Comparative and Laboratory Animal Pathology
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
THEORETICAL OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of the course, the student shall know and understand at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ levels, the aetiopathogenetic factors underlying structural and functional alterations of disease processes and the mechanisms of response to damage and related disorders. During the course, the student will acquire notions of general pathology and comparative morphopathology by applying a biotechnological approach to the study of degenerative, inflammatory, cancer and toxicity disease models.
PRACTICAL OBJECTIVES: The course will provide theoretical and practical knowledge of basic biomolecular methodologies applicable to experimental analysis alongside application skills in diagnostic and research for the study of animal diseases, clinical pathology and experimental, and translational medicine.
PRACTICAL OBJECTIVES: The course will provide theoretical and practical knowledge of basic biomolecular methodologies applicable to experimental analysis alongside application skills in diagnostic and research for the study of animal diseases, clinical pathology and experimental, and translational medicine.
Expected learning outcomes
Students will gain knowledge of biochemical and molecular mechanisms of cell and tissue damage in major animal diseases, to recognize the corresponding macroscopic and microscopic lesions with a comparative approach useful in identifying spontaneous patterns of disease. Students will learn how to take specimens in order to better understand and answer the questions posed by research with major and specific focus on biotechnology research.
Upon completion of the course, the student will acquire fundamental knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying disease mechanisms and the basic techniques to study them including (a) blood smears and leukocyte formula in various animal species; (b) basic molecular pathology techniques applied to animal and experimental pathology; (c) basic clinical pathology techniques for hematochemical, urine and cytofluorimetric analyses; and (d) basic techniques for the study of experimental pathology in mouse models from a translational medicine perspective.
Upon completion of the course, the student will acquire fundamental knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying disease mechanisms and the basic techniques to study them including (a) blood smears and leukocyte formula in various animal species; (b) basic molecular pathology techniques applied to animal and experimental pathology; (c) basic clinical pathology techniques for hematochemical, urine and cytofluorimetric analyses; and (d) basic techniques for the study of experimental pathology in mouse models from a translational medicine perspective.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
During the emergency teaching phase, the program of the course will be maintained as possible but modified to better adapt to on line teaching methodologies. More specific information on the delivery models of training and teaching activities for the academic year 2024/2025 will be provided over the coming months, based on the evolution of public health situation and modified according with the guidelines that will be published by UNIMI a accordingly.
Teaching Methods:
Lectures will be delivered online by Teams videoconferences according with the course schedule. Lectures will be video recorded in parallel or provided in the Ariel web site of each professor.
Practicals will be delivered according with the changing guidelines based on public health situation.
Teaching material:
Teaching material resources (power point, pdf, videos and scientific papers) will be made available in the Ariel web sites of the professors.
Teaching Methods:
Lectures will be delivered online by Teams videoconferences according with the course schedule. Lectures will be video recorded in parallel or provided in the Ariel web site of each professor.
Practicals will be delivered according with the changing guidelines based on public health situation.
Teaching material:
Teaching material resources (power point, pdf, videos and scientific papers) will be made available in the Ariel web sites of the professors.
Course syllabus
The course is divided into two modules that are interrelated and coordinated and aim to illustrate the molecular mechanisms of disease development (pathogenesis) and to illustrate the macroscopic and microscopic appearance of the diseases themselves by providing basics of comparative pathology aimed at highlighting the similarities and differences in relevant domestic animal species and laboratory species with respect to the processes that lead to disease and subsequent tissue injury. The ultimate goal will be to understand the utility of a species as an experimental model (spontaneous or induced) and how best to use the biotechnological approach to answer the questions posed by the pathological experimental model.
GENERAL PATHOLOGY MODULE
OBJECTIVES: The module aims to illustrate the molecular mechanisms underlying disorders and diseases, biotechnological strategies to study them and apply them in in vitro and in vivo models in veterinary and livestock fields from a translational medicine perspective.
Frontal lectures
1. The pathology of the cell (8 hours)
2. Inflammation (8 hours)
3. Tissue regeneration
4. Circulatory disorders
5. Hereditary-based diseases
6. Immunopathology
7. Tumors
Exercises
1. Molecular pathology applied to veterinary pathology in diagnostic and biomarker research (4h)
2. Clinical pathology at the veterinary hospital (hematochemical and urine analysis, cytofluorimetric analysis to characterize leukocyte populations) (8h)
3. Experimental pathology: study of mouse models from a translational medicine perspective (4h)
LABORATORY ANIMAL AND COMPARATIVE SPECIAL PATHOLOGY MODULE
OBJECTIVES:
Through teaching the approach to the evaluation of macroscopic and microscopic anatomopathological lesions, the course aims to provide the student with knowledge of comparative pathology for the purpose of understanding the different species-specific responses (production animals, companion animals, and laboratory rodents) to similar insults and to provide the basis on the significance of laboratory rodents as animal models. The module will provide the theoretical underpinnings of sampling techniques with the aim of getting the most out of them in the course of biotechnology research.
LECTURES
A. Introduction to the specific skills of the different disciplines pertaining to pathology (general pathology, clinical pathology and pathological anatomy)
B. Sampling of cells and tissues with the aim of obtaining ideal material to examine: cell and tissue morphology, to best preserve microRNA, mRNA, DNA, proteins for biotechnological research related to morphopathology.
