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of the fl-lactam antibiotics as an efficient acylation of a serin'e residue which is essen- tial for the catalytic process.

Readers new to this subject should bear in mind that not all of the details of such a model system will necessarily be applicable to the fl-lactam targets in pathogenic bac- teria. Other chapters which rely heavily on the kinetic approach to the study of ligand- receptor interactions include those on the nicotinic receptor, the coupling of adrenergic receptors to adenylate cyclase, and an interesting account of the insight into

voltage-sensitive sodium channels gained from the use of naturally occurring neurotoxins.

The ability of synthetic organic chemis- try to provide a wide range of ligands which can probe the active centre of a macro- molecule is shown very clearly in a chapter by Cushman and Ondetti on inhibitors of zinc metallopeptidases. Their work, of course, resulted in the development of captopril, the antihypertensive inhibitor of angiotensin-converting enzyme.

The editors and authors have set a high

TIPS-April 1983

standard by which later volumes will be judged. The printing and presentation are excellent and enhanced my reading pleas- ure. I have no doubt that this new series will rapidly become required reading both for academic and industrial scientists commit- ted to molecular pharmacology.

T. J. FRANKLIN

The author is Head o f Btosctence Research Department I at ICl Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Macclesfield, U.K

News on nutrition Nutritional Pharmacology

edited by Gene A. Spiller, Alan, R. Liss Inc., 1981. £27.30, DM 120 (ix + 259 pages) 1SBN 0 8451 1603 7

It is not usual to commence a review with remarks on the quality of the workmanship shown by printer and publisher, but it deserves a mention that this book is nicely turned out, well printed on good quality paper, with a binding that will undoubtedly withstand considerable use and abuse. There are, of course, the inevitable mis- prints but they are neither numerous nor obtrusive and will not distract the reader.

This book fills the gap which has long existed between nutrition per se and nutri- tional pathology, which one could respec- tively define as the science of normal diet- ary constituents and the study of toxic effects of dietary constituents. The editor has neatly defined nutritional pharmacol- ogy as the study of substances found in foods that might have a pharmacological effect when fed in higher concentrations than normally found in the diet and/or chemically modified form. This definition is possibly over ambitious, firstly, since it is not invariably easy to draw the dividing line between physiological role and phar- macological action of some food con- stituents and secondly since the chemical modification of food constituents to create pharmacological activity could arguably be defined as pharmacology without the predi- cate' nutritional'.

Be that as it may, the book fills a gap in the knowledge, and on the bookshelves, of both nutritionists and pharmacologists, since it collects in one place much informa- tion on a variety of familiar and not-so- familar topics, in all cases with extensive and up-to-date bibliographies. Not all chap- ters, however, are equally readable. The

easiest are the chapters on 'lecithin, choline review of the clinical features of portal- and cholinergic transmission' by Madelyn systemic encephalopathy and the useful- Fernstrom, and the chapter on dietary fibre ness of lactulose, a synthetic di-saccharide, by David Jenkins. Both Vahouney's and in the treatment of this condition. The pre- Kritchevsky's contribution on plant and cise mechanism of action of lactulose has animal sterols, and Chesney's essay on not been defined, but the author inclines to modified vitamin D compounds, require the view that this poorly-absorbed material concentration, while the section on the increases ammonia incorporation by bac- pharmacology of the branched-chain teria in the colon. It is a fascinating and amino-acids by Amen and Yoshimuragives well-presented topic, but would merit a an impression of complexity, and could summary or conclusions section. hardly he recommended for light bedtime One cannot fault the authors for content reading. Freeman's summary of the poss- of their contributions, though more atten- ible role of retinoids in cancer prophylaxis tion to presentation would have helped at is however a delight to read, despite the times. This collection of reviews, however, intrinsic difficulties in this area of research, is an unbiased summary of the present state though he has tended to gloss over some of knowledge in some fascinating areas, of points in a very summary fashion, leaving interest to nutritionists, biochemists, phar-

• the reader thirsting for more. For example, macologists and clinicians alike, and is well the curious may well be left dissatisfied by worth acquiring. the simple statement: 'Finally, some studies use mixtures of retinoid and some anti-

DENNIS JONES oxidants as the additives', in the section on chemically induced mammary neoplasia. - The author is Execunve Director o f the POS Pilot

The book concludes with Weber's Corporation, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Seizure summary Seizure Disorders - A Pharmacological Approach to Treatment

by B. J. Wilder and J. Bruni, Raven Press, 1981. $33.32 (xii + 244 pages) ISBN 0 89004 539 9

This book collects together in a single volume much useful clinical information and scientific data on the pharmacology and management of epilepsy. The emphasis is very much on a rational approach to therapy. Particular attention is given to the need to monitor anticonvulsant levels and the problems of drug interactions. All the major groups of anticonvulsants are dealt with and brief mention is also made of diet- ary regimes for the control of epilepsy.

After an initial description of the current

classification of epileptic seizures and their medical management, successive chapters deal with the individual anticonvulsants. Their chemistry, pharmacology and clini- cal use are described and, where possible, plausible mechanisms of action are listed. Subsequent chapters deal specifically with the problems of drug monitoring, drug interactions and toxicity. Finally, there is a brief chapter on the quantitative analysis of anticonvulsants.

While none of the topics is dealt with in any great depth, this volume provides a bal- anced and scientific introduction to the therapy of epilepsy and will be a useful compendium for both the basic scientist and the practising clinician.

A J. TURNER The author is Semor Lecturer in the Department o f Biochemistry, University o f Leeds, Leeds, U.K.