Foreword by Leonid V. Rosenshtraukh; Editorial, Andre Kamkin and Irina Kiseleva -- 1 Cytokine System, Andrey A. Simbirtsev and Ivan G. Kozlov -- 2 Mechanical stretching of cells of different tissues: The role of mediators of innate immunity, Leonid V. Kovalchuk et al -- 3 Mechanosensitive pro-inflammatory gene expression in vascular cells, Marco Cattaruzza, Andreas H. Wagner, and Markus Hecker -- 4 Cytokines, heart and calcium current in sepsis, Stengl Milan, Prucha Miroslav, and Matejovic Martin -- 5 The role of proinflammatory cytokines in regulation of cardiac bioelectrical activity: Link to mechanoelectrical feedback, Vlad S. Kuzmin et al -- 6 An Anti-inflammatory Cytokine Interleukin-13: Physiological Role in the Heart and Mechanoelectrical Feedback, Denis V. Abramochkin et al -- 7 Mechanical Stretch and Cytokine Synthesis in Pulmonary Endothelial Cells, Satoru Ito and Yoshinori Hasegawa -- 8 Implications of cytokines in cochlear pathophysiology, Keiji Tabuchi and Akira Hara -- 9 Primary cilia are mechanosensory organelles with chemosensory roles, Brian S. Muntean, Xingjian Jin, and Surya M. Nauli -- 10 Identification of mechanosensitive genes in chondrocytes and osteoblasts and their role in OA pathogenesis, Yves Henrotin, Laurence Pesesse, and Christelle Sanchez -- Index.

This book presents the latest findings in the field of investigation of molecular mechanisms of mechanical stretch and the role of cytokines in response of different tissues to it. On the one hand this Volume demonstrates how mechanical stretch enhances cytokines production. It describes how cytokines influence tissues and cells on a background of a mechanical stretching. It provides a description of how cells in different tissues are activated by stretch and cytokines via various signaling pathways, and how they change their gene expression. The book is a unique collection of reviews outlining current knowledge and future developments in this rapidly growing field. Knowledge of biomechanics, and mechanisms which underlie it on molecular, cellular and tissue, is necessary for understanding of the normal functioning of living organisms and allows to predict changes, which arise due to alterations of their environment.