Book Review: Toxicologic Pathology, Nonclinical Safety Assessment, Edited by Sahota PS, Popp JA, Hardisty JF, and Gopinath C, CRC Press, 1,015 pages, 158 color illustrations, 43 tables, 2013. Hardback version (ISBN 978-1-4398-7210-9; $259.95) and ebook version (ISBN 978-1-4398-7212-3; $181.97).

Abstract

Various chemicals are used as foods, personal care products and prescription drugs. The effects of many of these chemicals on our health have not been clear, yet we may be exposed to them while manufacturing, using and disposing of them. In general, the goal of toxicologic pathologists is to understand both what the effects of these chemicals and new candidate drugs are and at what levels of exposure they may become hazardous to humans. Recently, some books have been published on the subjects of preclinical histopathology and toxicology, but none have been like the new book edited by Drs. Sahota, Popp, Hardisty and Gopinath (Fig. 1). These editors have contributed to the academic areas of toxicology and toxicologic pathology for many years. Many scientists must know them and collaborate with them in this field worldwide. It could be said that this is the most practical textbook directly available for toxicological research that has been published in recent years. Also, for regulatory scientists and basic researchers involved in drug safety evaluation in government and academic areas, this book will provide valuable information to their work. Fig. 1. This book was prepared by a group of 50 experienced scientists from all over the world. Divided into two sections, it systematically assists pathologists in making a determination concerning the origin and potential importance of a lesion and its relevance for assessing human risk. The first section includes eight chapters for pathologists in areas that are important for effective interaction with many non-pathologists involved in drug development: regulatory issues, general toxicity studies, toxicokinetics, clinical pathology, routine toxicologic pathology, digital imaging, toxicogenomics, and historical control data of laboratory animals. The second section is made up of 18 organ-based chapters (gastrointestinal, respiratory, urinary, hematopoietic, lymphoid, cardiovascular, reproductive, and nervous systems, liver, gallbladder, exocrine pancreas, bone, muscle, tooth, endocrine glands, mammary glands, skin, and special senses). Each section includes embryology, comparative biology, gross and microscopic anatomy, light and electron microscopic descriptions of pathological lesions, mechanism of lesion formation, expected clinical pathology including the biomarkers and/or relevance of chemical-induced lesions to humans. Toxicological lesions of laboratory animals (rats, mice, dogs, monkeys, rabbits, and/or minipigs) are covered in this book. Additionally, all of the over 150 images are in full color and of high quality. Most illustrations exhibit features seen in conventional hematoxylin and eosin–stained tissue sections, although where relevant selected special stains, immunohistochemical stains and electron microscopic figures are included. A minor disappointment is that the total number of figures depends on the chapters, with eight chapters containing less than 10 figures each; however, there are many cases in which multiple illustrations are provided. This book will be a highly valuable aid for toxicologic pathologists working in pharmaceutical drug research at all stages of their training or career. Also, it has been crafted to assist students and residents by serving as a resource that can effectively be used as a ready reference next to the microscope. In order to meet the increasing demand to verify the quality of pathological and toxicological assessments in safety testing for chemicals, three board certification systems have been established in Japan in independent categories of science: one for toxicologic pathologists by the Japanese Society of Toxicologic Pathology (JSTP), one for veterinary pathologists by the Japanese College of Veterinary Pathologists (JCVP), and one for toxicologists by the Japanese Society of Toxicology (JST). This book will be the best text for candidates taking certificate examinations. There are several purchasing options available to readers for this textbook, such as the hardback version, ebook version (full), ebook rental version (6 or 12 months) and PDF version of each chapter ($20.00 for 72 hrs access). Please check the following website for details: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439872109#. While the hard-copy format is useful, searching may be more efficient and comprehensive in the ebook version for readers who want to be able to use the book anytime and anywhere (even in his/her house or while commuting). This really provides advantages to readers. In summary, this is an excellent and very relevant textbook for all new and practicing toxicologic pathologists and indeed, anyone involved in generating, interpreting or reviewing chemical-induced pathological data. The author of this review thoroughly recommends this book for toxicologic pathologists, toxicologists and regulators working with drug and other chemical safety in Japan. It will be a must-have reference book in this scientific field.