Biomedical Laboratory techniques

General information on pharmacology. PHYSIOLOGICAL PHARMACOKINETICS. Physicochemical properties of molecules and mechanisms of drug passage across biological membranes; Drug absorption: Characteristics of the main routes of drug administration; definition of bioavailability. Distribution and apparent volume of distribution. Drug elimination: kinetics, half-life, clearance; Renal and hepatic drug excretion. Biotransformation: phases, induction and inhibition phenomena. CLINICAL PHARMACOKINETICS: Determination of pharmacokinetic parameters, steady state, loading and maintenance doses. PHARMACODYNAMICS: Characteristics of drug-receptor interaction. Relationship between drug concentration and drug-receptor complex. Definition of agonist, partial agonist, reversible and irreversible competitive antagonist. Dose-effect curves, ED50, efficacy and potency. Therapeutic index of a drug. Drug targets, receptor types, effector systems

The course's e-learning page contains textbook excerpts for each topic covered in class. Any pharmacology textbook is fine. The following are recommended: Pharmacology. Mechanism of Action of Drugs, edited by Pratt WB. & Taylor P., Bologna, Zanichelli, 2002 - Biblioteca Comunale di Latina Aldo Manuzio Inventory LTM 49906 Shelfmark LTM 615.1 - Chapters 1-5 - Very thorough text Pharmacology / Rang & Dale; Milan CEA, 2005 - Chapters 2, 3, 7, and 8. - A comprehensive text for medical students, oriented toward mechanisms rather than clinical aspects. General and Molecular Pharmacology: The Mechanism of Action of Drugs / [edited by] Francesco Clementi, Guido Fumagalli, Turin UTET, 2004 Chapters 4, 5, 41-48 - Together with the following, these are in-depth texts on Pharmacology but perfectly usable by anyone. Clinical Pharmacology, edited by Luciano M. Fuccella, Emilio Perucca, Cesare Sirtori; Turin UTET, 1998 - Chapters 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 21. Pharmacology / Mary J. Mycek, Richard A. Harvey, Pamela C. Champe, Bologna Zanichelli, 2000 - Chapters 1 and 2 - Basic text for the health professions Other usable texts are: Katzung, Piccin, Chapters 2, 3, and 4 Goodman & Gilman, McGraw-Hill, Chapters 1 and 3 Rossi-Cuomo, Minerva Medica, Chapters 1 and 2 (part)