Receptors and Cellular Pharmacology

Receptors and Cellular Pharmacology is a collection of the proceedings of the Sixth International Congress of Pharmacology held in Helsinki, Finland, on July 20-25, 1975 and organized by the Finnish Pharmacological Society. The papers explore developments relating to receptors and cellular pharmacology and address a wide range of topics such as the hydrophobic properties of the neuromuscular blocking agents and the use of toxins as tools in receptor studies. Comprised of 21 chapters, this volume begins with an introduction to histamine receptors, their pharmacological taxonomy and classification, their presence in the gastric mucosa, and their applications in medicine. The discussion then turns to pharmacological investigations on cells in culture; the acetylcholine receptor of intact and cultured chicken retina cells; actions of neurotoxins on the acetylcholine receptor; and the isolation and characterization of membrane receptors. Subsequent chapters deal with cyclic nucleotides as mediators of drug action, with particular reference to the mechanism of the relaxation-promoting effects of epinephrine on the mammalian heart. This book should be of interest to pharmacologists, internists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and anesthesiologists.