Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “TOXICOLOGY”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

On-line sources of toxicological information in Canada.

This paper will provide an overview of the on-line resources available in toxicology in Canada. It will describe a brief history of The Society of Toxicology of Canada, with reference to other societies and also provide information on education, research and other resources related to toxicology. Toxicology in Canada emerged as a distinct and vibrant discipline following the thalidomide tragedy of the 1960s. In the pharmaceutical industry and government, toxicology was readily established as an essential component of drug development and safety, and as the need for toxicologists expanded, training programs were established, usually in collaboration with departments of pharmacology. In the last two to three decades other disciplines, environmental biology, analytical chemistry and epidemiology joined the ranks of toxicology. The on-line sources of toxicology information are rapidly expanding. This article describes those sources considered by the authors to be important from a national and international perspective. The majority of these sources are professional organizations and government agencies.

Canada↗
PubMed2003

Information resources in toxicology--Italy.

The purpose of the present paper is to provide an overview of current resources in the field of toxicology in Italy. The discussion will begin with a brief history of toxicology in this country, which includes the study of the toxicity of plants and other natural substances, and the birth of industrial and forensic toxicology. We will also provide information on research, education, and hazard control in the field of toxicology. Within this context we will examine the public bodies responsible for surveillance and regulatory activities, state-owned and private structures involved in toxicological research, and the educational programs and research activities of universities. Particular emphasis will be placed on the activities of the National Health Service, which plays an important role in areas such as clinical toxicology, food safety, and animal health, as well as those of national and regional agencies dedicated to the protection of the environment. The presentation will be organized as follows: (1) A Brief History of Toxicology in Italy; (2) Professional Societies; (3) National Health Service; (4) National Bodies; (5) Resources for the Environment; (6) Biomedical Websites; (7) Recent Publications; (8) Research Structures; (9) Graduate and Postgraduate Programs; (10) Legislation.

Academies and Institutes↗
PubMed2000

Structural improvement of higher education in environmental toxicology in Latin America and Europe.

Industrial development has resulted in an increased release of chemicals and other agents into the environment, resulting in damage to the environment as well as increasing the risk of adverse effects on human health. Environmental toxicology (ET) is the discipline responsible for assessing the risks to human health and the environment from the effects of new chemicals and those already present in the environment. The development of human resources in toxicology is therefore a priority in both Latin America (LA) and the European Union (EU), although LA professionals are more involved in risk evaluation than in risk assessment compared to their EU colleagues. A solid background in general toxicology will enable those interested in environmental issues to tackle local problems. Moreover, the increasing globalization of markets and, therefore, of the necessary regulations, requires harmonisation of postgraduate programmes to ensure that risk assessment and management related to the environment are dealt with uniformly and by highly qualified scientists. The Inaugural Meeting of the ALFA-OMET Toxicology', a 2-year programme supported by the European Commission, offered the opportunity to discuss a number of these issues. The present status of existing ET courses in the EU and LA and the corresponding professional profiles in the two regions were examined, and a harmonized academic curriculum for a postgraduate professional profiles in the two regions were examined, and a harmonized academic curriculum for a postgraduate course in environmental toxicology was developed. Finally, a course programme for toxicology and a specialization in environmental toxicology designed by a panel of experts was discussed, and its relevance as a model for other specialisation programmes was analysed. Exercises such as those performed by ALFA-OMET may be useful not only in promoting discussion for the implementation of national and international professional registers in LA, but also in encouraging the same, ongoing process in the EU.

Environmental Pollutants↗
PubMed2002

Integration of safety pharmacology endpoints into toxicology studies.

In the ILSI Human Toxicity Program, human toxicity was identified with 94% in studies of 1 month or less duration. Safety pharmacology studies and 1 month toxicity studies are prerequisites of INDs. These studies contributed in 69% to the predictivity of human toxicity. Correlating data from pharmacology and toxicology data will therefore enhance the predictivity of human toxicity. The ILSI Human Toxicity Program also showed that non-rodent toxicology studies were more predictive of human toxicity than rodents. Consequently, the usage of non-rodents, especially dogs, produces data more relevant to the safety of humans. Integration of data from safety pharmacology and pharmacological endpoints from integrated toxicology studies, which cover a wide dose range, allow data interpretation also concerning chronic effects. Differences in relation to chronic exposure and species specific pharmacodynamic effects can be taken into consideration. In vivo data in pharmacology are taken from a larger number of species. Usually, pharmacokinetic data and histopathology are often lacking in pharmacology (e.g. guinea pig). Studies in a smaller number of species, which are incorporating pharmacology, pharmacodynamic and toxicology, allow also crossinterpretation with data from clinical chemistry, haematology and histopathology. Endpoints relating to behaviour (functional observation battery/FOB) and cardiovascular toxicity can be integrated into regulatory toxicology. Technical progress in non-invasive methodology and refined measurements for pharmacological parameters and standardization of study design allow the incorporation into regulatory toxicity studies today. The limitations of conducting pharmacological measurements in regulatory toxicology studies are acknowledged. Safety pharmacology studies should complement toxicity studies in terms of choice of species and dose regimen. Ethical usage of animals, especially dogs or monkeys, can only be justified in the future, when more clinically relevant data can be gained from fewer in vivo studies. Multidisciplinary co-operation between pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and toxicology will lead to refinements and reduction of in-vivo studies when functional parameters are integrated into regulatory studies.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

