Toxicological Biochemistry   (424B2)

Academic year:

2024/2025.

Attendance requirements:

201B2 + 202B2 + 062B2

ECTS:

6

Study level:

Study program:

Teacher:

Milan R. Nikolić, Ph.D.
associate professor, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd

Assistant:

Tamara N. Lujić
research assistant, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd

Hours of instruction:

Weekly: two hours of lectures + three hours of labwork (2+0+3)

Goals:

The goal of this course is to help students acquire knowledge of the interactions of toxic (foreign) substances and the human body at the molecular level, biotransformations and bioactivation/bioinactivation of toxic substances, their interactions with bio(macro)molecules, and to help students master experimental skills necessary for working in toxicology laboratories.

Outcome:

Students understand: general concepts in toxicology; the process of biotransformation of foreign substances; the molecular aspects of the toxic effects of substances, the relationship between the structure and the activity of toxic substances; biochemical foundations of the manifestation of the toxicity of substances in target organs. Students have mastered the basic methods and techniques used in biochemical toxicology laboratories.

Teaching methods:

Lectures, experimental exercises, term paper.

Extracurricular activities:

—

Coursebooks:

Main coursebooks:

• Casarett & Doull's Essentials of Toxicology, Third Edition (Lange). 2015. McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN-13: 978-0071847087.
• Ljuba Mandić: Uputstva za vežbe iz toksikološke biohemije (interni materijal).
• Lectures' power-point presentations (Professor Dr. Ljuba Mandić and Dr. Milan Nikolić).

Supplementary coursebooks:

• John A. Timbrell. Principles of Biochemical Toxicology, 4th Edition. 2008. CRC Press. ISBN-13: 978-0849373022.

• Selected review papers.

Additional material:

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Lectures:

10 points (2 hours a week)

Syllabus:

Teaching units:

1. The subject, historical development, multidisciplinary character and biochemical significance of toxicology as the "science of poisons";
2. Biochemical fate of toxic substances in the human body (intake, absorption, transport, distribution, deposition and elimination of toxicants);
3. Biotransformations of xenobiotics (phase I and phase II reactions, bio(in)activation and detoxification of toxicants) and the factors which influence these processes;
4. Biochemical mechanisms of the toxicity of xenobiotics (acute and chronic toxicity, mutagenicity, genotoxicity/carcinogenicity, teratogenicity of toxicants);
5. Toxic effects of xenobiotics/toxicants on target tissues and organs (blood, skin, liver, kidneys, lungs, nervous system).

Labwork:

20 points (3 hours a week)

Syllabus:

Topics:

• Examination of the toxic effects of heavy metals.
• Examination of the toxic effects of gases.
• Examination of the toxic effects of organic solvents.
• Examination of the toxic effects of pesticides.
• Toxicity testing of xenobiotics.

Semester papers:

20 points

Oral exam:

50 points