05181 - Physiology

Learning outcomes

The course is aimed at providing students with the basics of human integrative physiology, which are necessary to understand pathophysiology. During the object lessons, the students will have the opportunity to apply the concepts discussed in the lectures to the understanding of recent peer-reviewed scientific papers. This training will allow the students to take advantage of the published scientific literature on human physiology and pathophysiology in their future career.

Course contents

• Control of blood glucose levels
• The hypothalamus and the pituitary gland
• Thyroid hormones
• Epinephrine, cortisol, and the principles of the stress response
• Hypothalamic control of food intake
• Body fluid compartments and salt and water balance
• Neuro-humoral mechanisms that maintain the effective circulating volume
• Acid-base balance: general principles, control by the kidney and pathologic derangements

Readings/Bibliography

A textbook of physiology for medical students or equivalents.

Reference textbook:

Berne RM, Levy MN, Koeppen BM, Stanton BA. Fisiologia. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana (quinta ed., 2005).

please, note that an updated edition of this textbook is also available: Berne RM, Levy MN, Koeppen BM, Stanton BA. Physiology. Mosby (6th ed., 2008).

 

Scientific papers that will be discussed during the object lessons:

• Morton GJ, Cummings DE, Baskin DG, Barsh GS, Schwartz MW. Central nervous system control of food intake and body weight. Nature 2006; 443: 289-295.

• Sakurai T. The neural circuit of orexin (hypocretin): maintaining sleep and wakefulness. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2007; 8: 171-181.

• Mancia G, Bousquet P, Elghozi J-L, Esler M, Grassi G, Julius S, Reid J, Van Zwieten PA. The sympathetic nervous system and the metabolic syndrome. Journal of Hypertension 2007; 25: 909–920.

• Poirier P, Giles TD, Bray GA, Hong Y, Stern JS, Pi-Sunyer FX, Eckel RH. Obesity and cardiovascular disease: pathophysiology, evaluation, and effect of weight loss: an update of the 1997 American Heart Association Scientific Statement on Obesity and Heart Disease from the Obesity Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism. Circulation 2006; 113: 898-918.

• Charmandari E, Tsigos C, Chrousos G. Endocrinology of the stress response. Annual Review of Physiology 2005; 67: 259–284.

• Tsatsoulis A, Fountoulakis S. The protective role of exercise on stress system dysregulation and comorbidities. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2006; 1083: 196-213.

• O'Shaughnessy KM, Karet FE. Salt handling and hypertension. Journal of Clinical Investigation 2004; 113: 1075-1081.

• Schrier, RW. Water and sodium retention in edematous disorders: role of vasopressin and aldosterone. The American Journal of Medicine 2006; 119: S47–S53.

Teaching methods

Lectures and object lessons. During the lectures, the principles of integrative physiology will be presented and discussed. During the object lessons, the discussion of scientific peer-reviewed papers will allow the students to understand the practical relevance of the information learned during the lectures.

Assessment methods

Oral examination concerning the topics of the lectures and object lessons.

Teaching tools

Projector (powerpoint presentations)

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Silvani