Poison effect is either be:

1.Quantitative

2.Qualitative

TOXICANT SOURCES:
•Exposure of humans and other organisms to toxicants may result from many
activities:

1-intentional ingestion
2-occupational exposure
3-environmental exposure
4-Accidental and intentional (suicidal or homicidal) poisoning.

Ways of exposure:
•entry into the body, whether through
1-The alimentary canal
2-The lungs
3-The skin.

Importance of Toxicology:
•Toxicology serves society in many ways:

1.To protect humans and the environment from the deleterious effects of toxicants

2.To facilitate the development of more selective toxicants such as anticancer and
other clinical drugs and pesticides.

Exposure duration:

1.Acute: < 24hr, usually 1 exposure

2.Subacute: 1 month, repeated doses

3.Subchronic: 1-3month, repeated doses

4.Chronic: > 3month, repeated doses

Types of Toxicology:

1.Basic or fundamental toxicology

2.Clinical toxicology: toxicants-induced diseases uniquely: Is the diagnosis and

treatment of human poisoning. Clinical toxicologist

3.Veterinary toxicology: is the diagnosis and treatment of poisoning in animals other

than humans.
4.Forensic toxicology: medico-legal aspects of chemicals. which combines analytical
chemistry and fundamental toxicology Forensic toxicologist

5.Occupational toxicology: deals with the toxicants at the workplace, important

parameter is Threshold Limit Value (TLV).
6.Environmental toxicology: pollutants of the environment, on living organisms,
important parameter is Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI).
7.Eco-toxicology: toxicant effects on populations within defined ecosystems,
Traditional toxicology is concerned with toxic effects on individual organisms
8.Nano-toxicology: the effects of nanoparticles on human health.

TOXIC ACTIONS MODES:

1-Biochemical and molecular toxicology: consider events at the biochemical and
molecular levels,
•Including enzymes that metabolize xenobiotics, generation of reactive
intermediates, interaction of xenobioticsor their metabolites with macromolecules,
gene expression, and signaling pathways in toxic action.
2-Behavioral toxicology:deals with the effects of toxicants on animal and human
behavior, which is the final integrated expression of nervous function in the intact
animal.
•This involves both the peripheral and central nervous systems, as well as effects
mediated by other organ systems, such as the endocrine glands.
3-Nutritional toxicology: deals with the effects of diet on the expression of toxicity
and with the mechanisms of these effects.
4-Carcinogenesis: includes the chemical, biochemical, and molecular events that
lead to the large number of effects on cell growth collectively known as cancer.
5-Teratogenesis: includes the chemical, biochemical, and molecular events that lead
to deleterious effects on development of the fetus.
6-Mutagenesis:is concerned with toxic effects on the genetic material and the
inheritance of these effects.
7-Organ toxicity: considers effects at the level of organ function (neurotoxicity,
hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, etc.).

•Toxicological studies level (Research):

1.Epidemiology research

2.In vitro human research

3.In vitro animals research

4.In vivo research

Basic areas of
Toxicology
1. Descriptive toxicology:
•Is concerned directly with
toxicity testing either in vivo on
animals or in vitro in cell
culture (degree of toxicity)
which provides information for
safety evaluation and
regulatory requirements for
humans and environments.
2. Mechanistic toxicology:
•Identifying and understanding
the cellular, biochemical, and
molecular mechanisms by
which chemicals exert toxic
effects on living organisms.
•Aid in identification of risk
(relevant or not relevant) and
rational use

-Organsphosphatepesticides =
relevant
-Saccharine and bladder cancer
= not relevant
•Toxicogenomic:is a
recommended new era
(succinylcholine)

3. Regulatory toxicology:
•Is based on mechanistic and
descriptive .
•The responsibility for deciding
whether a drug or chemical
poses a low risk to be marked
(Determine the risk of human
used chemicals)
•Evaluate exposure to toxic
substances.
•Regulatory bodies:

1) Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA)
⇒Chemicals and other
toxicants in air or water
2) Food and drug
administration (FDA)
⇒Food and Drugs
Toxicodynamics:
•Biological or biochemical effect
of toxins:

A-Organ Vs non organ effects:

I-Organ toxicity (hepatotoxic)
II-Non organ toxicity:
•Carcinogenic
•Teratogenic
•Mutagenic (toxic to gene)
•Immunotoxic
•Neurotoxic(behavioral change)
B-Immediate Vs delayed effect
C-Reversible Vs irreversible effect
D-Local Vs systemic effect