Annual Review of Physiology 2008

The 2008 edition of the annual series consists of 23 articles bringing mechanistic and molecular insights to problems concerning physiology of the whole organism. Two papers on the special topic of obesity review the role of CNS fuel-sensing mechanisms in energy balance and glucose regulation, and mechanisms of leptin action and leptin resistance. Related chapters discuss insulin signaling and its effects on glucose homeostasis and life span, and the function of satiety hormones that mediate crosstalk between the gut and brain. The respiratory physiology section highlights the role of mucins in airway function while the endocrinology section discusses the involvement of G protein-coupled receptor pathways in neuroendocrine and reproductive physiology. The volume is also calcium-centric, exploring calcium-dependent aspects of programmed cell death, cardiac contractility, and exocrine gland secretion. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)