Pharmacology Lecture: Toxicology and Post-Marketing Surveillance

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the PCL 511 pharmacology lecture notes on toxicology, history, mechanisms of toxic action, management principles, and post-marketing surveillance.

Toxicology

A multidisciplinary science focusing on the study of the harmful effects of chemical agents, such as drugs at excessive doses, and the adverse effects of xenobiotics on living systems.

Mathieu Orfila

Considered the modern father of toxicology, having published Traité des poisons (Toxicologie générale) in 1813.

Jean Stas

The first person, in 1850, to successfully isolate plant poisons from human tissue, allowing for the identification of nicotine in a murder case.

Theophrastus Phillipus Auroleus Bombastus von Hohenheim (Paracelsus)

A 16th-century physician considered the "Father of Toxicology" who articulated the maxim: "All things are poisonous and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing not poisonous."

Analytical toxicology

The branch of toxicology dealing with the detection and assay of poisonous chemicals and their metabolites that could affect the biological system.

Applied toxicology

The application of modern methods or technologies for the early detection of toxicants in field settings or practice areas.

Clinical toxicology

The branch mainly involved in the study of the diagnosis and treatment of poisoning occurring in humans.

Veterinary toxicology

Focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of animal poisoning, including the transmission of toxins from animals to humans via food sources like milk and meat.

Environmental toxicology

The study of toxicants, their metabolites, and degradation products in the environment and their effects on humans and animals.

Forensic toxicology

The use of toxicology alongside analytical chemistry and pharmacology to aid medical and legal investigations of death, poisoning, and drug use.

Computational toxicology

A discipline that develops mathematical and computer-based models to understand and predict adverse health effects caused by chemicals.

Toxicokinetics

The study of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of toxins.

Toxicodynamics

The study of the toxic doses of therapeutic agents and their metabolites.

Simple asphyxiants

Inert gases and non-reactive substances that cause toxicity through oxygen deprivation ($\text{anoxia}$) to the central nervous system.

$CO$ (Carbon Monoxide)

A chemical asphyxiant that competes with oxygen for binding to hemoglobin in red blood cells, depriving tissues of oxygen for energy metabolism.

Cyanide

A potent chemical asphyxiant that interferes with cellular metabolism and the utilization of oxygen for energy.

CNS depressants

Materials like solvents that cause sedation or unconsciousness by interacting with CNS cell membranes to impair electrical and chemical signal transmission.

Chemical sensitization

A toxic mechanism in the skin where the immune system recognizes an altered protein-bound complex as foreign, leading to the release of cytokines upon subsequent exposure.

Anticholinesterase inhibition

The primary mechanism of organophosphate pesticides, where the enzyme acetylcholinesterase ($AChE$) is inhibited, leading to overstimulation of the cholinergic nervous system.

Atropine

A treatment for organophosphate toxicity that works by blocking the effects of acetylcholine.

Pralidoxime chloride

A treatment for organophosphate toxicity that reactivates the inhibited enzyme acetylcholinesterase ($AChE$).

Antidote

A drug or chemical that antagonizes the toxicity of a poison by preventing absorption, neutralizing the agent, or inhibiting its conversion to toxic metabolites.

Syrup of ipecac

A gastric irritant and stimulant of the chemoreceptor trigger zone in the brain used to induce emesis within two to three hours of chemical ingestion.

Gastric lavage

The physical removal of chemicals from the stomach through repeated washings with water or innocuous solvents.

Activated charcoal

An adsorbent used to alter the physicochemical properties of a chemical and prevent its passage across the gastric mucosa; common dose is 50 mg in 400 ml of water.

Naloxone

A complete antagonist of the opioid narcotic receptor used in the diagnosis and management of narcotic overdose.

Flumazenil (Anexate)

A virtually complete antagonist of the benzodiazepine receptor used in managing benzodiazepine intoxication.

Toxicological evaluation (Safety assessment)

Conducted to determine the degree to which a substance can damage living or non-living organisms, consisting of acute, subacute, and chronic studies.

Acute toxicity studies

Studies providing information on health hazards from short-term exposure, where the animal is exposed to the test material once on a single day.

Subchronic toxicity studies

Tests that provide information on health hazards from repeated exposures over a period up to approximately 30% of the lifetime of a rodent.

Chronic toxicity studies

Studies used to assess potential hazards from prolonged and repeated exposure over 12 to 24 months, with an emphasis on detecting tumors.

Teratogenicity (Developmental toxicity)

The study of adverse developmental effects in offspring, such as death, structural abnormalities, or functional deficiencies, resulting from maternal exposure during pregnancy.

Post marketing surveillance (PMS)

The practice of monitoring the safety, quality, and efficacy of a pharmaceutical drug or medical device after it has been released to the market.

Pharmacovigilance (PV)

The science and activities related to the detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) or any other drug-related problems.

Phase 4 trials

Studies conducted after drug approval to determine long-term safety and effectiveness, and to identify adverse effects not apparent in prior trials, typically involving thousands of participants.