Toxicology

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2024-2025

Topic

Toxicology, as a subject, deals with the toxic (including teratogenic and carcinogenic) effects of drugs and xenobiotics (metals, solvents, toxic gases, pesticides, endocrine disruptors, mushroom- and plant-derived toxins, etc.) caused by overdose or excessive exposure. It describes the general aspects of toxicology, the mechanisms of toxicity (including the major influencing factors), the harmful effects and the corresponding symptoms, the diagnostics of the adverse health effects, as well as their prevention and treatment. In addition, toxicity testing and risk assessment of chemicals are also shortly discussed.

Lectures

• 1.

  Basic principles of toxicology. Human intoxications. Causes of poisoning-related death.

  - Hartnerné Pohóczky Krisztina
• 2.

  Management of the poisoned patient.

  - Hartnerné Pohóczky Krisztina
• 3.

  Drug intoxications I. - Drugs decreasing consciousness.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 4.

  Drug intoxications II. - Drugs causing agitation.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 5.

  Drug intoxications III. - Drugs causing cardiac dysfunction, drugs disrupting blood coagulation.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 6.

  Drug intoxications IV. - Drugs causing metabolic disorder or tissue necrosis.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 7.

  Toxic hypoxias I. - Toxic gases.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 8.

  Toxic hypoxias II. - Methemoglobin formers.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 9.

  Toxicology of solvents I. - General properties, hydrocarbons and their halogenated derivatives.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 10.

  Toxicology of solvents II. - Alcohols and carbon disulfide.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 11.

  Toxicology of metals I. - General properties, protective mechanisms, metal chelators.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 12.

  Toxicology of metals II. - Lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 13.

  Summary, consultation I.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 14.

  Summary, consultation II.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 15.

  Toxicology of pesticides.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 16.

  Endocrine disruptors.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 17.

  Teratogenesis I. - Historical examples, human chemical teratogens.

  - Hartnerné Pohóczky Krisztina
• 18.

  Teratogenesis II. - Teratogenic drugs, developmental toxicology.

  - Hartnerné Pohóczky Krisztina
• 19.

  Poisonous mushrooms.

  - Hartnerné Pohóczky Krisztina
• 20.

  Chemical warfare agents.

  - Hartnerné Pohóczky Krisztina
• 21.

  Chemical carcinogenesis I. - Historical examples, genotoxic carcinogens.

  - Hartnerné Pohóczky Krisztina
• 22.

  Chemical carcinogenesis II. - Non-genotoxic carcinogens, the process of carcinogenesis.

  - Hartnerné Pohóczky Krisztina
• 23.

  Toxicity testing.

  - Dombi Ágnes
• 24.

  Risk assessment.

  - Dombi Ágnes
• 25.

  Summary, consultation III.

  - Kriszta Gábor
• 26.

  Summary, consultation IV.

  - Kriszta Gábor

Practices

Seminars

Reading material

Obligatory literature

-

Literature developed by the Department

Slides of each lecture will be available for the students on Neptun Meet Street.

Notes

-

Recommended literature

Casarett & Doull's Toxicology, 9th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2019.

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

None

Mid-term exams

Students are required to take two mid-semester written tests, which are scheduled for weeks 7 and 14, approximately. These tests will contain multiple choice and short essay type questions. The average score of these two mid-semester tests (%) will be evaluated. We will offer a final grade for those reaching a mid-term result of at least 60%. On the other hand, those do not achieve the 50% limit in the mid-term tests will get one extra topic during their oral exam.

Making up for missed classes

Missed classes cannot be made up.

Exam topics/questions

The exam includes each topic discussed during the lectures and presented in lecture slides (available in Neptun Meet Street). Those have not achieved at least 60% in mid-term tests have to take an oral exam (during the exam period). In addition to the exam topics, an important part of the exam is answering questions that aim at assessing the general knowledge of the student. Students have to discuss in details two major exam questions; however, those who did not achieve 50% in the mid-term tests need to explain one additional topic as well.

Exam topics/questions:
1. The scope of toxicology (human intoxications: occurrence and classification. causes of poisoning-related death), management of the poisoned patient (emergency care, diagnostics, decontamination, antidotes, enhancement of the elimination of toxicants, supportive care).
2. Drug intoxications I: drugs decreasing consciousness, drugs causing agitation.
3. Drug intoxications II: drugs causing cardiac dysfunction, drugs interrupting blood coagulation.
4. Drug intoxications III: drugs causing metabolic disorders or tissue necrosis.
5. Toxic hypoxias: carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and cyanogen compounds, hydrogen sulfide, methemoglobin formers.
6. Toxicology of solvents: hydrocarbons and their halogenated derivatives, alcohols, carbon disulfide.
7. Toxicology of metals: metal chelators, protective mechanisms, toxic effects of metals.
8. Toxicology of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and fumigants), endocrine disruptors.
9. Teratogens and teratogenesis.
10. Poisonous mushrooms, chemical warfare agents.
11. Chemical carcinogenesis, toxicity testing, and risk assessment.

Examiners

• Hartnerné Pohóczky Krisztina
• Kriszta Gábor

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars