Industrial pharmacy (Latina Campus)

PIERPAOLO PANI
STEFANO GAROFALO

General expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course students will know the basic physical principles and mechanisms that regulates cell physiology, with particular attention to the electrical properties of excitable cells and neuronal transmission; the function of the organs in the human body; the dynamical integration of the various organs into systems; the general mechanisms of functional control under normal conditions. The student will be aware of the main molecular and cellular mechanisms target of possible pharmacological treatments.

Specific expected learning outcomes
1. Knowledge and understanding
The student will know all the aspects of cellular and plasma membrane functioning, of the central and autonomic nervous system, of muscular contraction (skeletal smooth and cardiac muscle), of the cardiovascular system, of the respiratory system, of the urinary system, of the digestive system and of hormonal communication, and the regulation of the pH of the liquid compartments.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding
The student will know all the aspects of cellular and plasma membrane functioning, of the central and autonomic nervous system, of muscular contraction (skeletal smooth and cardiac muscle), of the cardiovascular system, of the respiratory system, of the urinary system, of the digestive system and of hormonal communication, and the regulation of the pH of the liquid compartments.

3. Making judgements
The lessons will be interactive; the professor will ask continuous questions to the students to stimulate them to develop critical sense and to integrate previous knowledge. These questions will also be used to evaluate and solicit students to make connections with the skills acquired previously, avoiding considering the study of the general physiology as self-standing, but integrating the physiology in the light of the knowledge already acquired (physical, chemical, biological, and anatomical).

4. Communication skills
The student will acquire the ability to communicate all the topics covered by the program and to expose them in an integrated perspective considering the correct functioning of the human organism. Eventually, students will be organized in small groups that will expose to the class oral presentations on specific topics related to the effect of drugs in regulating the physiological functions.

5. Learning skills
Recommended texts will provide a tool to integrate the knowledge acquired during the class. The texts will remain the reference point of the student who will know where to go to find the concepts in detail. He/she will be able to integrate these concepts with the materials available on specific online sites whose links will be suggested in class.

By the end of the course, the student will have understood and know the principles of functioning of the main physiological systems of the human organism from an integrative perspective centered around the principle of homeostasis.
The student will be able to describe the main components of each system and connect their structural aspects to the functions performed. The student will be able to describe the functions performed by each system in terms of feed-back, feed-forward or anticipatory reflex circuits.

The student will be able to compare the operating principles of different systems with each other and describe their integrated functionality. The student will be able to predict the responses of systems to specific stimulations or perturbations in operation.

The student will be able to apply the scientific reasoning scheme to reading short scientific articles to identify the crucial elements of the studies: context, starting hypothesis, experimental results and discussion.

Knowledge of biology, biochemistry, and anatomy from previous courses

Body organization: physiology, levels of organization, structure-function interactions
Homeostasis: internal and external environment-liquid compartments-homeostatic mechanisms (positive and negative feedback) at both cellular and systemic levels
Membrane biophysics: the plasma membrane, forces driving transport across the membrane, membrane resting potential, equilibrium potential, passive and active membrane transport, osmosis. Endocytosis and exocytosis.
Endocrinology: nature and mechanisms of action of hormones. - Hypothalamic-pituitary control mechanisms. Thyroid hormones. Corticosurrenal hormones. Pancreatic hormones: insulin and glucagon. Parathyroid hormone and calcitonin: calcium and phosphate metabolism. Sex hormones.
Cellular excitability: graded potentials, the action potential.
Urinary tract, Physiology of the Kidney, Hydro-electrical balance.

