The overall subject consists of two components (i) a section dealing with systematic pharmacology and (ii) a basic course in biochemistry. The principal aim of the pharmacology course is to provide students with a knowledge of systematic pharmacology based on drug groups and to extend physiological and pathophysiological concepts in relation to the uses of drugs, their mechanisms of action and their side effects. The aim of the biochemistry course is to provide students with an understanding of biochemistry and of biochemical concepts as a base for later work in other subjects within the pharmaceutical sciences.
General objectives
In this teaching program students are expected to develop:
understanding of principles of receptor differentiation, drug-receptor interactions and receptor transduction mechanisms; pharmacological mechanisms by which drugs of various classes may alter biochemical, physiological or pathophysiological parameters to produce therapeutic or unwanted effects; the basic biochemistry of body constituents, metabolism, regulatory mechanisms and molecular biology;
abilities in the areas of observation and measurement of pharmacological and biochemical processes; assessment and integration of pharmacological information as it relates to wanted and unwanted effects produced by drugs;
an appreciation of integrated physiological functions, pathophysiological sequelae and pharmacological perturbations as they affect bodily functions; the differing pharmacological approaches available for the treatment of individual diseases; the pharmacists' role in optimising drug therapy.
Syllabus
n Pharmacology
78 lectures, 10 tutorials and 54 hours of practical work
Pharmacology of neuroeffector systems. Humoral transmission. Historical background. Synthesis, storage, release, metabolism and termination of action of acetylcholine, noradrenaline and other transmitters. Modulation of transmitter release. Pharmacological actions of acetylcholine, noradrenaline and other neurotransmitters. Drugs which mimic and antagonise the muscarinic and nicotinic actions of acetylcholine. Skeletal neuromuscular function, myasthenia gravis, competitive and depolarising blocking drugs. Agonists and antagonists at a- and b- adrenoceptors. Drugs affecting the synthesis, storage, release and inactivation of neurotransmitters. The role of calcium in transmission and effector organ function. Membrane stabilisers and labilisers. Local anaesthetics. Neurotoxins and muscle toxins.
Autacoids. Synthesis, storage, release, metabolism and pharmacological actions of substances such as histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, kinins, prostaglandins and various peptides. Substances released during anaphylaxis. Antigen-antibody reactions as they affect allergic and inflammatory states. Drugs used in the treatment of allergies, acute inflammatory conditions and collagen diseases.
Drug-receptor interaction. Receptors. Theories of drug action. Kinetics of drug-receptor interactions. Agonists, antagonists, drug-receptor binding studies, receptor-response coupling, second messenger systems. Ion channels and their regulation.
Cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology. Cardiac output, its modulation, measurement and regulation. Circulation. Haemodynamics, pressures and flow in arteries, capillaries and veins, the systemic circulation, nervous and humoral control, auto-regulation. Blood flow through special regions, the pulmonary, coronary, splanchnic, muscle and skin circulation. Integrative analysis of the circulation. Hypertension and its consequences. Antihypertensive drugs, mechanisms of action, side effects and clinical uses.
Renal physiology and pharmacology. Ultrastructure of the kidney. The formation of urine. Active transport systems in the nephron, competition, saturation and inhibition. Regulation of acid-base and water balance. Diuretics, mechanisms of action. Mobilisation of oedema fluid. Treatment of diuretic-induced hypokalemia. Aldosterone and the renin-angiotensin system, spironolactone. Renal disease.
The central nervous system. Anatomy of the human brain, spinal cord and cranial nerves. Blood supply, cerebrospinal fluid. Location of sensory, motor and association areas. Somatic and autonomic reflex arcs. CNS transmitters and their function. Sensory pathways with particular relevance to pain. Pyramidal and extrapyramidal motor systems. Control of spasticity. Medullary and hypothalamic function. Basic pharmacology of morphine and opioids, benzodiazepines, phenothiazines, central muscle relaxants, antidepressants, hallucinogens and methylxanthines.
Practical
Practical classes are designed to provide experience through in vivo and in vitro experiments, seminars and discussion groups to illustrate and extend principles discussed in the lecture course.
