, animal model studies and autoimmune neurological diseases. - Provides a comprehensive introduction to omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in neurological health and directions for future research - Features novel focus on the adverse effects of omega-6 fatty acids on neurological function and the counterbalancing of dietary and tissue omega-6 - Illustrates the importance of omega-3 fatty acids in longevity and cognitive impairment - Features new chapters on early effects in pregnancy and early infancy, animal model studies and autoimmune neurological diseases - Discusses links between omega fatty acids and the developing brain, aging, dementia, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis, including the role of omega-3 fatty acid supplements

Book Asthma and Rhinitis

    Book Details:
  • Author : William W. Busse
  • Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
  • Release : 2008-04-30
  • ISBN : 0470694815
  • Pages : 1021 pages

Download or read book Asthma and Rhinitis written by William W. Busse and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-04-30 with total page 1021 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second edition of this highly acclaimed text has been extensively revised and greatly expanded to reflect the considerable advances made in our understanding of the mechanisms of asthma and rhinitis. Containing the contributions of 242 experts of international standing, presented in 133 chapters, Asthma and Rhinitis provides an up-to-date, authoritative reference for both the clinician and scientist. The global approach given in this book mirrors the universal approach to the understanding of allergic disease. The editors have carried out a thorough and radical revision of the content by adding 6 new sections and 44 new chapters. Most of this expansion is due to greatly increased coverage of the clinical aspects of asthma, with new sections on childhood asthma and on drug treatment (each drug class has its own chapter). Also, the expansion of research into the genetic basis of asthma has necessitated a whole new section on Genetics, comprising some six chapters. There are also new chapters on adult-onset asthma and the relationship of asthma to sinusitis. A new section on Asthma in Special Circumstances includes chapters on asthma in pregnancy, asthma and surgery, asthma in the elderly and asthma in the context of critical care. In bringing the Second Edition fully up to date, the book has inevitably increased in size, and is now presented in two volumes. The second edition of Asthma and Rhinitis will continue the tradition of its predecessor of providing an up-to-the-minute reference for all those involved in the management of, and research into, asthma and rhinitis.

Book Vascular Responses to Pathogens

Download or read book Vascular Responses to Pathogens written by Felicity N.E. Gavins and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2015-10-31 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vascular Responses to Pathogens focuses on the growing research from leaders in the field for both the short and long-term impact of pathogens on the vasculature. It discusses various organisms, including bacteria, parasites, and viruses, and their role in key events leading to vascular disease. Formatted to discuss the topic of the interaction of pathogens with the vascular rather than individual diseases described separately, this reference demonstrates that common mechanisms are at play in many different diseases because they have a similar context, their vasculature. This all-inclusive reference book is a must-have tool for researchers and practicing clinicians in the areas of vascular biology, microvasculature, cardiology, and infectious disease. - Covers a wide spectrum of organisms and provides analysis of pathogens and current therapeutic strategies in the context of their vasculature - Provides detailed perspectives on key components contributing to vascular pathogens from leaders in the field - Interfaces between both vascular biology and microbiology by encompassing information on how pathogens affect both macro and microvasculature - Includes coverage of the clinical aspects of sepsis and current therapeutic strategies and anti-sepsis drugs

Book Finding a Path to Safety in Food Allergy

Download or read book Finding a Path to Safety in Food Allergy written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-05-27 with total page 575 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past 20 years, public concerns have grown in response to the apparent rising prevalence of food allergy and related atopic conditions, such as eczema. Although evidence on the true prevalence of food allergy is complicated by insufficient or inconsistent data and studies with variable methodologies, many health care experts who care for patients agree that a real increase in food allergy has occurred and that it is unlikely to be due simply to an increase in awareness and better tools for diagnosis. Many stakeholders are concerned about these increases, including the general public, policy makers, regulatory agencies, the food industry, scientists, clinicians, and especially families of children and young people suffering from food allergy. At the present time, however, despite a mounting body of data on the prevalence, health consequences, and associated costs of food allergy, this chronic disease has not garnered the level of societal attention that it warrants. Moreover, for patients and families at risk, recommendations and guidelines have not been clear about preventing exposure or the onset of reactions or for managing this disease. Finding a Path to Safety in Food Allergy examines critical issues related to food allergy, including the prevalence and severity of food allergy and its impact on affected individuals, families, and communities; and current understanding of food allergy as a disease, and in diagnostics, treatments, prevention, and public policy. This report seeks to: clarify the nature of the disease, its causes, and its current management; highlight gaps in knowledge; encourage the implementation of management tools at many levels and among many stakeholders; and delineate a roadmap to safety for those who have, or are at risk of developing, food allergy, as well as for others in society who are responsible for public health.

Book Ashcraft s Pediatric Surgery E Book

Download or read book Ashcraft s Pediatric Surgery E Book written by George W. Holcomb and published by Elsevier Health Sciences. This book was released on 2014-01-31 with total page 1191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Acclaimed for its unsurpassed readability and manageable scope, Ashcraft’s Pediatric Surgery presents authoritative, practical guidance on treating the entire range of general surgical and urological problems in infants, children, and adolescents. State-of-the-art, expert coverage equips you to implement all the latest approaches and achieve optimal outcomes for all of your patients. Consult this title on your favorite e-reader, conduct rapid searches, and adjust font sizes for optimal readability. Make the most effective use of today’s best open and minimally invasive techniques, including single-site umbilical laparoscopic surgery, with guidance from internationally recognized experts in the field. Focus on evidence-based treatments and outcomes to apply today’s best practices. Stay current with timely topics thanks to brand-new chapters on Choledochal Cyst and Gallbladder Disease, Tissue Engineering, and Ethics in Pediatric Surgery, plus comprehensive updates throughout. Hone and expand your surgical skills by watching videos of minimally invasive procedures for recto urethral fistula, biliary atresia, laparoscopic splenectomy, uterine horn, and more. Grasp the visual nuances of surgery from over 1,000 images depicting today’s best surgical practices.

