Comparative Physiology, Natural Animal Models And Clinical Medicine: Insights Into Clinical Medicine From Animal Adaptations

by Michael Alan Singer

Overview

This book describes a novel and unique approach to the treatment of human diseases based on the study of natural animal models. A natural animal model is defined as an animal group or species that possesses a set of biochemical/physiological characteristics which are natural and adaptive for that animal, but are quite abnormal for humans. For example, how is it that birds can tolerate blood glucose concentrations which in humans are associated with diabetes. The natural animal model is living proof that a biological answer to this question is available. By studying natural animal models, we can gain valuable insights into the treatment of various human clinical disorders. Covering a wide range of disorders, this book describes in detail how medical scientists can take advantage of all the “research” that nature has already performed over billions of years in biological problem solving through extensive animal design testing and selection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781860947827
Publisher:	Imperial College Press
Publication date:	08/24/2007
Pages:	292
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements     xi
Introduction     xiii
Diabetes Mellitus     1
Introduction     1
Blood Glucose Values in Birds     2
Do Birds Suffer Adverse Consequences from a High Blood Glucose Concentration     5
Anatomic and Physiologic Design Features     6
Concluding Remarks and Future Research     26
References     31
Chronic Renal Failure     40
Introduction     40
Metabolic Rate and Renal Function     42
Nitrogen and Urea Metabolism and Protein Turnover     44
Additional Aspects of Renal Failure     56
Natural Animal Model     57
Bear and Small Mammal Hibernators     64
Concluding Remarks and Future Directions     66
References     70
Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease     78
Introduction     78
Atherosclerosis in Mammals     79
Biology of the Arterial System: Implications for the Genesis of Atherosclerosis in Mammals     83
Genesis of Atherosclerotic Lesions     88
Natural Animal Model: The Fish     89
Fish Coronary Circulation     90
Fish Coronary Artery Thickenings     91
Genesis of Fish Lesions     94
Biomechanical Factors in Fish     94
Dietary Influences and Role of Cholesterol in Fish     96
Biology of the Vascular Smooth Muscle in Fish     99
Concluding Remarks: What Can We Learn From the Fish as a Natural Model?     99
References     102
Disuse Osteoporosis and Disuse Muscle Atrophy     107
Disuse Osteoporosis     108
Disuse Muscle Atrophy     126
References     143
Ammonia Toxicity     149
Ammonia Tolerance and Metabolism     149
Brain Ammonia Metabolism     157
Glutamatergic Neurons     159
Glutamate, a Neurotransmitter and the "Glutamate-Glutamine" Cycle     160
Mechanism of Ammonia Neurotoxicity     164
Effects on Brain Energy Metabolism     169
Effects on Glutamatergic Synapses     171
Ammonia and the Fish Central Nervous System     175
Summary     181
References     183
Hypoxia/Ischemia     190
Cerebral Blood Flow: Its Regulation     191
Brain Energy Metabolism     195
Oxygen and Oxygen/Glucose Deprivation and the Brain     199
Natural Animal Models      230
Concluding Remarks and Future Directions     245
References     254
Epilogue     261
References     266
Index     267