Placental Toxicology examines placental transfer and toxicology of drugs and environmental agents to placenta, as well as to fetus. For the first time in a single volume, placental and fetal consequences of exposure of pregnant women to drugs, environmental chemicals, and infections, such as HIV, are discussed. Topics include: The art of in

Placental Toxicology examines placental transfer and toxicology of drugs and environmental agents to placenta, as well as to fetus. For the first time in a single volume, placental and fetal consequences of exposure of pregnant women to drugs, environmental chemicals, and infections, such as HIV, are discussed. Topics include: The art of in vitro perfusion of human placenta Abuse of alcohol, nicotine, morphine, and cocaine during pregnancy, their placental transfer and fetal growth retardation Placental transfer and fetal toxicities of environmental insecticides Placental hormones and fetal well-being Placental transfer of HIV and treatment of pregnant women with anti-HIV drugs

Placenta plays a very significant role in the development of secretory and regulatory functions for the maintenance of pregnancy and in the nutrition of the embryo. It shares many functions of the heart, lung, liver, endocrines, and other organs. In Placental Pharmacology, fourteen expert authors discuss how placenta and its component parts can be used effectively in drug development research and in the study of transfer mechanisms across membranes. This reference begins by describing the use of modern biophysical methods to study placental function and prospects for their application in pharmacological research. The next three chapters deal with placental hemodynamics, use of placental tissues and cells in pharmacological assays, and placental transfer of drugs used in pregnancy. Three more chapters contain up-to-date information on molecular biological aspects of placenta currently receiving lots of attention - phospholipase A2 isozymes, imprinted genes and embryogenesis, and placental growth factors. The final chapter describes the clinically relevant topics of placental metabolism and toxicity of homocysteine in placenta. Easy to understand, thorough, and complete, Placental Pharmacology is the perfect resource for scientists interested in placenta and its uses in drug development and testing.

Reproductive toxicology is a complex subject dealing with three components—parent, placenta, and fetus—and the continuous changes that occur in each. Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology is a comprehensive and authoritative resource providing the latest literature enriched with relevant references describing every aspect of this area of science. It addresses a broad range of topics including nanoparticles and radiation, gases and solvents, smoking, alcohol and drugs of abuse, food additives, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, and metals, among others. With a special focus on placental toxicity, this book is the only available reference to connect the three key risk stages, and is the only resource to include reproductive and developmental toxicity in domestic animals, fish, and wildlife. - Provides a complete, integrated source of information on the key risk stages during reproduction and development - Includes coverage of emerging science such as stem cell application, toxicoproteomics, metabolomics, phthalates, infertility, teratogenicity, endocrine disruption, surveillance and regulatory considerations, and risk assessment - Offers diverse and unique in vitro and in vivo toxicity models for reproductive and developmental toxicity testing in a user-friendly format that assists in comparative analysis

Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, Second Edition, is a comprehensive and authoritative resource that provides the latest literature on this complex subject with a primary focus on three core components—parent, placenta, and fetus—and the continuous changes that occur in each. Enriched with relevant references describing every aspect of reproductive toxicology, this revised and updated resource addresses the totality of the subject, discussing a broad range of topics, including nanoparticles and radiation, gases and solvents, smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, and metals, amongst others. With a special focus on placental toxicity, this book is the only available reference to connect the three key risk stages, also including discussions on reproductive and developmental toxicity in domestic animals, fish, and wildlife. Completely revised and updated to include the most recent developments in the field, the book is an essential resource for advanced students and researchers in toxicology, as well as biologists, pharmacologists, and teratologists from academia, industry, and regulatory agencies. - Provides a complete, up-to-date, integrated source of information on the key risk stages during reproduction and development - Includes new chapters covering significant developments, such as dose-response assessment for developmental toxicity, juvenile toxicity, and neural tube defects, as well as emerging science, such as stem cell application, toxicoproteomics, metabolomics, endocrine disruption, surveillance and regulatory considerations, and risk assessment - Offers diverse and unique in vitro and in vivo toxicity models for reproductive and developmental toxicity testing in a user-friendly format that assists in comparative analysis

This book contains the total of 19 chapters, each of which is written by one or several experts in the corresponding field. The objective of this book is to provide a comprehensive and most updated overview of the human placenta, including current advances and future directions in the early detection, recognition, and management of placental abnormalities as well as the most common placental structure and functions, abnormalities, toxicology, infections, and pathologies. It also includes a highly controversial topic, therapeutic applications of the human placenta. A collection of articles presented by active investigators provides a clear update in the area of placental research for medical students, nurse practitioners, practicing clinicians, and biomedical researchers in the fields of obstetrics, pediatrics, family practice, genetics, and others who may be interested in human placentas.

The resolution of links between exposure to components of our complex environmental and causation of reproductive effects in the population constitutes an important problem in the field of toxicology. The focus of this volume is developmental toxicology, which represents one aspect of reproductive toxicology dealing with the study of adverse effects on the developing conceptus. Developmental toxicology, which includes teratogenesis as one of its manifesta tions, provides a fertile field for research in several basic and clinical disciplines; this field also receives input from several disoiplines such as developmental and molecu lar biology, pathology, pharmacology and toxicology, pediatrics and neonatology, and epidemiology. More recently we h~ve seen an emergence of interest in other fields such as perinatal physiology and postnatal behavior which have now become incorporated into the mainstream of research in this discipline. The present volume is an effort to provide a sampling of concepts currently under active investigation in several of the above fields. The authors have endeavored to provide up-to-date in formation on the following topics: detection and analysis of potential hazards to the conceptus in the workplace, pharmacokinetic aspects of the maternal/placental! fetal complex and its relationship to human birth defects, and probable mechanisms of teratogenesis as uncovered in certain well-defined situations. Also included are summaries of newer investigations on the emerging field of postnatal functional evaluations, i. e. , adverse effects on adult activities resultant from in utero exposure to toxic substances.