W.G. Forssmann – författare

The articles in this publication represent invited contributions to a symposium on Peripheral Neuroendocrine Interaction, held in Basle, Switzerland, on 30 August, 1977. This formed part of the programme of the Fourth European Anatomical Congress. The subject was selected as appropriate for review and discussion in the light of the rapid progress made in this field since the develop- ment of techniques in the functional and morphological identifica- tion of peripheral neurons and associated cells with an endocrine or paracrine function. Recent work has demonstrated the functional association between nerve fibres and granule-containing cells that synthesize and secrete biogenic amines and peptides. However, many of these endo- or para- crine cells are also responsive to other hormonal and relatively simple chemical or physical stimuli, and adjacent nerve fibres may often modify rather than control function. In addition, the products of the endocrine cells may locally influence neuronal function.Since work in disparate regions that present common relationships often reveals common principles, the subjects covered include chro- maffm cells, small granule cells of the sympathetic nervous system, gut endocrine cells, carotid body, endocrine pancreas and the juxta- glomerular apparatus of the kidney. R.E. Coupland, Nottingham W.G. Forssmann, Heidelberg v Contents 1 Techniques for Localizing Transmitter Substances and Secretory Granules Cytochemistry and Autoradiography in the Search for Transmitter-Specific Neuronal Pathways J.G. Richards ...

With contributions by numerous experts

In this handbook the opportunity has been taken firstly to present the waterbalance in the horny layer and the sweat secretion process with particular emphasis on their relationship to the pharmacodynamical aspects of the micro­ circulation and permeability of the skin. F. A. 1. THIELE was unable to witness the printing of his life-work concerning the water balance of skin, which he had compiled at the university in Nijmegen with J. W. H. MALI and G. 1. DE JONGH and D. A. REAY from Great Britain. Their contribution concentrates on evaluating the cooling function of the sweat glands with their heat-pipe system and on the physico-chemical effects of dermatological therapy and topically applied cosmetics. A certain amount of overlapping with Volume I/4A (E. SCHWARZ) could not be avoided, and yet the presentation by THIELE and co-workers considers different aspects. The pharmacodynamics of externally applied substances involved in microcirculation are related thematically also to percutaneous resorption. Function and morphology of pharmacodynamics in microcirculation are inseparable. Therefore the structural alterations of the blood vessels in reaction to foreign agents or as an adaptation to endogenous tissue hormone release have been examined electronmicroscopically by W. G. FORSSMANN and his team, and relay a distinct picture of the microcirculation in the area of skin reactiveness. The direct pharmacological aspects of the skin and the systemic effects on blood vessels and their permeability have been listed according to the latest research material.

In 1956, Bruno Kisch (90) discovered a special form of myocyte in the guinea pig heart atrium which contained peculiar, dense inclusions, but it was not before the early 1980s that cardiac hormones were isolated and characterized independently and almost simultaneously by several working groups. In 1964 Jamieson and Palade (84) were the first to postulate the secretory nature of the atrial myocytes and their specific granules. In 1976, Marie et al. (103) revealed the relation of the granular index of these atrial cells with the water- electrolyte balance of the body fluid. The biological effects of purified atrial extracts, i. e. , the diuretic and vasorelaxant effects, were detected in the early 1980s, (26,35,38,56). Now, a series of polypeptides, of the same family, and all derived from a homologous precursor in the different species are know to exert the diuretic and vasorelaxant effects. This development of the discovery of a peptide hormone is unparalleled in the sense that it was mostly morphologists who contributed to the final characterization of these cardiac hormones. Thus, it was a great honor for us to be given the opportunity on the occasion of the 8th European Anatomical Congress to organize a special satellite symposium on the rapidly growing field of research in cardiac endocrinology. The symposium "Functional Endocrinology of the Endocrine Heart" was planned as an interdisciplinary meeting to enable anatomists to follow recent advances in cardiac endocrinology.