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

Drug therapy of Inflammation: Nonsteroidal anti-inflmmatory drugs. Corticosteroids.

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

Pulmonary pharmacology

Asthma: Bronchodilators. Corticosteroids. Leukotriene-receptors antagonists.  Cromolyn Sodium. Anticholinergic Agents.

Drugs of cough. Drugs of rhinitis

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.

Drug therapy of obesity.

Treatment of central nervous system degenerative disorders: Treatment of Parkinson's disease. Treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Drug therapy of musculoskeletal disorders

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 interview for both subjects, that can not be divided in separated examination.

Four main questions, two questions of Epidemiology and 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.

The student  will get a mark, for each subject, on the basis of his capacity to answer questions.  The two partial marks, in proportion to the number of credits, contribute to the final mark

 

Teaching tools

Teaching aids: The teaching material presented at the lectures is available as electronic format on internet. The material should be printed and brought in class.  

To get teaching material: http://campus.unibo.it/.

Username e password are restricted for students enrolled at University of Bologna.

 

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Maffei