Abstract

The Physiology and Pharmacology of the Microcirculation, Volume 1 discusses the biochemistry, metabolism, pharmacology, and physiology of the general microcirculation. This volume is organized into nine chapters that explore the microcirculation in several organ systems, such as brain, eye, heart, and kidney.
The introductory chapters treat the biochemistry of isolated elements of the microvasculature, with special emphasis on the central nervous system. These chapters also explore the microvascular element and the vascular smooth muscle, focusing on their ultrastructural characteristics, innervation, and contraction-relaxation, and the effects of both endogenous and pharmacological vasoactive substances on vascular smooth muscle. The subsequent chapters deal with the exchange mode of the microcirculation; the mechanisms involved in the regulation of transcapillary fluid exchange; and the permeability of capillaries to small and large molecules in a variety of tissues. A discussion on the control mechanisms modulating microcirculatory dynamics is also included. The remaining four chapters are organized to deal with the microcirculation process in selected organs.