A survey of medical toxicology training in psychiatry residency programs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent of medical toxicology training provided in U.S. psychiatry residency programs. Medical toxicology is a newly recognized field of medicine. Many patient consultations are common to psychiatrists and medical toxicologists, including intentional drug overdoses and adverse reactions to psychotropic medications. METHODS: The authors surveyed the directors of all accredited U.S. psychiatry residency programs by mail to determine how much formal training in medical toxicology, if any, is provided in these programs. RESULTS: Eighty program directors (48.6%) responded. Replies indicated that only 4% of psychiatry residency programs were affiliated with institutions offering defined medical toxicology electives. Although residents in 65% of programs could choose to design a medical toxicology elective, this had been done in only 2 programs. Only 41% of programs responding offered specific didactic lectures on medical toxicology topics to psychiatry residents. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that few psychiatry residency programs have formal medical toxicology training curricula and that, in programs responding to the survey, little interaction occurs between medical toxicologists and psychiatry residents.

Education↗
PubMed2001

Opportunities and challenges of strengthening veterinary toxicology in Africa in the 21st century.

Veterinary toxicology is the specialty of veterinary medicine dealing with the study, diagnosis and treatment of effects of natural and man-made chemicals, forms of energy, and gasses in the animal kingdom. Historically, veterinary toxicology has been narrowly defined as the diagnosis and treatment of poisoning in domesticated animals and poultry, but the profession has grown to include food safety and environmental toxicology. Veterinary toxicology is most well-developed and recognized as a specialty in North America where professional societies and specialty board certification exist. In many parts of Africa, perhaps with the exception of South Africa, veterinary toxicology has not evolved in more than 40 years. The importance of veterinary toxicology in the modern era can not be over emphasized. This report examines the status of veterinary toxicology in Africa at the beginning of the 21st century and offers arguments why it is important for African governments to devote more resources to strengthen it.

Africa↗
PubMed1989

Influence of legislation in toxicology.

The influence of toxicology on legislation is quite clear in countries where chemicals are regulated by the authorities. There is normally a toxicological evaluation--in addition to other considerations--behind sales and use permissions and the levels that are accepted in food, air, water, etc. How does legislation affect toxicology? If there is no legislation, then clinical and forensic toxicology will be the most used toxicological disciplines (accidents and other cases of poisoning). The more sophisticated and restrictive the legislation becomes, the more toxicology is used not only to permit the use of chemicals but also to ban them. In addition, legislation for the protection of experimental animals has a profound influence in toxicology and accelerates the use of in vitro and other alternative methods. This paper discusses whether countries in the "developed" world are overdoing it, thereby maybe hampering the essential use of chemicals in the developing countries.

Animal Testing Alternatives↗
PubMed1998

[Historical review of development of veterinary toxicology in Berlin from 1790-1945].

The main aspects of the development of veterinary toxicology from the time of foundation of the veterinary college in Berlin 1790 up to 1945 are being described. The first toxicological experiments were made in 1821. The teaching of veterinary toxicology in Berlin began in 1872 and the foundation of the Department of Pharmacology as a part of Small Animal Clinic was in 1886. The historical development may be divided in four periods. In the first, from 1821-1830, acute and chronical intoxications were examined. The second period, from 1831-1870, has been determined by experimental drug toxicology and the beginning of environmental toxicology. In 1935 were the foundation of an independent Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and in this time the toxicological research reached an internationally important level.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Toxicogenomic analysis methods for predictive toxicology.

