PHARMACOLOGY AND PHARMACOTHERAPY
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2018/2019
- Teacher
- LUCA FERRARO
- Credits
- 12
- Didactic period
- Secondo Semestre
- SSD
- BIO/14
Training objectives
- The aims of the Module are as follows:
To develop knowledge and understanding of the factors which determine the absorption, distribution and elimination of drugs, and to develop the skills required for the interpretation of pharmacokinetic profiles.
To provide students with an integrated understanding of the characteristics and properties of drug molecules and how they interact with macromolecular drug targets in the body and other molecular components of medicines.
To build on physiological principles to develop students' understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms and systematic pharmacology. The students will learn about the underlying pathophysiology of many human diseases, and how the use of medicines can halt, slow the progression of, or reverse disease processes. Prerequisites
- The following knowledges, acquired in “General and Inorganic Chemistry”, “Organic Chemistry”, “General and Applied Biochemistry”, “General Physiology” and “General Pathologies” modules, are required:
basic concepts of general and organic chemistry;
basic concepts of biochemistry;
fundamental concepts of physiology;
basic concepts of pathology.
To take the final examination (learning assessment procedures), students must have passed the exam of General Physiology. Course programme
- Formal teaching will consist of lectures (96 hours). The syllabus content is as follows:
General Principles
Pharmacokinetic
General introduction. Optimal physico-chemical properties of drugs: purity, physical state, solubility, molecular weight, pKa, pH, partition coefficient, diffusivity, dissociability. Routes of administration: oral, inhalation, percutaneous, rectal, parenteral ones. Pharmacokinetic aspects: drug absorption (passive diffusion, facilitated and active transport, pinocytosis); drug distribution (water compartments of the body, volume of distribution, homogeneous and inhomogeneous distribution, plasma protein binding, blood-brain barrier, drug accumulation); metabolism (oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, synthesis protective microsomal liver enzyme induction and repression); drug elimination (drug clearance). Kinetics of absorption and elimination. Half-lives and therapeutic index. Bioavailability and bioequivalence. Dosage optimisation concepts in therapeutic drug monitoring.
Pharmacodynamics
Drugs’ molecular targets. Receptors types and their transduction mechanisms. Drug-receptor interaction and dose-related responses (affinity; EC50 concept; efficacy; agonism, antagonism and synergism).
Pharmacotherapy
Drugs acting on the autonomic and somatic motor nervous system
Cholinergic agonists; anticholinesterase agents; antimuscarinic drugs; neuromuscolar blocking drugs; adrenergic receptor agonist and antagonists.
Cardiovascular drugs and drugs affecting renal function
Antihypertensive agents and the drug therapy of hypertension (diuretics, a1 receptor antagonist; ß receptor antagonists; drugs acting on the renin-angiotensin system blocking drugs; calcium-channel blockers; vasodilatators); antianginals drugs; drugs used in the treatment of hyperlipoproteinemia.
Inflammation and Immunomodulation
Histamine and H1 receptor antagonists; prostanoids; non-steroidal and steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs); anti-gout drugs.
Drugs affecting the respiratory system
Drugs used in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); antitussive, mucolytic and expectorant drugs.
Drugs affecting the gastrointestinal function
Agents for control of gastric acidity and treatment of peptic ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); laxatives, antidiarrheal agents, antiemetic and prokinetic drugs.
Drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction
Phosphodiesterase-V inhibitors; prostanoids.
Hormones and hormone antagonists
Thyroid and antithyroid drugs; insulin, oral hypoglycemic agents and the pharmacology of diabetes; estrogens and progestins.
Drug affecting the skeletal system
Agents for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Antibiotics and chemotherapy.
Drugs acting on the central nervous system
Hypnotics and sedatives; antidepressant drugs; antipsychotic drugs; anticonvulsant drugs; agents for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease; agents for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Didactic methods
- Formal teaching consists of lectures and workshop-based integrated problem-solving exercises.
Learning assessment procedures
- The level of achievement of previously indicated learning objectives is assessed through an oral exam. In particular, the exam aims to evaluate the study of the matter and the understanding of the main topics of pharmacology and pharmacotherapy.
The student must demonstrate:
the capacity to discuss graphics and figure illustrating drug pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics;
the capacity to understand and discuss a leaflet or a monograph of a drug acting in the periphery;
the capacity to understand and discuss a leaflet or a monograph of a drug acting on the central nervous system.
In order to pass the exam, the student must obtain a minimum score of 18 out of 30. Reference texts
- Basic and Clinical Pharmacology – Authors: B.G. Katzung, S.B. Masters, A.J. Trevor – Piccin Ed. (Italy).
Farmacologia - Autori: Rossi, Cuomo, Riccardi. Minerva medica Ed.
Lecture’ slides.
