A critical review of the most up-to-date research on purines and myocardial protection. The role of purines in reversible `myocardial stunning' and irreversible (myocardial infarction) ischemic injury, ventricular arrhythmias, and ischemic preconditioning is discussed in detail, by experts. All reviews address recent and rather controversial issues on purines and myocardial protection. Mechanisms of cardioprotection of exogenous versus endogenous purines are discussed in detail. The contribution of internationally recognized experts in the field of purines and cardiovascular physiology and in myocardial protection makes this a unique and interesting book for clinicians, basic scientists and students.

Inhalt
I: Purine Metabolism in the Heart.- 1. Physiologic and Pathophysiologic Significance of Purine Metabolism in the Heart.- 2. Purine Metabolism in the Ischemic Canine and Human Immature Myocardium Deficient of 5?-Nucleotidase.- 3. Cardiac adenosine Metabolism: Physiological Implications.- 4. Purines Metabolism in Human Cardiomyocytes and Endothelium-Implications for Protection of the Heart during Cardiac Surgery.- 5. Assessment of Interstitial Fluid Adenosine: Implications for Exogenous or Endogenous and Endogenous Adenosine-Mediated Cardioprotection.- 6. Adenosine and Coronary Vascular Pharmacology.- 7. Alternations in Energy Substrate Metabolism during Oxidative Stress.- II: Myocardial Protection with Purines.- 8. Purines and Myocardial Protection: An Overview.- A. Myocardial Protection with Endogenous Purines.- 9. Nucleoside Transport Protein: Properties and Regulation.- 10. Role of Nucleoside Transport in Myocardial Injury and Protection: Separation Between Ischemic and Reperfusion Injury using a Selective Nucleoside Transport Blocker, p-Nitrobenzylthoinosine NBMPR.- 11. Myocardial Protection using Nucleoside Transport Inhibitors.- 12. Selective Blockade of Nucleoside Transport by NBMPR Attenuates Reperfusion-Mediated Ventricular Arrhythmias.- 13. Nucleoside Transport in the Human Myocardium.- 14. Selective Nucleoside Transport Blocker NBMPR Attenuates Myocardial Stunning in a Rabbit Model Deficient of Xanthine Oxidase.- 15. Amplification of Endogenous adenosine by Adenosine Regulating Agents as a Therapeutic Approach to the Treatment of Cardiac Ischemic Syndromes.- B. Myocardial Protection with Exongenous Purines.- 16. Organ Protection with ATP-Magnesium Chloride.- 17. Adenosine and Adenosine Receptor Protection of the Ischemic Heart.- 18. Effect of Adenosineon Myocardial stunning.- 19. Cardioprotection from Ischemic-Reperfusion Injury by Adenosine.- 20. Cardioprotection with Adenosine, inosine and Hypoxanthine.- 21. Adenosine and Adrenergic Mediated Effects in the Heart.- 22. Effects of Adenosine on Ventricular Tachycardia.- 23. Purines and Ventricular Arrhythmias.- 24. Adenosine and the Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Function Mechanisms and Production.- 25. Purines and Regulation of Platelet Activation.- III: Purines and Myocardial Preconditioning.- 26. Myocardial Preconditioning: From a Model to a Phenomenon.- 27. ATP Metabolism and Ischemic Preconditioning.- 28. Do Adenosine A3 Receptors Cause Preconditioning?.- 29. KATP Channels and Adenosine Receptors and Ischemic Preconditioning.- 30. Role of Activation of Ecto-5?-Nucleotidase for Cardioprotection in Ischemic and Reperfusion Injury: Role of Purine and Adenosine Metabolism.- 31. Ischemic Preconditions in a Model of Isolated Cardiomyocytes.- 32. Integration of Adenosine and Noradrenergic Pathways in Cardiac Preconditioning.- 33. Myocardial Stunning and Preconditioning during Non-cardioplegic Warm Intermittent Aortic Crossclamping.- IV: Purines and Intracellular Calcium.- 34. Energy and Cation Control in the Reoxygenated Myocardial Cell.- 35. Cystolic Calcium Transport during Myocardial Protection.- 36. Future Therapueitc Use of Purines in Myocardial Protection.