Toxicology

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2022-2023

Topic

Toxicology as a subject deals with the toxic (including teratogenic and carcinogenic) effects of drugs and xenobiotics (metals, solvents, toxic gases, pesticides, 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: Occurrence and classification. Causes of poisoning-related death. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 2. Management of the poisoned patient: Emergency care, diagnostics, antidotes, decontamination, enhancement of the elimination of toxicants, supportive treatment. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 3. Drug intoxications I. - Drugs decreasing consciousness. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 4. Drug intoxications II. - Drugs causing agitation. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 5. Drug intoxications III. - Drugs causing cardiac dysfunction. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 6. Drug intoxications IV. - Drugs causing metabolic disorder or tissue necrosis. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 7. Toxic hypoxias I. - Toxic gases (carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and cyanogen compounds, hydrogen sulfide). - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 8. Toxic hypoxias II. - Methemoglobin formers. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 9. Toxicology of solvents I. - General properties, hydrocarbons and their halogenated derivatives. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 10. Toxicology of solvents II. - Alcohols and carbon disulfide. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 11. Toxicology of metals I. - General properties, protective mechanisms, metal chelators. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 12. Toxicology of metals II. - Lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 13. Toxicology of pesticides. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 14. Endocrine disruptors. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 15. Summary, consultation I. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 16. Summary, consultation II. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 17. Teratogenesis I. - Historical examples, human chemical teratogens. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 18. Teratogenesis II. - Teratogenic drugs, developmental toxicology. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 19. Poisonous mushrooms. - Hartnerné Dr. Pohóczky Krisztina
• 20. Chemical warfare agents. - Hartnerné Dr. Pohóczky Krisztina
• 21. Chemical carcinogenesis I. - Historical examples, genotoxic carcinogens. - Hartnerné Dr. Pohóczky Krisztina
• 22. Chemical carcinogenesis II. - Non-genotoxic carcinogens, the process of carcinogenesis. - Hartnerné Dr. Pohóczky Krisztina
• 23. Toxicity testing. - Hartnerné Dr. Pohóczky Krisztina
• 24. Risk assessment. - Hartnerné Dr. Pohóczky Krisztina
• 25. Summary, consultation II. - Dr. Poór Miklós
• 26. Summary, consultation IV. - Dr. Poór Miklós

Practices

Seminars

Reading material

Obligatory literature

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Literature developed by the Department

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

Notes

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Recommended literature

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

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Maximum of 25 % absence allowed

Mid-term exams

Students are required to take two mid-semester written tests, which are scheduled for weeks 8 and 13, 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 70%. On the other hand, those not achieve the 50% limit in the mid-term tests will get extra topics 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 70% 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.
2. Management of the poisoned patient: emergency care, diagnostics, decontamination, antidotes, enhancement of the elimination of toxicants, supportive care.
3. Drug intoxications I: drugs decreasing consciousness, drugs causing agitation.
4. Drug intoxications II: drugs causing cardiac dysfunction, 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 and Endocrine disruptors.
9. Teratogenicity, chemical teratogens.
10. Poisonous mushrooms and Chemical warfare agents.
11. Chemical carcinogenesis.
12. Toxicity tests, risk assessment.

Examiners

• Dr. Poór Miklós

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars