Book Review: Gas Biology Research in Clinical Practice, edited by Toshikazu Yoshikawa and Yuji Naito

Gaseous substances constitute a unique class of indispensable biomaterials for maintaining the homeostasis of biological systems. In particular, the gases, including nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and hydrogen (H2), have well been described in the last decade as signaling gas molecules, as well as other important candidates for clinical applications. Given the fact that those individual gases play critical roles in biological systems, providing the newest findings and applications for gas biology basic and clinical research is of great importance. This book provides valuable information not only for basic researchers in physiology and biochemistry, but also for clinicians who wish to learn more about the role of gaseous mediators. This book has been published with 32 figures and 11 tables and divided into a preface and seven sections, listed below. In each section, leading specialists share their scientific experience in the field, covering a wide range of topics, including genetic, physiological, and medical imaging techniques. In each chapter, the authors take the reader on a vast journey through the impressive recent advances in gas biology (Figure 1). The preface provides the background and acknowledgements. Drs. Yoshikawa and Naito have held annual meetings entitled “Heme Oxygenase Research Forums” since 2004. These conferences largely expanded and encouraged CO research, which was generated in the process of heme degradation by heme oxygenase. The idea of organizing this type of book was initiated by Dr. Hideo Ueda, who has been ill for years. As the subject matter of this book is of importance for gas biology research, Drs. Yoshikawa and Naito took over and completed Dr. Hideo’s work. The first “General” section is composed of three classic review papers which provide the necessary introduction to gas biology. The first chapter, entitled “Roles of Stress-Inducible Carbon Monoxide in the Regulation of Liver Function,” was written by Dr. Makoto Suematsu, et al. (pages 1-5). As the liver is a gigantic resource of CO derived from heme degradation in vivo, constitutive and inducible CO has been suggested to regulate porto-sinusoidal vascular and biliary function. Interestingly, Dr. Suematsu mentioned that cystathionine b-synthase (CBS), a heme-containing enzyme, acts as a CO sensor. The enzyme CBS is also known to be an important synthesizer of H2S; therefore this chapter suggests cross-communication among the biological signaling gas system. Dr. Yoshihisa Urita et al. cover “Intraluminal Gas and Gastrointestinal Disease” (pages 6-14). Gases are produced while passing through the gastrointestinal tract, possibly causing abdominal symptoms, while gas is continuously removed by eructation, anal evacuation, absorption through the intestinal mucosa, and bacterial consumption. Impaired gas movement in the alimentary tract is more closely associated with abdominal symptoms than is liquid movement. Intestinal gas is often cited as a major cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The last chapter of this section covers “Therapeutic Medical Gas” (pages 15-23), providing background and clinical feasibility of various therapeutic medical gases, such as NO, CO, H2S, H2, xenon, helium, and ozone. This chapter includes a table that lists potential therapeutic medical gases and summarizes their chemistry or biological effects (page 16). Section two, entitled “Gas and Medical Application: I. CO,” starts with the chapter “Analysis of Breath CO and Application to Hemodynamic Monitoring,” which describes monitoring methods using exhaled CO and its physiological roles on alimentary tracts. Dr. Sawano developed accurate, non-invasive, continuous carboxyhemoglobin densitometry by expired gas analysis (pages 24-34). Application of this technique to low-dose carboxyhemoglobin dilution achieved minimally invasive * Correspondence: nakaoa@upmc.edu Departments of Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Nakao and Toyoda Medical Gas Research 2011, 1:25 http://www.medicalgasresearch.com/content/1/1/25 MEDICAL GAS RESEARCH