The mechanisms and physiological functions of urea transporters across
biological membranes are subjects of long-standing interests. Although
urea represents roughly 40% of all urinary solutes in normal human
urine, the handling of urea in the tissues has been largely neglected in
the past and few clinical or experimental studies now report data on
urea. Most recent physiological text books include chapters on water and
electrolyte physiology but no chapter on urea. Our aim in writing this
book is to stimulate further research in new directions by providing
novel and provocative insights into the further mechanisms and
physiological significance of urea metabolism and transport in mammals.
This book offers a state-of-the-art report on recent discoveries
concerning urea transport and where the field is going. It mainly
focuses on advances made over the past 20 years on the biophysics,
genetics, protein structure, molecular biology, physiology,
pathophysiology and pharmacology of urea transport in mammalian cell
membranes. It will help graduate students and researchers to get an
overall picture of mammalian urea transporters and may also yield
benefits for pharmaceutical companies with regard to drug discovery
based on the urea transporter. Baoxue Yang is a professor and vice
chairman of the Department of Pharmacology, Peking University. He is
also an adjunct professor of Jilin University and a visiting professor
of Northeast Normal University. Prof. Yang has been researching urea
transporters for nearly 20 years and has published more than 70 original
research articles in this field.
