Edited by Aldo Clerico and Michele Emdin. 184 pp., illustrated. Milan, Springer-Verlag Italia, 2006. $149. ISBN 978-88-470-0497-9.
The 1981 discovery by Adolfo J. de Bold of atrial natriureticpeptide, a peptide hormone secreted by the heart in responseto volume expansion, revealed a homeostatic mechanism that counterbalancedthe salt- and water-retaining actions of the renin–angiotensin–aldosteronesystem that predominates in terrestrial animals. This findingwas followed by the recognition of additional members of thispeptide family in many other tissues, including brain tissue,and the discovery of receptors for these peptides throughoutthe body. This news beguiled physiologists, physicians, andpharmaceutical companies and led to the expectation that thepeptides would be the basis of treatments for diseases . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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