Patrick Y-K Wong

Rodolfo Paoletti

Helmut Sinzinger

Peter Ramwell

Bengt Samuelsson

Sir John R. Vane

The International Symposium on Prostaglandins and Related Compounds, first held in Vienna 1972, revisited the city after 24 years for the 10TH Symposium. For the many re searchers working in this multi-disciplinary field it was an opportunity to exchange their ex periences and share new data with colleagues from all around the world. This scientific exchange was largely encouraged by the unseasonably cold and rainy weather. For the first time, there was quite a large attendance from the former Communist countries. Eugene Garfield prepared a key note address delivered during the meeting (The Sci entist 1996, 12) reviewing the contribution of the Nobel Laureates U.S. von Euler, l.R. Vane, S.K. Bergstrom, and B.I. Samuelsson, discussing the relevance of the more than 40,000 pa pers in this area published since 1991. Overall, there is still a rapidly growing interest, and in particular a great variety of clinical applications of this family of compounds which were dis cussed in detail during the meeting. Beside the lectures there were 19 workshops covering nearly all the topics of key in terest. All the speakers were invited to prepare a manuscript which has resulted in the volume now in your hands. Special thanks to Dr. Patrick Wong and the new publisher of this series who helped to publish the proceedings in the usual quality and reasonable period of time. Looking forward to seeing all of you again in Florence in 1999, hopefully with much more sun.

Recent Advances in Prostaglandin, Thromboxane, and Leukotriene Research

Curt Diehm

Waltraud Rogatti

Although prostaglandin El (PGE ) has been clinically available for a long 1 time, only in recent years has its effectiveness in peripheral arterial occlusive disease been confirmed in controlled studies. Not surprisingly, the favour able results achieved both in patients with critical limb ischaemia and in those with intermittent claudication has stimulated research activities into the clinical pharmacology of this prostaglandin. As a consequence of these efforts, exciting new findings have revealed that PGE has anti thrombotic , endothelium-stabilizing and leucocyte-stabi 1 lizing properties as well as effects on lipid metabolism, all of which, quite apart from its well-known anti-aggregating and vasodilator effects, may add to the clinical efficacy of the substance. New data have also been gathered on the metabolism of PGE most b notably the detection of 13,14-dihydro-PGE a metabolite which was b recently isolated in humans following the administration of PGE . Being 1 biologically active, the pharmacodynamic spectrum of 13,14-dihydro-PGE 1 very closely resembles that of PGE . This finding may help to explain the 1 efficacy of PGE despite its rapid metabolization when given intravenously.

Helmut Sinzinger

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