Toxicogenomics, the application of genomic data to elucidate or predict an organism's response to a toxicant, can inform the drug development process in important ways. It is apparent that standardized approaches to many types of toxicogenomic questions are still being formulated. Specifically, a significant body of proof of principle studies has emerged that demonstrates a range of statistical methodologies applied to predictive toxicology. These studies rely on class prediction methods--mathematical models generated using the gene expression profiles of known toxins from representative toxicological classes--to predict the toxicological effect of a compound based on the similarities between its gene expression profile and the profiles of a given toxicological class. Class prediction methods hold promise for increasing the rate at which compounds can be evaluated for toxicity early in the drug discovery process, while at the same time reducing the length of toxicological studies and their associated costs. Class prediction methods are informed by class comparison and class discovery steps, which inform, respectively, the selection of genes whose response can be used to distinguish among the toxicological classes and the number of classes distinguishable using the response of these genes. Together these steps use a variety of complementary statistical techniques to achieve a successful class prediction model. This report attempts to review some of the themes that appear to be emerging in the application of these techniques to predictive toxicology methods over toxicogenomics' short history.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Psychological factors affecting health after toxicological disasters.

Exposure to toxic substances in the environment is an ever more common event, that may cause physical as well as psychological harm. When an entire community is exposed, the term 'toxicological disaster' is used. The mere threat of such an event may be a source of stress, associated with changes in mental health, physical health, and changes in health-related behaviors. A review is presented of the literature about the effects of the stressful experience of toxicological disasters on health and health-related behaviors. Three questions are examined: (a) do toxicological disasters represent a specific type of stressor, different from other stressors?; (b) which stress-mediated health effects have been observed in the aftermath of toxicological disasters? and (c) is there evidence for a higher vulnerability in certain identifiable risk groups? On the basis of the available literature, it is concluded that toxicological disasters may have profound effects on subjective health, especially on symptom reporting, and on a number of psychophysiological parameters. Evidence for a substantial impact of disaster-related stress on either physical or psychiatric morbidity remains inconclusive. In this respect toxicological disasters do not appear to differ from other stressors. There is some evidence that toxicological disasters may have a more pronounced effect on health-related behaviors, especially on reproductive behavior (number of births and abortions). Women, and especially those who have young children to care for, appear to be more at risk for the observed health effects. The evidence for a higher vulnerability in other risk groups (e.g., former psychiatric patients remains inconclusive.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2000

Use of toxicological information in drug design.

This paper is an extension of the keynote address and another talk at the Symposium on the Use of Toxiciological Information in Drug Design. The symposium was organized by American Chemical Society's Chemical Information Division at the 220th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, DC, August 20-24, 2000. We outline an approach for meeting the scientific information needs of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ready access to scientific information is critical to support safety-related regulatory decisions and is especially valuable in situations where available experimental information from in vivo/in vitro studies are inadequate or unavailable. This approach also has applications for lead selection in drug discovery. A pilot electronic toxicology/safety knowledge base and computational toxicology initiative is underway in the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) that may be a prototype for an FDA knowledge base. The objectives of this effort are: (i) to strengthen and broaden the scientific basis of regulatory decisions, (ii) to provide the Agency with an electronic scientific institutional memory, (iii) to create a scientific resource for regulatory and applied research, and (iv) to establish an internal Web-based support service that can provide decision support information for regulators that will facilitate the review process and improve consistency and uniformity. An essential component of this scientific knowledge base is the creation of a comprehensive electronic inventory of CDER-regulated substances that permit identification of clusters of substances having similar chemical, pharmacological or toxicological activities, and molecular structure/substructures. Furthermore, the inventory acts as a pointer and link to other databases and critical non-clinical and clinical pharmacology/toxicology studies and reviews in FDA archives. Clusters of related substances are identified through the use of: (i) an extensive index of alternative names for each substance, (ii) a molecular structure key field consisting of a rudimentary or core structure represented as an ISIS.mol-file, (iii) global search terms (molecular group, chemical class, clinical indication, or pharmacologic activity), and (iv) molecular clustering using structure/sub-structure similarity indices. The information contained in a toxicology knowledge database has limited value unless means are available to extract information, identify relationships, and create and test hypotheses. One such means is computational toxicology, also called in silico toxicology, ComTox, or e-TOX. Computational toxicology is the application of computer technology and information processing (informatics) to analyze, model, and estimate chemical toxicity based upon structure activity relationships (SAR). A computational toxicology software package, MCASE, has been evaluated and successfully improved by CDER through the incorporation of data from FDA archives and concomitant alterations of the logic used in the interpretation of the results to reflect the data analysis and hazard identification practices and priorities of the Center. Our modifications and uses of the MCASE program are discussed in detail.

Databases, Factual↗
PubMed2006

Chemical effects in biological systems (CEBS) object model for toxicology data, SysTox-OM: design and application.

