Abstract
This book is from the Target Organ Toxicology Series, series editors, A. W. Hayes, J. A. Thomas, and D. E. Gardiner. According to the preface, the book “focuses on the specifics of the toxicology of the gastrointestinal tract—on adverse effects of xenobiotic agents and pharmaceuticals on the structure and function of the tract.” The 12 chapters address specific areas and species of interest, including humans, in gastrointestinal toxicology rather than being organized according to a particular pattern. Although the intended audience for the book is not given specifically, on the basis of the contents and affiliation of authors, this book appears primarily intended for toxicologists working in drug development and risk assessment.
This book addresses the adverse effects of xenobiotics on intestinal function and several areas that are becoming of increasing importance in the intestinal tract, such as immune function in the chapter on Peyer’s Patch Epithelium. However, the book does not address key issues in regard to tissue and cellular responses to xenobiotic injury and resultant adverse structural effects. This includes a lack of an adequate histologic description of the intestinal mucosa and its cell biology, including cell renewal, as well as structural changes induced by xenobiotics. Therefore, the book has not fulfilled its stated mission and will not serve as a resource for the general veterinary pathology community. It might be useful in addressing specific toxicology issues for those working with the gastrointestinal tract. For the veterinary toxicologic pathologist, the chapter on the gastrointestinal tract by T. Bertram in the Handbook of Toxicologic Pathology (W. M. Haschek, ed., Academic Press, 2002) is much more useful. For the toxicologist, a book in this area is overdue, with the last comprehensive text in this area being a volume of Comprehensive Toxicology (G. Sipes, ed., Pergamon, 1997).
Overall, the book is quite readable, but headings appear somewhat haphazardly organized (e.g., the section title Peritonitis, has one paragraph referring to peritonitis and 5 paragraphs describing the normal structure of the mouth; sections titled Histology discuss primarily physiology). The chapters that are species specific repeat a lot of the introductory material but often do not identify species differences. The chapters are well referenced and include tables and diagrams. The index is adequate.
This book addresses current issues in gastrointestinal toxicology but lacks coverage of tissue response to injury, which is critical for both toxicologists and pathologists.