Neurobiology of Cytokines

Methods in Neurosciences, Vol. 16

Neurobiology of Cytokines, Part A provides an overview of the effects of cytokines in the brain and in the endocrine system. The book discusses the general aspects of cytokines, including the endogenous agonists and antagonists, their receptors, their second messengers, and transport mechanisms for cytokines across the blood-brain barrier. The text also describes the anatomical localization of cytokines, cytokine receptors, and their respective mRNA in brain and in endocrine tissues. The methods for evaluating the in vivo as well as in vitro actions of cytokines on hormone secretion are also considered. The book further tackles the synthesis and release of cytokines and their central nervous system actions; and the methodology for studying the role of cytokines in human neuropathological conditions.