Biological Effects of Heavy Metals (3^rd Ed.) Volume I

This text addresses the increasingly critical problems of heavy metals as toxic pollutants in the environment. The contents of this volume are based on a symposium held by the Society of Toxicology in 1987. Chapters discuss the strong evidence that a common denominator in the action of many toxicants in the nervous system is the interference with Ca homeostasis. Other topics address neuropathological effects of various metals, neurobehavioral aspects of toxicology, and the effects of metals on a specific sensory system, the retina. The use of heavy metals in experiments to elucidate the mechanisms of normal physiological functions is well illustrated in these chapters. Emphasis is in experimental technique to study how metals interact with specific portions of the nervous system. This review addresses the serious health effects and environmental pollution of heavy metal exposure. It is valuable reading for neurophysiologists, neurochemists, neuropharmacologists, and students of development and bahavior. This is an important resource book also for toxicologists, biochemists, nutritionists, and students of biological processes.

1. Effects of Heavy Metals on Neuronal Calcium Channels 2. Assessment of the Effects of Lead and Mercury In Vitro on Neurotransmitter Release 3. Action of Metals on Calmodulin-Regulated Calcium Pump Activity in Brain 4. Neuropathology of Heavy Metals and Its Modulation by Nutritional Influences 5. Neurotoxicology of Organotin Compounds 6. Retina Damage Following Developmental Lead Exposure: A Rod Selective Deficit 7. Behavioral Effects of Heavy Metal Exposure