Health Sciences > Biochemistry > Principles of Pharmacology

Principles of Pharmacology posted by duggu on 11/23/2007

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Abstract/Syllabus

Courseware/Lectures

Test/Tutorials

Course Highlights

This course features extensive lecture notes.

Course Description

The object of the course is to teach students an approach to the study of pharmacologic agents. It is not intended to be a review of the pharmacopoeia. The focus is on the basic principles of biophysics, biochemistry and physiology, as related to the mechanisms of drug action, biodistribution and metabolism. The course consists of lectures and student-led case discussions. Topics covered include: mechanisms of drug action, dose-response relations, pharmacokinetics, drug delivery systems, drug metabolism, toxicity of pharmacological agents, drug interaction and substance abuse. Selected agents and classes of agents are examined in detail.

Syllabus

Course Overview

The course material will focus on the basic principles of biophysics, biochemistry and physiology related to drug action and interaction, distribution, metabolism and toxicity. The course will consist of lectures, a clinical demonstration session at Massachusetts General Hospital, and lecturer and student-led case discussions.

Assignments

Students must complete three assignments in this class: a case discussion, a drug evaluation report, and a problem set.

Most class sessions finish with a pair of student-led case discussions. These discussions cover some important topics in pharmacology which are either not addressed or dealt with only briefly in faculty lectures. Each case discussion will be analyzed by 2 students, and each student will be expected to give an oral presentation for about 10 minutes. These presentations may be used to satisfy part of the HST communication requirement

The drug evaluation report is a short paper dealing with a relatively new FDA-approved drug selected from a list provided by the instructors.

Exams

Students will take a midterm and final exam.

Grading

HST students taking this course will be graded on an Excellent, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory basis. The grade of Marginally Satisfactory may also be given in borderline cases. HST (or HMS) M.D. student grades will be recoded as Pass/Fail. Student evaluations will be based on written homework, classroom work and oral presentations, as well as the midterm and final examinations.

Texts

Required

Golan, D., et. al., eds. Principles of Pharmacology: The Pathophysiologic Basis of Drug Therapy. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2004. ISBN: 0781746787.

Optional

Hardman, J. G., et. al., eds. Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 10th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2001. ISBN: 0071354697.

This work, known as "G and G" (for the original editors, Goodman and Gilman), is an excellent reference many of you will want on your shelves. New editions have been coming out at roughly five year intervals.

Calendar

Calendar table.
LEC #	TOPICS	INSTRUCTORS	KEY DATES
1	Introduction Receptors / Dose-Response	Dr. Carl Rosow Prof. Gary Strichartz
2	Pharmacokinetics I Pharmacokinetics II	Prof. Carol Walsh Prof. Carol Walsh
3	Interpreting Clinical Literature Cholinergic Pharmacology Case: Anticholinesterase	Harold Demonaco Prof. Gary Strichartz Faculty
4	Drug Metabolism Pharmacogenetics Cases: Anticoagulation, Sulfasalazine	Dr. Mark Dershwitz Dr. Mark Dershwitz Students
5	Autonomic Pharmacology I Autonomic Pharmacology II Cases: Pheochromocytoma, Asthma	Dr. Carl Rosow Dr. Carl Rosow Students
6	Local Anesthetics Antidysrhythmics Cases: Poison Control, Cocaine	Prof. Gary Strichartz Dr. Jeremy Ruskin Students
7	Pharmacokinetics III Antiinflammatory Drugs Case: Glaucoma	Prof. Robert Langer Dr. Michael Weinblatt Students	Problem set due
8	Vasoactive Drugs I Vasoactive Drugs II: Heart Failure Cases: Pharmacogenetics, Thyroid Disease	Prof. Keith Baker Prof. Keith Baker Students
9	Lipid Lowering Drugs Cases: Placental Transfer, Gout	Dr. Robert Lees Students
10	Antihistamines Immunosuppression for Solid Organ Transplantation Cases: Antiemetics, Geriatric Pharmacology	Dr. Mark Dershwitz Prof. Thomas Spitzer Students
11	Midterm Exam Drug Development	Dr. Daniel Kohane
12	Neuropharmacology I: Drugs for Movement Disorders Nitric Oxide Cases: Placebo, Renal Failure	Dr. David Standaert Dr. Warren Zapol Students	Drug evaluation due
13	Neuropharmacology II: Anxiolytics and Antidepressants Neuropharmacology III: Anticonvulsants Cases: Lithium, Alcohol	Dr. David Standaert Dr. David Standaert Students
14	Antimicrobials I Antimicrobials II Cases: Drug Allergy, Migraines	Dr. Robert Rubin Dr. Robert Rubin Students
15	Chemotherapy I Chemotherapy II Cases: Folate, Oral Hypoglycemics	Dr. Donald Kufe Dr. Donald Kufe Students
16	Opioids I Opioids II Cases: Cancer - Analgesia, Drug Abuse	Dr. Carl Rosow Dr. Carl Rosow Students
17	Final Exam

Readings

Readings for this course consist of the textbook, optional papers, and some suggested supplemental sources.

Textbook readings listed are in the course textbook:

Golan, D., et. al., eds. Principles of Pharmacology: The Pathophysiologic Basis of Drug Therapy. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2004. ISBN: 0781746787.

