856 Book Reviews

also help in the design of more efficient pesticides. This multi authoi'ed volume has a series of review articles on the action of saxitoxin, pyrethroids, nicotine, glutamate, avermectins, neuropeptides, scorpion venoms, cholinergic and gabaergic compounds; using techniques such as patch clamp, voltage clamp and binding studies. There is also a useful discussion of structure-activity analysis in drug design and the use of computer graphics in the study of drug-receptor interaction.

Drugs and the Brain--Solomon H. Snyder. 228 pp. 1986. Scientific American Library. $32.95.

This very well illustrated book provides a readable and scientific account of the history of drug usage; how neu- rotransmitters work on receptors: the role of opiates; drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia; antidepressants; tran- quilisers; psychodelics. The material is developed from its historic background so giving the reader insight into the use and study of the drugs. Students and research workers will enjoy reading this book and gain much information from it.

New Brain Imaging Techniques and Psychopharmacology-- Edited by M. Trimble. 134 pp. 1986. British Association for Psychopharmacology Monograph No 9. Oxford University Press. Oxford. $45.

The different imaging techniques such as 2 deoxy-glucose, positron emission tomography (PET), cerebral blood flow, and NMR, and their application to clinical conditions such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, dementia, and pharmacokinetic studies are described. Most of the methods can be applied to patients and have given information about site of action of drugs, regional differences in brain activity and brain metabolism. These important new developments are re- viewed in the present volume.

Brain Systems, Disorders and Psychotropie Drugs--Heather Ashton. 547 pp. 1987. Oxford University Press. $87.

This book is based on lectures given to medical students on the principles of psychopharmacology. The main sections are: arousal and sleep; reward and punishment; learning and memory; depression and mania; schizophrenia. Each section deals with the basic neurophysiology and psychology of the system, the disorders that can take place, and the action of

drugs on that system. How is it that a psychotropic drug given to a normal person produces dysphoria but improves symptoms in a disturbed subject? The author draws together normal brain function, dysfunction in neuropsychiatric dis- orders and responses to psychotropic drugs. The range of drugs given to patients is discussed in relation to the experimental evidence regarding their action. The book is well written and has the great advantage of a single author book, in that there is correlation between the chapters. The book will provide a good scientific basis for the appreciation of the treatment of psychotropic disorders.

Biomembranes and Receptor Mechanisms---Edited by E. Bertoli, D. Chapman, A. Cambria and U. Scapagnini. 408 pp. 1987. Liviana Press, Springer, Berlin.

The topics covered in this multi authored book are: bio- membrane dynamics as shown by spectroscopic studies; freeze fracture; membrane protein and receptor structure and organization; mobility of phospholipids; lipid protein interaction; membrane fluidity and regulation of membrane linked enzymes; lipid regulation of receptor functions; fusion-fission of membranes; metabolite transport; hor- mone receptors; molecular structure of nicotinic ACh-R and GABA-R. The volume provides a useful summary of mem- brane structure and function.

Natural Toxins; Animal, Plant and Microbial--Edited by J. B. Harris. 353 pp. 1986. Oxford Science Publications, Oxford. $72,50.

Study of the properties and mechanisms of actions of natural toxins have given considerable insight into phys- iological and biochemical mechanisms. It is interesting that tetrodotoxin, a blocker of sodium channels, has probably evolved independently in fish, amphibia and molluscs. The snake bungarotoxins have greatly helped in the elucidation of the nature of the acetylcholine receptor. This multi- authored volume reviews the snake venoms, poisoning by tick bite, marine invertebrate toxins, plant and fungal toxins, bacterial toxins, and the use of monodonal anti- bodies for the elucidation of antigenic structure of toxins. Further detailed study of the mechanisms of action of purified toxins will both increase our understanding of how the toxin acts as well as showing ways of counteracting their action.