First published in 1991: This book assimilates and evaluates the rapidly accumulating information regarding neuropeptides in the gut, their chemistry; genetic control; processing in enteric nerves; the projections of their nerves; their actions at the tissue, cell, and molecular levels; and their roles in controlling gut motility in health and disease. Neuropeptide Function in the Gastrointestinal Tract is directed to scientists in all disciplines who work with neuropeptides, as well as physiologists interested in the neural and smooth muscle actions of neuropeptides.

Diseases of the digestive system have a higher morbidity rate than any other group of disorder. There is a growing body of evidence that the immune system participates in the pathogenesis of a wide range of these diseases, including peptic ulcer disease and the gastropathy induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). For these reasons, efforts to develop novel therapies for digestive diseases are increasingly focused on the immune system. This volume reviews the immunopharmacology of the gastrointestinal tract at four distinct levels: Immunomodulation at a cellular level Cellular targers for immunomodulating drugs Specific classes of inflammatory mediators Utility and mechanisms of action of glucocorticoids in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

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The discovery of endogenous opioid peptides in the mammalian brain has led to an explosive development of research into the structure, synthesis and functional role of neuropeptides. Partly as a consequence of new findings in this area, the concepts of neuronal function have undergone a major transformation as it is now recognized that neurons, by secreting certain neuropeptides, control the differentiation and growth of many kinds of cells, tissues and organs, and that neurohormones can initiate different kinds of behaviour. The discovery of peptide receptors in blood cells opens the area of neuroimmunology, and the discovery that haemocytes manufacture neuropeptides now adds a new dimension to our ideas about the control of brain function by the immune system. In view of the magnitude of current research in neuropeptides, this book has been written as an interdisciplinary synthesis, assessing current concepts and creating new perspectives. Unlike most other books covering specific aspects of neuropeptide structure and function, this collection of chapters provides a forum for exchange of knowledge across the whole spectrum.

Proceedings of the Falk Symposium 103, held in Freiburg, Germany, on October 4-5, 1997.