Toxicology

Definition of Toxicology
- the basic science of poisons (old)
- the study of the adverse effects of
chemical agents on biological systems
(new)

Toxicology is the science that studies the harmful

effects of overexposure to drugs, environmental
contaminants, and naturally occurring substances
found in food, water, air, and soil.
What is toxicology? The study of the effects of poisons.
Poisonous substances are produced by plants, animals, or bacteria.

Phytotoxins
Zootoxins
Bacteriotoxins

Toxicant - the specific poisonous chemical.

Xenobiotic - man-made substance and/or produced by but not normally found

in the body.
 MAJOR FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE
TOXICITY

-route of administration
-duration and frequency of exposure
-dose or concentration
RAPIDITY OF RESPONSE WITH
RESPECT TO ROUTE OF EXPOSURE

-intravenous -intradermal
-inhalation -topical
-intraperitoneally
-subcutaneous
-intramuscular
SPECTRUM OF UNDERSIRED EFFECTS

-allergic reactions
-chemical allergies
-idiosyncratic reactions
-immediate vs. delayed toxicity
-reversible vs. irreversible toxicity
-local vs. systemic toxicity
 INTERACTION OF CHEMICALS

- Additive
- Synergistic
- Potentiation
- Antagonism ( functional, chemical,
dispositional, receptor)
1. Aditif  (2 + 3 = 5) pestisida
2. Sinergis  (2 + 2) = 20 ccl4 etanol
3. Potensiasi  (0 + 2) = 10 ipro ccl4
4. Antagonis  (4 + 6 ) = 8) = 8
Routes of Environmental
Exposure

Ingestion (water and food)

Absorption (through skin)
Injection (bite, puncture, or cut)
Inhalation (air)
Duration & Frequency of Exposure
Duration and frequency are also important
components of exposure and contribute to dose.

Acute exposure - less than 24 hours; usually entails a

single exposure

Repeated exposures are classified as:

– Subacute - repeated for up to 30 days
– Subchronic - repeated for 30-90 days
– Chronic -repeated for over 90 days
 Individual Responses Can Be Different

The variety of responses among organisms that get the

same dose of chemical is due to individual susceptibility.
Dose and individual susceptibility play roles in all situations
involving chemicals, including those making medicine and
caffeine.
How Does the Body Prevent the
Actions of Xenobiotics ?
1) Redistribution
2) Excretion – (primarily water soluble compounds)
- kidney and liver
3) Metabolism – the major mechanism for terminating
xenobiotic activity, and is frequently the single most
important determinant of the duration and intensity of
toxic responses to a xenobiotic.
- LIVER, kidney, lung, GI, and others

Note: 1) and 2) are highly dependent upon 3)

 How Xenobiotics Cause Toxicity
Some xenobiotics cause toxicity by disrupting normal cell functions:

– Bind and damage proteins (structural, enzymes)

– Bind and damage DNA (mutations)

– Bind and damage lipids

– React in the cell with oxygen to form

“free radicals” which damage lipid, protein,
and DNA
 Types of Toxic Effects
Death - arsenic, cyanide

Organ Damage - ozone, lead

Mutagenesis - UV light

Carcinogenesis - benzene, asbestos

Teratogenesis - thalidomide
 Target Organ Toxicity

Central Nervous System – lead

Immune System - isocyanates
Liver - ethanol, acetaminophen
Respiratory Tract - tobacco smoke,
asbestos, ozone
Eye - UV light (sunlight)
Kidney - metals
Skin - UV light, gold, nickel
Reproductive System –
dibromochloropropane