Book Epidemiology and Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases

Download or read book Epidemiology and Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases written by Darwin Labarthe and published by Jones & Bartlett Learning. This book was released on 2011 with total page 729 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Epidemiology and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Global Challenge, Second Edition provides an in-depth examination of epidemiologic research and prevention measures for the full range of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This authoritative text on the world's leading causes of death describes in detail the nature of atherosclerotic and hypertensive diseases--including their determinants, prevention and control, as well as policies for intervention in community and clinical settings. This Second Edition is fully updated, more extensively referenced and expanded to include new information about the public health dimensions of CVD prevention, exploring the basis of public health decisions and the process by which decision-making bodies develop guidelines and recommendations.Epidemiology and Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Global Challenge, Second Edition is the essential text for any student or practitioner concerned with global cardiovascular health.

Book Lipid Nutrition Guidelines

Download or read book Lipid Nutrition Guidelines written by Harumi Okuyama and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2021-04-30 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ever since the publication of Ancel Keys’ watershed ‘Seven Countries Study’ in 1970, medical thinking has posited a causal link between the intake of animal fats and coronary heart disease. The research of Prof. Harumi Okuyama and his colleagues presented in this new publication suggests that this link is in fact tenuous. It goes beyond that to suggest that current medical wisdom regarding lipid nutrition may actually be counterproductive. This ground-breaking analysis is likely to be debated for many years to come. The ‘Seven Countries Study’, which identified the specifics of the Mediterranean Diet and awarded it a central position in combating coronary heart disease, triggered significant changes in Western diets. Most notably, it stimulated a widespread attempt to reduce animal fats and replace them with vegetable fats. The low-density lipoprotein (LDL) element of the cholesterol naturally present in animal-source foods was dubbed a killer, and a significant industry developed around the provision of plant-based oils and fats. The clinical consensus on cholesterol was further strengthened in 1987 by the introduction of statins, an innovative class of drugs that reduce LDL production in the liver and are designed to help guard against coronary heart disease. Thirteen Nobel Prizes have been awarded to scientists who devoted major parts of their careers to cholesterol research. It is therefore a brave research team that dares to challenge the link between animal fats and coronary heart disease. This, however, is precisely what Prof. Okuyama and his team set out to do in this book. They actually recommend increasing the intake of cholesterol and animal fats, to an extent that does not lead to obesity. This recommendation is based on the discovery by Prof. Okuyama and his team that common vegetable oils such as canola and hydrogenated vegetable fats have toxic effects. They demonstrate that hydrogenated vegetable fats and oils are important culprits in atherosclerosis and other lifestyle diseases, and suggest that high total or LDL-cholesterol is not the cause of atherosclerosis or cardiovascular disease. Further, they argue that current medical guidelines on lipid nutrition conflict with evidence-based research, and that persistently focusing on LDL-cholesterol as the cause of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is counterproductive. Key findings Some types of vegetable fats and oils exhibit stroke-inducing and endocrine-disrupting activity. Their inhibition of the vitamin K2–osteocalcin link is the major cause of ASCVD and related diseases. In the current food environment, the balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is too much in favour of omega-6, and therefore lowering the omega-6/omega-3 ratio is recommended for the prevention of allergic and inflammatory diseases including ASCVD and cancer. Atherogenesis can develop without elevated LDL-cholesterol levels and/or in association with decreasing LDL-cholesterol levels. Increased intake of vegetable fats and oils with stroke-inducing and endocrine-disrupting activities in countries with restricted intakes of animal fats and cholesterol has led to the critical situations surrounding physical and mental health currently seen in Japan, East Asia, and the Mediterranean countries. Medical care professionals continue to insist on actively reducing LDL-cholesterol levels. This approach will only heighten the extensive health problems that Japan and some countries are at present facing. Many aspects of current medical practice in Japan are indeed likely to be in conflict with that country’s Medical Care Act. This thought-provoking analysis of one of the major health syndromes of our day demands serious consideration by professionals interested in cardiovascular health in particular and in public health more widely. Its implications are far-reaching – for medical practitioners, medical insurers, nutritionists, food producers and pharmaceutical manufacturers alike, as well as for individual patients.

Book Platelet Activating Factor and Related Lipid Mediators

Download or read book Platelet Activating Factor and Related Lipid Mediators written by F. Snyder and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-11 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is the commonly used name for a group of potent biologically active, ether-linked phospholipids, the alkylacetylglycerophospho cholines. Following the identification of the chemical structure of P AF in 1979, much progress has been made in our understanding of these phospholipid medi ators. This is particularly true from the points of view of their molecular structural requirements for expression of biological activity, their biosynthesis and cata bolism, their diverse range of biological activities, evidence for their specific recep tors at the cell surface, the development of specific antagonists for use in receptor studies and for testing as potential anti-PAF drugs, and implications about their involvement in health and disease. Chapters in this book cover the current status of these general areas of PAF research. Although an enormous amount of information has been published about this interesting new type of phospholipid mediators, questions about their mechanism of action, regulatory controls, and the precise role and relative importance of P AF in specific diseases and physiological functions remain to be answered. Since the 1979 discovery, the PAF field has brought together scientists from a variety of different biomedical disciplines. The diversity of scientists now in PAF research is very apparent from the number of P AF publications appearing in a wide array of scientific journals, ranging from molecular biology to clinical medicine. Publications related to PAF continue to increase at an amazingly rapid rate, with the pace reminiscent of the period following the discovery of prostaglandins.