The emphasis, particularly in long assignments like antibiotics, should be on mechanisms of action and principles of therapy rather than minutiae about individual drugs.

Course readings.
LEC #	TOPICS	TEXTBOOK READINGS	optional PAPERS
1	Introduction Receptors / Dose-Response	pp. 3-26
2	Pharmacokinetics I Pharmacokinetics II	pp. 27-43
3	Interpreting Clinical Literature Cholinergic Pharmacology Case: Anticholinesterase	pp. 55-106, and 724-725	Bernard, G. R., et. al. "Efficacy and Safety of Recombinant Human Activated Protein C for Severe Sepsis." The New England Journal of Medicine 344, no. 10 (2001): 699-709.
4	Drug Metabolism Pharmacogenetics Cases: Anticoagulation, Sulfasalazine	pp. 45-54, 803-809, and 350-353
5	Autonomic Pharmacology I Autonomic Pharmacology II Cases: Pheochromocytoma, Asthma	pp. 205-228, 71-86, 107-120, and 695-708
6	Local Anesthetics Antidysrhythmics Cases: Poison Control, Cocaine	pp. 205-228, 121-136, 267-284, and 719-743	Buxton, Alfred E., et. al. "A Randomized Study of the Prevention of Sudden Death in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease." The New England Journal of Medicine 341, no. 25 (1999): 1882-1890.
7	Pharmacokinetics III Antiinflammatory Drugs Case: Glaucoma	pp. 781-787, and 617-646	Weinblatt, Michael E., et. al. "A Trial of Etanercept, a Recombinant Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor: Fc Fusion Protein, in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Receiving Methotrexate." The New England Journal of Medicine 340, no. 4 (1999): 253-259. Edwards, David A., et. al. "Large Porous Particles for Pulmonary Drug Delivery." Science 276, no. 5320 (1997): 1868-1871. Langer, Robert J. "New Methods of Drug Delivery." Science 249, no. 4976 (1990): 1527-1533.
8	Vasoactive Drugs I Vasoactive Drugs II: Heart Failure Cases: Pharmacogenetics, Thyroid Disease	pp. 285-333, 375-399, and 415-424	Wing, Lindon M. H., et. al. "A Comparison of Outcomes with Angiotensin-converting-enzyme Inhibitors and Diuretics for Hypertension in the Elderly." The New England Journal of Medicine 348, no. 7 (2003): 583-592. The Digitalis Investigation Group. "The Effect of Digoxin on Mortality and Morbidity in Patients with Heart Failure." The New England Journal of Medicine 336, no. 8 (1997): 525-533.
9	Lipid Lowering Drugs Cases: Placental Transfer, Gout	pp. 357-374, 447, and 709-715	Knopp, Robert H. "Drug Treatment of Lipid Disorders." The New England Journal of Medicine 341, no. 7 (1999): 498-511.
10	Antihistamines Immunosuppression for Solid Organ Transplantation Cases: Antiemetics, Geriatric Pharmacology	pp. 647-654, 683-694, and 667-681	Simons, F. Estelle R. "Advances in H1-Antihistamines." The New England Journal of Medicine 351, no. 21 (2004): 2203-2217.
11	Drug Development	pp. 747-756, and 791-801	Lazo, John S., and Peter Wipf. "Combinatorial Chemistry and Contemporary Pharmacology." The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 298, no. 8 (2000): 705-709.
12	Neuropharmacology I: Drugs for Movement Disorders Nitric Oxide Cases: Placebo, Renal Failure	pp. 161-178, and 40	Ichinose, Fumito, Jesse D. Roberts, Jr., and Warren M. Zapol. "Inhaled Nitric Oxide: A Selective Pulmonary Vasodilator: Current Uses and Therapeutic Potential." Circulation 109, no. 25 (2004): 3106-3111. Steudel, Wolfgang, William E. Hurford, and Warren M. Zapol. "Inhaled Nitric Oxide: Basic Biology and Clinical Applications." Anesthesiology 91, no. 4 (1990): 1090-1121.
13	Neuropharmacology II: Anxiolytics and Antidepressants Neuropharmacology III: Anticonvulsants Cases: Lithium, Alcohol	pp. 139-159, 179-204, and 260-261
14	Antimicrobials I Antimicrobials II Cases: Drug Allergy, Migraines	pp. 493-504, 535-544, 565-578, and 603-613	Rodvold, Keith A. "Pharmacodynamics of Antiinfective Therapy: Taking What We Know to the Patient's Bedside." Pharmacotherapy 21, no. 11, Pt 2 (2001): 319S - 330S.
15	Chemotherapy I Chemotherapy II Cases: Folate, Oral Hypoglycemics	pp. 505-554, and 457-471
16	Opioids I Opioids II Cases: Cancer - Analgesia, Drug Abuse	pp. 229-263	Kieffer, B. L. "Opioids: First Lessons from Knockout Mice." Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 20, no. 1 (1999): 19-26.

Some topics will reference additional sources, including:

Hardman, J. G., et. al., eds. Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 10th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2001. ISBN: 0071354697.

Katzung, B., et. al., eds. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 9th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004. ISBN: 0071410929.

Katzung may be particularly helpful on the following topics:

Sulfasalazine and ulcerative colitis
Pheochromocytoma
Glaucoma
Teratogenesis and placental transfer
Antiemetics
Geriatric pharmacology
Placebo
Drug allergy
Migraines