during the past few years increasing interest has beenfocused on the role of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)outside the central nervous systems (CNS).Biochemical,pharmacological, histochemical, physiological approacheshave all been employed to investigate the role of GABA inthemammalian periphery. The International Symposium onPeripheral GABAergic Mechanism held in Rome, July 1990, wasdevoted to gather scientists from allover the world inorder to summarize and sythesize their most recent results and conceptions on the significance of GABA outside theCNS. Written in a thought-provoking style, this proceedingsvolume is an overviewof the timely knowledge about GABA inthe peripheral nervous system and in non-neuronal tissues.Chapters of the book provide many examples for the diversefunctions of this amino acid in the periphery asneurotransmitter, hormone, humoral or even trophic factorfrom the autonomic ganglia to the endocrine stomach andpancreas, from the tubular epithelium of the kidney to thespermatozoa.