Integrative Neurophysiology
Motor Physiology and Sensory Physiology
Cardiovascular Physiology
Respiratory Physiology
Gastrointestinal Physiology

"Fisiologia" Stanfield, EdiSES
“Fisiologia Umana” Silverthorn, Pearson
"Principi di Fisiologia" Berne and Levy. Casa editrice Ambrosiana
It is suggested to use one of the recommended textbooks. The topics to be studied (and included in the exam) will be indicated both during lectures and via the lecture PDFs for those who do not attend. The PDFs will be sent to the mailing list. Some of the covered topics may not appear in the textbooks, and students can request reference material from the instructor (however, the necessary learning information will be provided during the lectures and indicated in the PDFs).
The best strategy for studying is to select and study the textbook topics according to the logical structure of the lectures.
To assist in studying, a list of questions will also be provided.

Lectures will be conducted in different modes: frontal and interactive. Materials for independent reading of scientific articles will be provided. Students will be required to make short presentation. Material will be provided by the lecturers to further explore some aspects of physiology.

in attendance optional

The evaluation will be conducted through an oral exam consisting of questions posed by the professors, aimed at assessing the level of knowledge acquired.

The exam is oral and divided into two parts, corresponding to the respective syllabi of the two instructors. The questions will aim to evaluate both general knowledge and scientific reasoning skills.

Each instructor will ask two (2) questions (for a total of 4 questions during the exam).

If the exam is insufficient for AT LEAST one of the instructors, the exam is not passed.

Example questions:

Instructor 1:

The action potential

The regulation of blood calcium (Ca++) levels

Instructor 2:

The mechanics of ventilation

The baroreceptor reflex

During the lectures, guidance will be provided on how to structure answers. Particular attention will be given to the ability to develop responses based on mechanistic and causal logic.

Arterial pressure as a homeostatic variable: factors that influence it and regulatory mechanisms.
To answer this question, for example, one should define arterial pressure (and mean arterial pressure) and indicate which factors (such as cardiac output) are capable of modulating it. It will also be necessary to specify the direction of modulation (for instance, what happens to mean arterial pressure if cardiac output increases) and demonstrate understanding of the underlying mechanisms.
Reasoning skills will be assessed through similar questions, for example: if one needs to reduce mean arterial pressure, aside from heart rate, which factors can be acted upon and through which neural mechanisms?

• Course
  presentation — Physiology, levels of organization, structure–function
  relationships(Date TBD)Attention: tentative
  schedule. The final schedule will be given at the beginning of the course.
  • Books: Corresponding textbook chapters and bibliographic references provided during the lectures


• Homeostasis and membrane biophysics(Date TBD)
  • Books: Corresponding textbook chapters and bibliographic references provided during the lectures


• Endocrine System 1 (Date TBD)
  • Books: Corresponding textbook chapters and bibliographic references provided during the lectures


• Endocrine System 2 (Date TBD)
  • Books: Corresponding textbook chapters and bibliographic references provided during the lectures


• Cellular excitability: graded potentials and the action potential(Date TBD)
  • Books: Corresponding textbook chapters and bibliographic references provided during the lectures


• Renal
  system and fluid–electrolyte balance (Date TBD)
  • Books: Corresponding textbook chapters and bibliographic references provided during the lectures


• Scientific literature in physiology: how to read articles and how to prepare
  presentations (1) (Date TBD)
  • Books: Corresponding textbook chapters and bibliographic references provided during the lectures


• Integrative neurophysiology; motor physiology and sensory physiology (Date TBD)
  • Books: Corresponding textbook chapters and bibliographic references provided during the lectures


• Cardiovascular Physiology (Date TBD)
  • Books: Corresponding textbook chapters and bibliographic references provided during the lectures


• Respiratory Physiology (Date TBD)
  • Books: Corresponding textbook chapters and bibliographic references provided during the lectures


• Gastrointestinal Physiology (Date TBD)
  • Books: Corresponding textbook chapters and bibliographic references provided during the lectures


• Scientific literature in physiology: how to read articles and how to prepare
  presentations (2) Date TBD)
  • Books: Corresponding textbook chapters and bibliographic references provided during the lectures


• In-class scientific presentations (Date TBD)
  • Books: Student-selected bibliographic references


• In-class scientific presentations (Date TBD)
  • Books: Student-selected bibliographic references