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Bi6930 Immunotoxicology

Faculty of Science
Spring 2009

Extent and Intensity

2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

doc. RNDr. Luděk Bláha, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Supervisor

prof. RNDr. Ivan Holoubek, CSc.
Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX) - Chemistry Section - Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Luděk Bláha, Ph.D.

Timetable

Wed 14:00–15:50 kamenice

Course Enrollment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.

Fields of study the course is directly associated with

General Biology (programme PřF, M-BI, specialization Ekotoxikology)
General Biology (programme PřF, N-BI, specialization Ekotoxikologie)

Course objectives

Main objective of the lectures is to introduce immune system as the organ sensitive to external factors including toxic chemicals. Students will learn about immunotoxicology - research branch studying effects of stressors (mainly chemical compounds) on immune system and the importance of immune system changes for organism health. Students will be able to describe and discuss immune system, its components, function, communication etc. Students will learn about experimental design in immunotoxicology, and will be able to use, interpret and analyze results of the tiered approach, laboratory methods in immunotoxicology, including discussions of factors affecting immune system. Students will be able to classify toxicants (drugs, pollutants, etc.), and describe ecological immunotoxicology (invertebrates, fish, amphibians).

Syllabus

1. Immunotoxicology. Introduction, history, aims and scopes, human immunotoxicology, ecological immunotoxicology. 2. Immune system. Components of immune system, function, communication, immune system as a target of xenobiotics. Immune system as a part of an organism - interactions, controls, homeostasis, (xeno-)estrogens. 3. Experimental design in immunotoxicology. Exposure, response. "Tier I" and "Tier II" methods. Animal models in immunotoxicology, batteries of immunotoxicology tests. 4. Laboratory methods in immunotoxicology. Assays of immunocompetence, macrophage function assays, host resistance, antitumor immunity, hypersensitivity, autoimmunity. 5. Special immunotoxicology 1 - introduction. Factors affecting immune system (climate, geography, biorhythms, stress, social habits, chemicals, irradiation and other physico-chemical factors). 6. Special immunotoxicology 2 - immunotoxicology of drugs (antibiotics, important pharamceuticals, immunosuppressives a immunomodulators, antitumor therapy). 7. Special immunotoxicology 3 - immunotoxicology of pollutants (metals, pesticides, industrial chemicals - PCBs, PAHs, PCDD(F)s, other organic pollutants, azbestosis, silikosis). 8. Ecological immunotoxicology. Animal immune system and interactions with xenobiotics. Invertebrates, fish, amphibians, birds, mammals. Markers of immune system alterations, ecological consequences. Case studies. 9. Risk assessment. Immunotoxicology as a branch of general toxicology, hazard identification, uncertainities.

Literature

Immunotoxicology and immunopharmacology. Edited by Jack H. Dean. 2nd ed. New York: Raven Press, 1994. xxi, 761 s. ISBN 0-7817-0219-4. info
Wagner, V., Wagnerová, M. Ekoimunologie, Avicenum, 1988, Praha
Ferenčík, M. Immunochémia, Alfa, 1989, Bratislava

Assessment methods