The Endocrine Lung in Health and Disease

Abstract

This comprehensive and authoritative multiauthored text and reference is a sign that its topic has reached a stage of scientific maturity. It is a valuable source of information, presents a clearly defined point of view, and is generally well written and minimally repetitious. A decade ago, the usual concept of the lung and its functions included a role as an accessory endocrine organ and acknowledged certain paracrine functions comparable to those of the gut and the skin. The accessory endocrine functions of greatest visibility then were the enzymatic conversion of angiotensin I and the efficient clearance of circulating biogenic amines. This led to a falsely limited view of the lung as a passive recipient and modifier of hormones synthesized elsewhere. On the other hand, the production and action of local paracrine mediators were perceived mainly as part of the mechanistic explanation of bronchoreactivity, pulmonary vascular phenomena, and immunopathologies of the