F. Berti – författare

This volume presents lecture notes from the session of the International School of Pharmacology, at the "Ettore Majorana" Centre, on Advances in Prostaglandins that took place in Erice (Sicily), October 4 to October 15, 1976. The School was a NATO Advanced Study Institute. The aim of this international course was a compre- hensive discussion by experts in various disciplines of the present status of our knowledge of the biological role of prostaglandins and thromboxanes. The synthesis, metabolism, and function of prosta- glandins have been evaluated at the cellular level, in isolated tissues, and/or in the intact organism. The mode of action of prostaglandins and their interactions, particularly with cyclic nucleotides, in normal and pathological conditions, has been discussed with the aim of understanding the possible role of these compounds in hormonal regulation and cell response. The prostaglandin biosynthetic capacity of different tissues, under various experimental conditions, in the presence of specific precursors, and the inhibitory ac- tivity of different agents have been examined to ascer- tain the relationship between function and metabolism.For these reasons the discussion has also been extended to the methods (biological, immunological, and spectrometric) available for the direct and specific determination of prostaglandins and the evaluation of their synthesis and metabolism. The Editors hope that the book will be useful both to beginners and to those with a long-time interest in prostaglandins. F. Berti B. Samuelsson G. P. Velo v CONTENTS Chemistry of Prostaglandins and Thromboxanes . .

Prostaglandin research is one of the most explosive fields in the biological science, and there have been a number of international symposia on this subject. In planning the second Advanced Course in Erice (Sicily) at the "Ettore Majorana" center it was realized that large congresses might not represent the best way to facilitate communication within specialized areas of biologic and medical research. In fact small meetings where in depth discussion is confined to a limited number of scientists, are now generally considered successful vehicles of scientific information. With this in mind, we made an effort in collecting a number of experts in both experimental and clinical use of these important arachidonate metabolites. We have been very fortunate in bringing together a faculty of international authorities who contributed to the course with brilliant presentations and lively discussion. Thus, this book represents an up-to-date overview of the physiology and pharmacology of different products derived from arachidonic acid metabolism, associated with outstanding suggestions of their clinical potential. It is our hope that from this Advanced Course, and its resulting publication, new ideas concerning the physio­ pathological role of these compounds will arise together with new directions for future research. We are deeply indebted to NATO for its interest and generous support which made this Second Course a reality.