Educational offer - University of Padova

Syllabus

Prerequisites:	There are no specific requirements. Helpful the knowledge about form, structure and functions of simplified or complex living organisms and related bio-molecular mechanisms Required foundation courses: none
Target skills and knowledge:	Knowledge about toxicity (including toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics) of foremost classes of xenobiotics, either of natural or anthropogenic origin, likely found in foodstuffs to be used in animals and humans. Knowledge about foremost pharmacogenetic and toxicogenomic general principles and methodologies and specific toxicologic biomarkers; basic information about in vitro methods (i.e., cell cultures) used in pharmaco-toxicological bio-molecular studies as well as analytical techniques used for the detection of residues in food from animal producing species. Principles of methods validation and method comparison; immunological techniques and their application; knowledge and interpretation of clinico-pathological alterations due to toxic injury against the main systems and/or organs.
Examination methods:	Oral exam The examination will be performed the same day for the 3 modules. For each module, two open questions and one short question will be asked. In details, open questions will concern: - a molecular mechanism of toxicity; a class of toxic compounds; - in vitro toxicology; toxicogenomics/pharmacogenetics; - analitical methods; tissue-specific biomarkers.
Assessment criteria:	Evaluation of the acquired knowledge about specific arguments; the student’s capability to discuss and solve specific problems and make by itself intra- and inter-disciplinary connections; the use of a specific scientific language
Course unit contents:	FOOD TOXICOLOGY (3 UFC) Fundamental toxicology: toxicokinetics, toxicodynamics, bioactivation, dose-response curve, acute, subacute and chronic toxicity, chemical carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, reproductive toxicology. Fundamental molecular toxicology: oxidative stress, altered calcium homeostasis, impairment of cell proliferation, covalent binding, enzymes and other proteins inactivation, interaction with ion transporters, nuclear receptor-mediated toxicity, altered cellular signal transduction, mitochondrial toxicity Toxic phytochemicals: favism, goitrogens, cyanogenetic glycosides, phytoalexin. Toxin from fungi: mycotoxins, amanita phalloides Natural toxins in marine foodstuffs Anthropogenic contaminants: plychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins (PCDDs), heavy metals. Pesticides: insecticides, herbicides. Toxicants formed during food processing: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polycyclic aromatic amines (PAAs), N-nitrosamines, acrylamide. PHARMACOGENETICS, TOXICOGENOMICS AND IN VITRO TOXICOLOGY (6 UFC) Basic knowledge about in vitro methods; the cellular biology laboratory, medium and reagents; cell cultures and validation of alternative in vitro methods. Cytotoxicity studies. In vitro methods for the study of metabolism. In vitro studies on expression and regulation of drug metabolizing enzymes. Use of transfection, infection and gene silencing in toxicology. Biomarkers, definition, classification and examples. Pharmacogenetics: principles and techniques. Toxicogenomics: principles and techniques. Surrogate tissue analysis. Examples of the application of recent methodologies in residues toxicology, environmental toxicology, food toxicology. Lab sessions: spectrophotometric determination of acetyilcholinesterase activity in bovine serum; cells thawing and seeding; medium changing, trypsinization and freezing; incubation with xenobiotics and cytotoxicity testing; enzyme immunoassay (ELISA kit) for the detection of saxitoxins. TOXICOLOGIC PATHOLOGY (3 UFC) In vivo methods: principles of method validation and method comparison. Principles of immunological techniques. Biomarkers of tissue-specific toxic damages: main clinic-pathological alterations in renal and hepatic injury and in damages against hematopoietic and immune, central nervous and cardiovascular system. Case discussion.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods:	Altogether, the course includes: 80 hours of frontal teaching 16 hours of practicals and hands on teaching 1 round of supplementary practicals and hands on teaching
Additional notes about suggested reading:	Microsoft Power Point slide presentations are available on Moodle platform (https://elearning.unipd.it/scuolaamv/). Consulting hour: by appointment with the lecturer
Textbooks (and optional supplementary readings)	Shibamoto T.& Bjeldanes L.F. (Eds.), Introduction to Food Toxicology, 2nd Edition. --: Academic Press (Elsevier), 2009. ISBN: 978-0-12-374286-5 Dolara, P., TOX – Lezioni di Tossicologia. --: Firenze University Press, 2006. ISBN 88-8453-412-7 Boelsterli U.A. (Ed.), Mechanistic toxicology, 2nd edition. --: Taylor & Francis, 2009. ISBN: 0-8493-7272-0 G.O. Evans, Animal Clinical Chemistry: A Practical Handbook for Toxicologists and Biomedical Researchers. --: CRC Press, --. ISBN 978-1420080117 A. Wallace Hayes, Claire L. Kruger, Hayes' Principles and Methods of Toxicology. --: CRC Press, --. ISBN 9781842145364