Physiology Of Inflammation

This book covers the physiological processes relevant to inflammation. Although the problem is addressed from a vascular perspective, pathological aspects are also considered. The book centers on the recruitment of leukocytes to sites of injury and infection, their function in the tissue, and the eventual resolution of inflammation. It starts with the formation of leukocytes and the physiology of their transport to the sites of inflammation, considers endothelial activation, and covers all kinds of leukocyte activators including chemokines. Signal transduction pathways for chemoattractants and the activation of neutrophil functions are discussed. Several chapters review the various adhesion molecules and pertinent methods to study their function, including flow chambers, knockout mice, measurement of soluble adhesion molecules and intravital microscopy. The book is aimed at medical residents, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and physicians and scientists in physiology, pharmacology, biomedical engineering, pathology, immunology, infectious disease and related disciplines. It is intended to serve as an advanced textbook or reference for studying the physiology of inflammation.