Methods in Toxicology Volume 3B Female Reproductive Toxicology - Vol 3 Author:Author Unknown Efforts to understand the adverse effects of reproductive toxicants must address a series of precisely times interactions, not only among the organs involved (brain, pituitary, and ovary) but also within those organs in the female, pregnancy may vary the primary effect, so events that occur in both the pregnant and non-pregnant animal must be as... more »sessed. This requires the use of a broad array of in vivo and in vitro techniques. This book brings together for the first time in a single volume many methods for assessing the behavioral, hormonal, and cellular changes that occur at all levels during exposure to reproductive toxicants. Each chapter contains not only a detailed, step-by-step protocol, but also the reasons for the key steps - as well as possible variations - where applicable. For easy reference, the book is organized first by pregnancy state, then by tissue response, then by cells within that tissue. These are all tied together by an introduction that puts each method into perspective within the field and provides ways of integrating the different methods to generate a complete understanding of the effects a toxicant create. The intent is to demystify the complexities of reproductive toxicology so that more investigators will address the area and will, in turn, produce a better understanding of the sites and modes of action of reproductive toxicants.« less