C. Cell morphology and identification: erythrocytes in different species, heterophils, neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, mast cells
D. Tissue fixation and staging (freezing and chemical fixations, routine and histochemical staining)
E. Comparative macro- and microscopic morphological aspects in different animal species and major laboratory rodent strains of the following diseases:
1. Cellular adaptations
2. Necrosis, gangrene and mineralization
3. Pathological pigmentations
4. Hemodynamic disorders
5. Acute inflammation
6. Chronic inflammation
7. Neoplasms: animal models of spontaneous tumors useful for comparative purposes.
Prerequisites
Recommended: knowledge of basic anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, animal histology.
Teaching Methods.
Frontal lectures, seminars and laboratory exercises
Reference Materials.
All teaching materials for the two modules are available on each lecturer's ARIEL platform. Examination questions will be taken only from the material provided.
Reference text: Robbin's and Cotran Pathologic basis of Disease is to be considered only as a suggestion for students who wish to deepen their knowledge of general and special pathology. It should be noted that the text is from human pathology.
Methods of learning verification and evaluation criteria
The exam is written, delivered as a one-shot (both modules at the same time) with multiple choice (prevailing) questions and a minority of other formats including e.g. filling in tables, lists, or open questions and will be delivered as a one-shot.
Mandatory registration with SIFA to access the exam.
GENERAL PATHOLOGY MODULE
OBJECTIVES: The module aims to illustrate the molecular mechanisms underlying disorders and diseases, biotechnological strategies to study them and apply them in in vitro and in vivo models in veterinary and livestock fields from a translational medicine perspective.
Frontal lectures
1. The pathology of the cell (8 hours)
2. Inflammation (8 hours)
3. Tissue regeneration
4. Circulatory disorders
5. Hereditary-based diseases
6. Immunopathology
7. Tumors
Exercises
1. Molecular pathology applied to veterinary pathology in diagnostic and biomarker research (4h)
2. Clinical pathology at the veterinary hospital (hematochemical and urine analysis, cytofluorimetric analysis to characterize leukocyte populations) (8h)
3. Experimental pathology: study of mouse models from a translational medicine perspective (4h)
LABORATORY ANIMAL AND COMPARATIVE SPECIAL PATHOLOGY MODULE
OBJECTIVES:
Through teaching the approach to the evaluation of macroscopic and microscopic anatomopathological lesions, the course aims to provide the student with knowledge of comparative pathology for the purpose of understanding the different species-specific responses (production animals, companion animals, and laboratory rodents) to similar insults and to provide the basis on the significance of laboratory rodents as animal models. The module will provide the theoretical underpinnings of sampling techniques with the aim of getting the most out of them in the course of biotechnology research.
LECTURES
A. Introduction to the specific skills of the different disciplines pertaining to pathology (general pathology, clinical pathology and pathological anatomy)
B. Sampling of cells and tissues with the aim of obtaining ideal material to examine: cell and tissue morphology, to best preserve microRNA, mRNA, DNA, proteins for biotechnological research related to morphopathology.
C. Cell morphology and identification: erythrocytes in different species, heterophils, neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, mast cells
D. Tissue fixation and staging (freezing and chemical fixations, routine and histochemical staining)
E. Comparative macro- and microscopic morphological aspects in different animal species and major laboratory rodent strains of the following diseases:
1. Cellular adaptations
2. Necrosis, gangrene and mineralization
3. Pathological pigmentations
4. Hemodynamic disorders
5. Acute inflammation
6. Chronic inflammation
7. Neoplasms: animal models of spontaneous tumors useful for comparative purposes.
Prerequisites
Recommended: knowledge of basic anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, animal histology.
Teaching Methods.
Frontal lectures, seminars and laboratory exercises
Reference Materials.
All teaching materials for the two modules are available on each lecturer's ARIEL platform. Examination questions will be taken only from the material provided.
Reference text: Robbin's and Cotran Pathologic basis of Disease is to be considered only as a suggestion for students who wish to deepen their knowledge of general and special pathology. It should be noted that the text is from human pathology.
Methods of learning verification and evaluation criteria
The exam is written, delivered as a one-shot (both modules at the same time) with multiple choice (prevailing) questions and a minority of other formats including e.g. filling in tables, lists, or open questions and will be delivered as a one-shot.
Mandatory registration with SIFA to access the exam.
Prerequisites for admission
Recommended: basic knowledge of anatomy, biochemistry, histology in animals.
Teaching methods
Frontal teaching, Seminars and Practicals in the laboratory
Teaching Resources
Teaching material will be posted in the ARIEL platform o feach module. Exam questions will be extracted only from the teaching material made available.
Consultation text: Robbin's and Cotran Pathologic basis of Disease onlyto be considered a suggestion for those students who would like to deepend their knowledge in general and special pathology. This book is a human pathology book.
Consultation text: Robbin's and Cotran Pathologic basis of Disease onlyto be considered a suggestion for those students who would like to deepend their knowledge in general and special pathology. This book is a human pathology book.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam will be written, exams for both modules will be delivered simultaneously. The exam will consist of multiple choice questions (majority of questions, one correct answer only over 4 choices/items) and other minor formats such as fill in the table, lists, short essay type questions (minority).
Enrollment by SIFA is mandatory to access the exam.
Enrollment by SIFA is mandatory to access the exam.
VET/03 - VETERINARY PATHOLOGY - University credits: 7
Single bench laboratory practical: 16 hours
Lessons: 48 hours
Lessons: 48 hours
Professors:
Lecchi Cristina, Roccabianca Paola
Shifts:
Professor(s)
Reception:
upon appointment
Via dell'Università 6, Lodi