Neurotransmission

Neurotransmission is the second volume of the proceedings of the Sixth International Congress of Pharmacology, organized by the Finnish Pharmacological Society and held in Helsinki, Finland, on July 20-25, 1975. The papers focus on the developments in neurotransmission and cover topics ranging from novel transmitter substances and extraneuronal uptake of catecholamines to axonal transport mechanisms and nerve growth factor. This volume has 28 chapters divided into five sections. After discussing the possible functional role of certain tryptaminergic pathways, this book turns its attention to the metabolism of endogenous noradrenaline, with emphasis on the role of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (DOPEG). The chapters that follow focus on amino acids as possible neurotransmitters, including histamine and glutamate. This text discusses as well the mechanisms underlying extraneuronal amine uptake and metabolism in the salivary glands; the effect of oxytetracycline on the responses of various tissue preparations to added noradrenaline and to field stimulation; and how axoplasmic transport is blocked by pharmacological agents. This book will be of interest to scientists representing all the major areas of pharmacology, including clinical pharmacology and toxicology, as well as interdisciplinary areas related to physiology, biochemistry, and endocrinology. Many of the topics will also appeal to internists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and anaesthesiologists.

Contributors

Preface

Invited Lectures

Tryptaminergic Neurotransmission

Metabolism of Endogenous Noradrenaline

Novel Transmitter Substances

Symposium on Novel Transmitter Substances — Chairman's Introduction

Hypothalamic Substance P as a Candidate for the Sensory Transmitter of Spinal Dorsal root Fibers

ATP and Purinergic Transmission

Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) in the Olfactory Nerve: A Putative Transmitter Candidate

Histamine as a Transmitter in Mammalian Brain

Glutamate and Other Excitatory Amino Acids in the Mammalian CNS

Uptake of GABA and Glutamate in Glial Cells in the Nervous System

Extraneuronal Uptake of Catecholamines

Extraneuronal Uptake and Metabolism in Rat Salivary Glands

Extraneuronal Uptake and Metabolism of Catecholamines in Isolated Perfused Hearts

The Binding of Noradrenaline to Connective and Elastic Tissue

Extraneuronal Uptake and Metabolism of 3H-/-Noradrenaline in Rabbit Aorta

Extraneuronal Uptake and Metabolism in Dog Vascular Structures

Axonal Transport Mechanisms

Mechanism of Axoplasmic Transport and its Block by Pharmacological Agents

Effect of Drugs on Axonal Transport of Synaptic Vesicles

Neurotrophic Control of the Fast and Slow Skeletal Muscle

Immunocytochemical Localization of Tyrosine Hydroxylase and Tryptophan Hydroxylase in Relation to Microtubules in Rat Brain

Axonal Transport: Role in the Renewal of Synaptic Vesicles in Cholinergic Neurons

Nerve Growth Factor

Chairman's Introduction to the Symposium on "Nerve Growth Factor"

Milestones, Unanswered Questions and Current Studies on Nerve Growth Factor

Structure-Function Relationships of Nerve Growth Factor and Insulin

Studies on the Biosynthesis and Structure of Nerve Growth Factor from the Mouse Submaxillary Gland

Response of the Adrenergic System to Changes in Tissue and Plasma Levels of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)

NGF in Maintenance and Regeneration of Adrenergic Axons

Glia, Nerve Growth Factor and Ganglionic Metabolism

Specificity and Biological Importance of Retrograde Axonal Transport of Nerve Growth Factor

Chairman's Concluding Remarks to the Symposium on "Nerve Growth Factor"

Contents of Volumes 1-6

Subject Index