Fifty years of "the pill": risk reduction and discovery of benefits beyond contraception, reflections, and forecast.

Widely regarded as a revolutionary drug in its early years, "the pill" may be considered the first designer or lifestyle drug. Approximately 85% of women in the United States will use an oral contraceptive (OC) for an average of 5 years. Since the introduction of OCs in the 1960s, both health benefits and safety concerns have been attributed to their use.

Developmental and reproductive toxicology studies in IL-12p40 knockout mice.

Background: Interleukin (IL)-12 is a cytokine that can exert regulatory effects on T and NK cells. This study was designed to identify potential developmental and reproductive hazards associated with IL-12p40 knockout in mice.

Methods: In the combined fertility and teratology study, female F0 C57/BL6 wild-type control mice and female F0 C57/BL6 IL-12p40 homozgyous knockout mice were assessed for estrous cyclicity, sperm, and mating parameters.