Endocrinology of the Lung: Development and Surfactant Synthesis

During the past thirty years, great progress has been made in defining the roles of steroid, peptide, and polypeptide hormones in the processes of lung morphogenesis, differentiation of specialized cell types, and surfactant synthesis. In Endocrinology of the Lung, Carole Mendelson has assembled a panel of leading investigators to critically review the roles of various classes of endocrine, paracrine, and neuroendocrine factors in the regulation of lung development and surfactant production. Special attention is accorded the actions of glucocorticoids in lung branching morphogenesis and the synthesis of surfactant glycerophospholipids and proteins. Also extensively examined are the roles of cell-cell interactions and the elaboration of various growth factors and bioactive peptides in pulmonary cell differentiation, gene expression, and pathophysiology. The model systems utilized in these studies range from whole animal to transgenic and gene-targeted mice, to organ and cell culture. State-of-the-art and comprehensive, Endocrinology of the Lung constitutes a powerful new standard guide that illuminates the complex endocrinology of the lung for investigators actively studying hormone action in pulmonary biology and medicine today.