00351 - Pharmacology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student knows the pharmacotherapy of degenerative diseases, ageing diseases, and metabolic diseases. The student knows the integrated approaches between life style and drug therapy. The student knows the health risk linked to drug abuse and doping.

Course contents

Principles and methods of drug administration.

Factors that affect therapeutic outcomes: age, gender, physiological status, diseases.

Drug development: preclinical research, clinical trials.

Integrated approaches: life-style and pharmacotheraty

Modulation of cardiovascular function

Hypertension: Diuretics. Beta adrenergic receptors antagonists. ACE-inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Calcium channel antagonists. Alpha adrenergic receptor antagonists.

Angina pectoris: Organic nitrates. Beta adrenergic receptors antagonists. Calcium channel antagonists.

Pharmacotherapy of diabetes: Insulin therapy. Oral hypoglycemic agents: sulfonylureas, meglitinide, biguanides, thiazolidinediones, alfa-gluconidase inhibitors.

Drug therapy of dislipidemia: statins, niacin, bile-acid sequestrants, inhibitors of cholesterol uptake.

Pharmacotherapy for obesity: Anorexic drugs. Inhibitors of gastric lipase.

Pharmacotherapy of neoplastic disease - General principles in the pharmacotherapy of cancer. Cancer therapy and common adverse events. Basic pharmacology of cancer chemotherapeutic drugs. Antimetabolites - Methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil: mechanism of action and adverse effects. Antitumur Antibiotic - Bleomycin: mechanism of action and adverse effects. Alkylating agents: mechanism of action and adverse effects. Natural product cancer chemotherapy drugs: Vinblastine, Vincristine. Physical activity in cancer prevention. Physical exercise in patients with cancer.

Pain management: Opioids. Inflammation: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Bone mineral homeostasis: Calcium; Vitamin D; Bisphosphonates, Hormonnes.

Therapeutic treatment of athletes: correct use of drug. Risk/benefit of drug. Therapeutic Use Exemption. Drug abuse and sport: health risk assessment.

Readings/Bibliography

Goodman and Gilman's The pharmacological basic of Therapeutics. McGraw-Hill Medial Publishing Division

Teaching methods

Lectures with multimedia aids.

Assessment methods

The final test of the integrated course “Epidemiology and Pharmacology” consists of an oral exam for both course units, that can not be divided in separated exam.

Exam session: there are at least 7 exam dates a year.

1^st session (January-February 2020): 3 exam dates

2^nd session (June-July 2020): 2 exam dates

3^rd session (September 2020): 2 exam dates

To check  exam dates students can access AlmaEsami

Two questions of Pharmacology, related to the topics of the program will be asked to the student. Others specific questions can be asked for evaluating the student's preparation. Will be evaluated: the ability to expose topics correctly and critically; the clarity to expose and the ability to use the specific language of the discipline

The student will get a mark, for each course unit, on the basis of her/his capacity to answer questions. The two partial marks, in proportion to the number of credits (Epidemiology, 6CFU; Pharmacology, 3CFU), contribute to the final mark. The student passes the exam if he/she takes at least 18/30 in both course units.

Teaching tools

Teaching aids: The teaching material presented at the lectures is available on "Insegnamenti On Line" plarform of the Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna.

 

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Maffei