Vincenzo Zappia Books

This book comprises proceedings from the Third International Conference on Advances in Nutrition and Cancer, held in Naples in May 2012. This highly multidisciplinary meeting analyzed “nutrition and cancer” from different perspectives and on the basis of distinct and up-to-date experimental approaches. Knowledge on the relation between lifestyle, diet, and cancer is explored in a number of contributions, and the role of dietary intervention in cancer patients is discussed. Issues of vital interest to the research community, such as epidemiological and experimental oncology (genetics, epigenetics, and the mechanisms of action of natural compounds in the diet), receive detailed consideration. A further key topic is the emerging molecular technologies (the “omics”) that can cast light on the interplay between nutrition and human malignancies. Chapters take the form of reviews that include sections presenting expert opinions.

Biochemical and Pharmacological Roles of Adenosylmethionine and the Central Nervous System contains the proceedings of an International Round Table on Adenosylmethionine and the Central Nervous System held in Naples, Italy, on May 2, 1978. The papers explore the biochemical and pharmacological roles of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), with particular emphasis on its functions in the central nervous system (CNS). This book consists of 13 chapters and opens with an introduction to some novel biochemical aspects of SAM and related sulfur compounds, paying particular attention to transmethylation reactions; polyamine biosynthesis and unusual biological roles of adenosylmethionine; metabolic pathways related to adenosine-sulfur compounds; and transport of adenosylmethionine. The following chapters discuss a number of chemical and biochemical properties of SAM as well as its pharmacological aspects within the CNS. The relation between folate and adenosylmethionine metabolism in the brain is examined, along with the effect of SAM administration on noradrenaline and serotonin metabolism in rat brain; cerebral utilization of adenosylmethionine and adenosylhomocysteine; and antidepressant effects of adenosylmethionine. Methylation in schizophrenia is also considered. This monograph will be a valuable source of information for biochemists and pharmacologists.