Physiology and Physiopathology of the Reticuloendothelial System

In many areas of experimental biology and medicine, there has been an explosive growth of interest and research activity. Such growth has resulted in an enormous body of scientific data on a variety of experimental areas. Although of significant value with regard to the understanding of basic biological processes, such growth has made it difficult for both the scientist and clinician to read, comprehend, and interrelate this body of knowledge on a conceptual level. This type of information explosion has definitely occurred with regard to experimental studies on the reticuloendothelial system (RES), and as such I am pleased to have the opportunity to review and interrelate important experimental and clinical findings on the physiology and physiopathology of the RES. The physiological activities of the RES and the factors that influence this diffuse system of fixed and mobile macrophages are numerous. In this regard, the involvement of the RES in lipid