TOSSICOLOGIA
Academic Year 2025/2026 - Teacher: Agata Graziella COPANIExpected Learning Outcomes
Basic knowledge of the side effects of drugs (with a special emphasis on chemoterapeutics). Understanding the molecular basis of drug abuse.
Course Structure
Lectures according to the didactic calendar
Required Prerequisites
Skills Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy
Attendance of Lessons
Detailed Course Content
Principles of toxicology – Therapeutic index and margin of safety; unwanted side effects; acute, subacute and chronic toxicities, toxicological aspects of drug absorption, distribution and excretion;drug metabolism-induced toxicity; genetic polymorphism and drug interactions.
Cellular and molecular toxicology – Mechanisms of cell death; molecular basis of programmed cell death; pharmacological regulation of cellular toxicity; molecular mechanisms of cancerogenesis and teratogenesis.
Drugs with selective toxicity: 1) a detailed compendium of all antibacterial, antiviral, antimycotic, and anti-malaric drugs; 2) antineoplastic drugs; 3) immunosupressants and biological modifiers.
Drug abuse - The neurobiology of drug abuse; effects of psycostimulants, allucinogens, cannabis derivatives, opioids, anabolic steroids, ethanol, GHB, nicotine.
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Principles of toxicology – Therapeutic index and margin of safety; unwanted side effects; acute, subacute and chronic toxicities, toxicological aspects of drug absorption, distribution and excretion; drug metabolism-induced toxicity; genetic polymorphism and drug interactions | 5,6 |
| 2 | Cellular and molecular toxicology – Mechanisms of cell death; molecular basis of programmed cell death; pharmacological regulation of cellular toxicity; molecular mechanisms of cancerogenesis and teratogenesis | 5,6 |
| 3 | Antibacterial chemotherapeutic agents: bacterial resistance and selection criteria | 5 |
| 4 | Drugs with selective toxicity: a detailed compendium of antibacterial drugs | 5 |
| 5 | Drugs with selective toxicity: a detailed compendium of antimycotic drugs | 5 |
| 6 | Drugs with selective toxicity: a detailed compendium of anti-malaric drugs | 5 |
| 7 | Drugs with selective toxicity: a detailed compendium of antiviral drugs | 5 |
| 8 | Drugs with selective toxicity: a detailed compendium of antineoplastic drugs | 5 |
| 9 | Drugs with selective toxicity: a detailed compendium of immunosupressants and biological modifiers | 5 |
| 10 | Drug abuse - The neurobiology of drug abuse; effects of psycostimulants, allucinogens, cannabis derivatives, opioids, anabolic steroids, ethanol, GHB, nicotine. | 5 |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
The correct understanding of the topics is verified during the oral exam. The ability to apply the knowledge acquired during the course through reasoning and synthesis is highly rated.
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
Self-evaluation tests at the end of the appropriate chapters of the textbooks