Learning objectives
At the end of the course the student should have acquired knowledge regarding general and special pharmacology and toxicology. In detail, the student should be able to:
1. know the mechanisms of action of drugs and toxic substances and their interaction with molecular targets in the body. Know the most important classes of drugs and poisons. Be able to employ the appropriate scientific language and terminology. (knowledge and understanding)
2. understand the properties of the different drugs and toxic substances. (applying knowledge and understanding)
3. explain the results of the study also to an audience of non-experts. (communication skills)
4. relate the acquired knowledge to zootechnical productions and animal welfare. (making judgements)
5. link the different topics treated in the course among themselves and to other disciplines of the academic degree course. (learning skills)
Prerequisites
As per Degree Course
Course unit content
The course will provide students with basic notions of general pharmacology about pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics with regard, in particular, to the mechanism of action of the drugs, receptors, the concept of agonist and antagonist, the therapeutic index, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, drug residues in food of animal origin. The course will provide students with notions of general toxicology regarding the toxicodynamics and toxicokinetics of main poisoning substances. The student should also know the mechanism of action of: glucocorticoids, NSAIDs, antibiotic, antimicotic and antiparasitic drugs. The course also provides basic knowledge about general toxicology (clinical toxicology, antidotes), most important insecticides, erbicides, snail killers, rodenticides, mycotoxins.
Full programme
1. Ligand-gated ion channels
2. G-protein coupled receptors
3. Tyrosin-kinase receptors
4. Intracellular receptors
5. Agonists and antagonists
6. Binding and concentration-response curves
7. Dose-response curves “in vivo” , TI and SM
8. Adverse effects of drugs
9. Drug absorption
10. Drug distribution
11. Phase I metabolism
12. Phase II metabolism
13. Renal excretion of drugs
14. First-order and saturation elimination kinetics
15. Alpha-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists
16. Beta-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists
17. Indirectly acting sympathomimetic drugs
18. Uptake-1 and MAO inhibitors
19. Muscarinic agonists and antagonists
20. Nicotinic receptor agonists and ganglion blocking drugs
21. Corticosteroid drugs
22. Penicillins
23. Cefalosporins
24. Glycopeptides
25. Aminoglicosides
26. Macrolides
27. Lincosamides
28. Tetracyclins
29. Fenicolates
30. Fluoroquinolones
31. Polipeptide antibiotics
32. Rifamicins
33. Amphotericin B and other polyenic antimicotic drugs
34. Griseofulvin
35. Azole antimicotic drugs
36. Flucitosin
37. Benzimidazole antiparasitic drugs
38. Piperazine and pyrantel
39. Avermectins e milbemicins
40. Anticestoid and antitrematoid drugs
41. General and clinical toxicology
42. Antidotes
43. OP e OC insecticides
44. Piretroids
45. Herbicides
46. Metaldehyde
47. Aflatoxins
48. Sporidesmins
49. Trichothecenes
50. Stachybotriotoxin
51. Ochratoxins
52. Zearalenone
53. Anticoagulant rodenticides
Bibliography
CARLI - ORMAS - RE - SOLDANI -Farmacologia Veterinaria. Edizioni Idelson-Gnocchi-2009.
The students are, however, reminded that the textbook must be integrated with classroom lectures.
MENGOZZI - SOLDANI - Tossicologia Veterinaria. Edizioni Idelson-Gnocchi-2010. The students are, however, reminded that the textbook must be integrated with classroom lectures.
Students can download pdf files of the lessons from Elly Platform (https://elly2021.veterinaria.unipr.it/
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons and lab practice
Assessment methods and criteria
The evaluation of the knowledge acquired by the student in the course of Elements of Pharmacology and Toxicology is made by means of a written exam. The student, therefore, after online registration to the official exam calendar published on the Department of Veterinary Science website, will have to perform an exam consisting of answering to thirty multiple-choice questions regarding topics of the course cited above. The score assigned for each question is the following: +1.2 for each correct answer; 0 for a question with no answer given; -0.5 for each wrong answer. The student will have to show to have understood the core concepts of the treated topics of the course. To the students with diagnosis of specific learning disability (DSA) certified under law n. 170/2010, proper specific support will be provided.
Other information
9 examination sessions are scheduled throughout the academic year, as reported on ESSE3 platform website.
5 more sessions are scheduled for so called "fuori corso e ripetenti" students. A minimun of 14 days is required between two subsequent examination sessions. The examining board consists of at least two teachers.