MOTIVATION: The CEBS data repository is being developed to promote a systems biology approach to understand the biological effects of environmental stressors. CEBS will house data from multiple gene expression platforms (transcriptomics), protein expression and protein-protein interaction (proteomics), and changes in low molecular weight metabolite levels (metabolomics) aligned by their detailed toxicological context. The system will accommodate extensive complex querying in a user-friendly manner. CEBS will store toxicological contexts including the study design details, treatment protocols, animal characteristics and conventional toxicological endpoints such as histopathology findings and clinical chemistry measures. All of these data types can be integrated in a seamless fashion to enable data query and analysis in a biologically meaningful manner. RESULTS: An object model, the SysBio-OM (Xirasagar et al., 2004) has been designed to facilitate the integration of microarray gene expression, proteomics and metabolomics data in the CEBS database system. We now report SysTox-OM as an open source systems toxicology model designed to integrate toxicological context into gene expression experiments. The SysTox-OM model is comprehensive and leverages other open source efforts, namely, the Standard for Exchange of Nonclinical Data (http://www.cdisc.org/models/send/v2/index.html) which is a data standard for capturing toxicological information for animal studies and Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (http://www.cdisc.org/models/sdtm/index.html) that serves as a standard for the exchange of clinical data. Such standardization increases the accuracy of data mining, interpretation and exchange. The open source SysTox-OM model, which can be implemented on various software platforms, is presented here. AVAILABILITY: A universal modeling language (UML) depiction of the entire SysTox-OM is available at http://cebs.niehs.nih.gov and the Rational Rose object model package is distributed under an open source license that permits unrestricted academic and commercial use and is available at http://cebs.niehs.nih.gov/cebsdownloads. Currently, the public toxicological data in CEBS can be queried via a web application based on the SysTox-OM at http://cebs.niehs.nih.gov CONTACT: xirasagars@saic.com SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Computational Biology↗
PubMed2003

Behavioral monitoring and urine toxicology testing in patients receiving long-term opioid therapy.

UNLABELLED: No study has examined the role of urine toxicology in addition to behavioral monitoring in patients receiving opioid therapy for chronic pain. All patients maintained on chronic opioid therapy by the two senior authors at two university pain management centers were monitored for 3 yr with urine toxicology testing and for behaviors suggestive of inappropriate medication use. We retrospectively extracted demographic information, aberrant drug-taking behaviors, and urine toxicology information from the medical record. For 122 patients maintained on chronic opioid therapy, 43% (n = 53) had a "problem" (either positive urine toxicology or one or more aberrant drug-taking behaviors). Of patients with no behavioral issues, 21% (n = 26) had a positive urine screen for either an illicit drug or a nonprescribed controlled medication. Of patients with a negative urine screen, 14% (n = 17) had one or more behavioral issues. Monitoring both urine toxicology and behavioral issues captured more patients with inappropriate drug-taking behavior than either alone. Requiring a report of behavioral issues and urine toxicology screens for patients receiving chronic opioids creates a more comprehensive monitoring system than either alone. IMPLICATIONS: Monitoring both urine toxicology and aberrant behavior in chronic-pain patients treated with opioids identified more problem patients than by monitoring either alone. The authors recommend routine urine testing on all patients prescribed opioids for noncancer pain and as a required element in all opioid analgesic studies.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Systems toxicology and the Chemical Effects in Biological Systems (CEBS) knowledge base.

The National Center for Toxicogenomics is developing the first public toxicogenomics knowledge base that combines molecular expression data sets from transcriptomics, proteomics, metabonomics, and conventional toxicology with metabolic, toxicologcal pathway, and gene regulatory network information relevant to environmental toxicology and human disease. It is called the Chemical Effects in Biological Systems (CEBS) knowledge base and is designed to meet the information needs of "systems toxicology," involving the study of perturbation by chemicals and stressors, monitoring changes in molecular expression and conventional toxicological parameters, and iteratively integrating biological response data to describe the functioning organism. Based upon functional genomics approaches used successfully in analyzing yeast gene expression data sets, relational and descriptive compendia will be assembled for toxicologically important genes, groups of genes, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and mutant and knockout phenotypes. CEBS data sets will be fully documented in the experimental protocol and therefore searchable by compound, structure, toxicity end point, pathology and point, gene, gene group, SNP, pathway, and network as a function of dose, time, and the phenotype of the target tissue. A knowledge base is being developed by assimilating toxicological, biological, and chemical information from multiple public domain databases and by progressively refining that information about gene, protein, and metabolite expression for classes of chemicals and their biological effects in various species. By analogy to the GenBank database for genome sequences, researchers will globally query (or BLAST) CEBS using a transcriptome of a tissue of interest (or a list of outliers) to have the knowledge base return information on genes, groups of genes, metabolic and toxicological pathways, and contextually associated phenotypic information for compounds that display similar response profiles. With high-quality data content, CEBS will ultimately become a resource to support hypothesis-driven and discovery research that contributes effectively to drug safety and the improvement of risk assessments for chemicals in the environment. The CEBS development effort will span a decade or more.

