The adrenal in toxicology : target organ and modulator of toxicity

The adrenal gland is vitally important to health and secretes hormones that control many bodily processes ranging from normal metabolism to the response to stressful circumstances. The corticosteroid hormones are the basis for anti-inflammatory medicines and are very widely prescribed. Changes in the function of the adrenal gland, either naturally through stress or disease, or through the action of drugs and chemicals, can have a major impact on the body.; This text focuses on adrenal toxicity, examining how drugs and chemicals can directly and indirectly affect this gland. Coverage includes: classification of the types of adrenal and endocrine toxicity; the mechanistic and molecular basis of toxicity; reasons why the adrenal is the most common target organ in the endocrine system; drug toxicity specific to patients with adrenal disorders; drug- corticosteroid interactions; adverse drug reactions; and how the adrenal gland is vital in tolerance to toxic insult. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Preface......Page 10 Contributors......Page 12 Introduction to Adrenal Gland Involvement in Toxicology......Page 14 An overview of adrenal gland involvement in toxicology: from target organ to stress and glucocorticosteroid modulation of toxicity......Page 16 General Endocrinology, Pharmacology and Pathology of the Adrenal Gland Related to Species, Sex and Age and Glucocorticosteroid Actions......Page 34 Adrenal morphology and hormone synthesis and regulation......Page 36 Transport, actions and metabolism of adrenal hormones and pathology and pharmacology of the adrenal gland......Page 66 Molecular and systems pharmacology of glucocorticosteroids......Page 94 The Adrenal Gland as a Target Organ......Page 142 The adrenal cortex as a toxicological target organ......Page 144 The adrenal medulla as a toxicological target organ......Page 178 Adrenocortical and Glucocorticosteroid Modulation of Toxicity......Page 196 Glucocorticosteroid modulation of toxicity......Page 198 Glucocorticosteroids: deleterious effects on neurons and potential exacerbation of environmental neurotoxicity......Page 218 Glucocorticosteroids, stress and developmental toxicology......Page 236 Glucocorticosteroids and immunotoxicity......Page 256 Clinical Interfaces: Adrenal and Corticosteroid Involvement in Human Toxicology and Extrapolation to Man......Page 272 Corticosteroid adverse effects and drug interactions in man......Page 274 Adverse drug reactions and the adrenal glands: a pharmacoepidemiological approach......Page 292 Experimental adrenal toxicity: significance of findings and relevance to man......Page 314 Index......Page 320 Toxicology usually focuses on the adverse effects of drugs and chemicals at the level of an organ or tissue and it is a research goal to identify 'the target organ'.