Recommended texts
Bowman W C and Rand M J Textbook of pharmacology 2nd edn, Blackwell Scientific, 1980
Ganong W F Review of medical physiology 16th edn, Appleton and Lange, 1993
Katzung B G Basic and clinical pharmacology 5th edn, Appleton and Lange, 1992
Rang H P and Dale M M Pharmacology 2nd edn, Churchill Livingstone, 1991
Victorian College of Pharmacy Pharmacology I laboratory manual VCP, 1995
Reference books
Clarke W G and others Goth's `Medical pharmacology: Principles and concepts' 13th edn, Mosby, 1992
Goodman L S and Gilman A The pharmacological basis of therapeutics 8th edn, Macmillan, 1990
Laurence D R and Bennett P N Clinical pharmacology 7th edn, Churchill Livingstone, 1992
Lullmann H and others Color atlas of pharmacology Thieme, 1993
Netter F H Heart (Ciba collection of medical illustration, vol. 5) Ciba Foundation, 1969
Netter F H Nervous system (Ciba collection of medical illustration, vol. 1) rev. edn, Ciba Pharmaceutical, 1983-1986
Vander A J and others Human physiology 6th edn, McGraw-Hill, 1994
n Biochemistry
Dr Helen Irving
26 lectures, 3 tutorials and 18 hours of practical work
Chemistry of biological compounds
Carbohydrates. Definition; functions; classification; monosaccharides, optical isomerism, aldoses and ketoses, ring structures, phosphate esters, acid and amine sugars, chemical properties; structures of disaccharides and polysaccharides.
Lipids. Definition, classification; functions; neutral fats, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids; waxes; phospholipids; spingomyelins; cerebrosides; steroids; fat-soluble vitamins; serum lipoproteins.
Proteins. Definition; structures and classification of amino acids; zwitterions; chemical reactions; peptide bonds; primary structure of proteins; properties due to side chains, electrophoresis; chain conformation; quaternary structure; denaturation; classification.
Nucleic acids. Definition; purine and pyrimidine bases, nucleosides, nucleotides, structure of DNA and RNA; nucleoproteins.
Metabolism
Enzymes. Definition; physical factors influencing reaction rates; specificity; mechanism of action; Michaelis-Menten kinetics; inhibition; classification; cofactors; allosteric enzymes.
Bioenergetics. Concept of free energy change; energy rich compounds; coupled reactions; oxidative phosphorylation; inhibitors.
Digestion. Action of enzymes secreted into mouth, stomach, small intestine; action of bile salts; absorption of monosaccharides, amino acids and lipids.
Carbohydrate metabolism. Embden-Meyerhof pathway; anaerobic glycolysis; tricarboxylic acid cycle; net ATP production; glycogenesis; glycogenolysis; pentose phosphate pathway; gluconeogenesis; hormonal regulation.
Lipid metabolism. Beta-oxidation of fatty acids; ketogenesis; ATP production; fatty acid synthesis; cholesterol synthesis; relationship of serum lipids to atherosclerosis; drugs controlling serum lipids; hormonal influences.
Amino acid and protein metabolism. Essential amino acids; transamination; deamination; urea formation; fate of carbon skeleton; inborn errors of metabolism; precursor functions and amino acids.
Molecular biology. DNA as genetic material; DNA synthesis; mutagenesis; DNA repair; recombinant DNA; genetic code; RNA and protein synthesis.
Regulatory mechanisms in control of cell metabolism. Cell compartmentation; regulation of enzyme protein synthesis and degradation; activation and deactivation of preexisting enzymes.
Practical
Practical classes are designed to provide experience through experiments and discussion groups to illustrate and extend principles discussed in the lecture course.
Recommended texts
Lehninger A L Principles of biochemistry 2nd edn, Worth, 1993
Murray R K and others Harper's biochemistry 23rd edn, Appleton and Lange, 1993
Victorian College of Pharmacy Biochemistry laboratory manual VCP, 1995
Reference books
Alberts B and others Molecular biology of the cell 3rd edn, Garland, 1994
Conn E E and others Outlines of biochemistry 5th edn, Wiley, 1987
Stryer L Biochemistry 3rd edn, Freeman, 1988
Assessment
Subject assessment will reflect the learning objectives outlined above. Methods of assessment will include:
Mid-year examination (June) (1 hour): 11%
Biochemistry examination (June) (1.5 hours): 25%
Practical work: 11%
End-of-year examination (3 hours): 53%