03467 - Endocrinology

Academic Year 2017/2018

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Medical Biotechnology (cod. 8859)

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes are the following: 1) understanding the molecular basis of the hormone secretion and of the growth of the endocrine cells; 2) understanding the basis of the hormonal hyper and hyposecretion and of the pathological growth of the endocrine tumors including sporadic and familial tumors 3) understanding the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to the develpoment and maintenance of obesity and diabetes; -4) understanding the potential application of biotechnological advancements in the clinical practice; 5) understanding the principles of the potential of molecular techniques toward pathological alterations 6) using cellular and animal models as a toll to to tackle endocrinological diseases 7) applying novel technological strategies to ameliorate diagnostic and therapeutical approach to the endocrinological patient 8) critically reading and knowing scientific literature in the field of endocrinology and metabolism 9) critically applying the current knowledgement to a more tailored approach to the diagnosis and therapy of endocrinological patients.

Course contents


1) The endocrine system: function, classification. 2) The endocrine axes and the target organs 3) Food intake control. The homeostatic and hedonic control of food intake. The adipose tissue organ. Monogenic obesity. Endocrine causes of obesity. Metabolic syndrome. Obesity in rodents and its lab evaluation. 4) The basis of glicidic metabolism. Hyperinsulinism and its consequences. Type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes therapy. GLP-1 derived drugs. 5) Molecular basis of thyroid carcinomas
6) Molecular basis of adrenal adenomas 7) Molecular basis of MEN-1 and MEN-2 syndromes, pituitary adenomas, parathyroid tumors 8) Molecular basis of the somatostatin use in the treatment of the neuroendocrine tumors 9) Methodology for the lab animal care 10) Analytical methodology for hormone measurements

Readings/Bibliography

Only as a further confirmation or as a general overview we suggest the following book:

"Core curriculum Endocrinologia e Metabolismo" di Faglia G, Beck-Peccoz P, Spada A, Lania A. Editore: Mc Graw-Hill 2009 1° edizione.

Teaching methods

The lectures will be interactive.

Two lectures will have a more technical approach to the following topics: handling of the lab animals and techniques to measure hormones.

Assessment methods

The assessment is in oral form in front of a commission composed by Prof. Stanghellini and Prof. Mariani for the Internal Medicine Course and by Dr. Pagotto for the Endocrinology course.

The final note derives from the median of the three single notes obtained by the three Professors.

Teaching tools

The slides of the lectures represent the main tool. Each set of slides will be given at the end of each lecture.

At the last lecture a series of 16 pdf will be provided containing update review articles concerning the topics presented during the course.

Office hours

See the website of Uberto Pagotto