Computational Biology↗
PubMed1995

Program development in military toxicology laboratories.

Military toxicology evolved from needs identified during the World Wars. The Army, Navy and Air Force developed toxicological capabilities in response to their respective operational needs. These 3 previously separate military toxicology efforts have been integrated into Tri-Service Toxicology in response to the continually changing and growing operational needs of the military. The continual process of program development must be initiated in order for Tri-Service Toxicology to improve, grow and better serve its customers. Program development entails developing and maintaining good customer relationships and cooperative relationships with other governmental agencies, industry and academia. The benefits of identifying and obtaining customers and collaborators will substantially outweigh the costs incurred by committing to the implementation of program development within Tri-Service Toxicology.

Humans↗
PubMed2006

Toxicology: then and now.

Toxicology is "the science of poisons"; more specifically the chemical and physical properties of poisons, their physiological or behavioral effects on living organisms, qualitative, and quantitative methods for their analysis and the development of procedures for the treatment of poisoning. Although the history of poisons dates to the earliest times, the study and the science of toxicology can be traced to Paracelsus (1493-1541) and Orfila (1757-1853). Modern toxicology is characterized by sophisticated scientific investigation and evaluation of toxic exposures. The 20th century is marked by an advanced level of understanding of toxicology. DNA and various biochemicals that maintain cellular functions were discovered. Our level of knowledge of toxic effects on organs and cells is now being revealed at the molecular level. This paper will review the historical progress of clinical and forensic toxicology by exploring analytical techniques in drug analysis, differing biological matrices, clinical toxicology, therapeutic drug management, workplace drug testing, and pharmacodynamic monitoring and pharmacogenetics.

Drug Monitoring↗
PubMed2006

Implications of gender differences for human health risk assessment and toxicology.

This paper from The Human Health working group of SGOMSEC 16 examines a broad range of issues on gender effects in toxicology. Gender differences in toxicology begin at the gamete and embryo stage, continuing through development and maturation and into old age. Sex influences exposure, toxicokinetics, and toxicodynamics. The effects of sex have often been overlooked in both epidemiology and toxicology. In addition to the obvious modifying effects of the sex hormones and conditions affecting the male and female reproductive organs and sex roles, both genetic and hormonal effects influence many aspects of life and toxic responses. All aspects of toxicology should consider gender-balanced designs so that a more comprehensive understanding of differences and similarities can be obtained. Differential gene expression is a new frontier in toxicology. Risk assessment should account for gender and life cycle differences. The biological basis for altered sex ratios observed in several populations should be sought in animal models, and expanded to other compounds that might exert sex-selective effects. Wherever possible and feasible, toxicologic and environmental epidemiological studies should be designed and have sufficient statistical power to quantify differential gender-based exposures and outcomes.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1999

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry: potential in forensic and clinical toxicology.

A relatively limited number of papers concerning applications of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to forensic or clinical toxicology, or analytical methods directly applicable to these topics have been published so far, but their number have greatly increased in the past two years, probably due to technical improvements and to a decrease in the price of such instruments. After a brief presentation and exemplary applications of the interfaces and/or sources proposed in the past for coupling HPLC to mass spectrometry (direct liquid inlet, moving belt, fast atom bombardment and thermospray interfaces), this paper describes electrospray-type and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation interfaces and their most recent applications in forensic or clinical toxicology. In a third section, the different LC-MS solutions proposed for typical applications in human toxicology, such as the determination of morphine metabolites, LSD and its metabolites and corticosteroids in blood or urine, are reviewed in detail in order to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each ionisation device and/or analytical method. The last section envisages the new analytical fields opened up by LC-MS in toxicology, regarding mainly peptides, proteins and large molecules, as well as the possible use of LC-MS as a complement to GC-MS for "general unknown" screenings; it also deals with the perspectives concerning technical improvements in ionisation interfaces/sources or mass spectrometers, as well as in sample preparation and liquid chromatography techniques applied to this type of coupling. Though LC-MS is still a relatively new technique in toxicology, on taking into consideration its success so far and owing to the simplification of instruments and concept handling thanks to user-friendly software, it is the authors' opinion that it will become a major success in analytical toxicology in the next few years.

Atmospheric Pressure↗