The Fourth International Symposium on Cell Injury and Protection in the Gastrointestinal Tract: From Basic Sciences to Clinical Perspectives was held on 8-11 October, 1995 in Pecs, Hungary, under the auspices of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungarian Society of Gastroenterology (Section of Nutrition and Metabolism, Research Forum), International Union of Pharmacology, International Brain-Gut Society, Standing Committee of Ulcer Research and Medical University of Pecs. The main scientific programmes of the Fourth International Symposium on Cell Injury and Protection in the Gastrointestinal Tract are: general mechanisms of gastrointestinal injury and protection; cell injury and protection in the stomach; cell injury and protection in the small intestine and in the large intestine; cell injury and protection in the liver and pancreas; and cell injury and protection of the premalignant status and malignant diseases in the gastrointestinal tract. The presented papers are published in this book.