This is an application for partial funding of the Summer Conference on Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Splanchnic Circulation, to be held under the auspices of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), from July 24 to July 29, 1993, at Copper Mountain, Colorado. The participants will be limited to 150 basic and clinical scientists, who will be selected on the basis of their expertise and interests. There will be 9 major scientific sessions, each with 4 to 5 oral presentations by the experts in the field and open discussion. In addition, there will be 4 poster sessions, which will allow junior participants to present their data and discuss them with the experts in the field. The topics to be discussed will be recent advances in the following subjects: 1) non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic regulation of gastrointestinal circulation; 2) imaging technology for study of the vascular system; 3) endothelial cell biology; 4) role of leukocytes in modulation of gastrointestinal inflammation; 5) ischemia/reperfusion and tissue injury; 6) systemic toxins of gut origin; 7) nitric oxide and the splanchnic circulation; 8) vasomodulators of endothelial cell injury; 9) hepatic circulation and heterogenous liver injury. The areas of controversy, uncertainty and agreement in these fields will be defined. The conference will provide a unique opportunity for interaction among basic scientists (physiologists, pharmacologists, etc.) and clinical scientists (gastroenterologists, surgeons, etc.) with an interest in the splanchnic circulation and gastrointestinal and hepatic diseases. The interactive environment should stimulate collaborative research efforts and help to identify new and more productive directions for future research on pathophysiology, pathogenesis, and treatment for gastrointestinal and hepatic diseases.
