Functional exploration and translational research

Neuromuscular physiology:

Skeletal striated muscle: The neuromuscular junction; Muscle contraction/relaxation; Myotypology; Plasticity; Muscle metabolism.

Neuromuscular diseases: Causes; symptoms; clinical diagnosis (clinical examinations; laboratory tests): EMG, blood tests, functional tests, etc.; Muscular dystrophies: Duchenne muscular dystrophy; Becker muscular dystrophy; facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy FSHD: zebrafish model; mouse model; cell models; clinical trials.

Respiratory physiology:

Respiratory physiology: Anatomy of the respiratory system; mechanism of respiration; gas exchange; transport of respiratory gases by the blood; regulation of respiration

Respiratory exploration in small animals: Why explore respiratory function in small animals? Plethysmography; in vitro contractile force.

Functional Respiratory Testing: performing and interpreting respiratory tests in human pathology; spirometry: Level 1 and Level 2; pulmonary diffusion capacity; arterial blood gases; specific testing of respiratory muscles; 6-minute walk test; exercise testing; testing at high altitude.

Cardiovascular physiology:

Reminders about the anatomy of the heart: size, location, and orientation; the heart's outer layer; layers of the heart wall; chambers and large vessels of the heart; blood flow through the heart; heart valves; blood supply to the heart: coronary circulation; properties of heart muscle tissue.

Review of heart physiology: regulation of the basic rhythm; cardiac conduction system; modification of the basic rhythm: extrinsic innervation of the heart; electrocardiography; mechanical phenomena: cardiac cycle; cardiac output; regulation of stroke volume; regulation of heart rate.

Review of vascular physiology: anatomy of the circulatory system; lymphatic system; vascular wall structure; blood pressure; vascular smooth muscle and vasomotor function; endothelial function.

Vascular function and dysfunction; functional testing: measurement of arterial distensibility; measurement of arterial wave velocity; pharmacological testing of endothelium-dependent vasomotor function; ultrasound testing; echo-tracking; ultrasound and Doppler ultrasound.

How can vascular function be evaluated experimentally? Isolated artery loop model Cardiac Doppler ultrasound: a fabulous tool in clinical and experimental research; Ultrasound: anatomical and functional analysis; Doppler: flow analysis; Application to animal models.

Translational research: example of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (myocardial infarction); Animal models; isolated perfused heart (Langendorf); Isolated cardiomyocytes; Cardioprotection techniques.

Endocrinology: weight balance

Description of eating behavior; Energy balance; Central structures regulating food intake; Mechanisms regulating food intake; Factors modulating appetite and food intake; Nutritional assessment; Eating disorders; Functional exploration: impedance measurement; DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry); MRI; assessment of energy expenditure: calorimetry.

The EU "Functional Exploration and Translational Research" aims to provide students with the physiological foundations and methodology needed to approach the functional evaluation of the body's various major functions (cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, hormonal, etc.) in both animal models and humans.

Thus, by the end of this course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of the physiological effects of a therapeutic principle, as well as the methodological knowledge required to explore a bodily function in the context of a preclinical phase of a clinical trial in humans.Thus, for each of the major cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, and hormonal functions, we will address their methods of exploration both in the preclinical phase (animal models, in vivo and in vitro exploration, etc.) and in humans, using a translational research approach.

During this course, we will also address the regulatory environment for animal and human experimentation, as well as the pathways that take a therapeutic concept from the preclinical phase to clinical trials.

Fundamentals of physiology; fundamentals of physiology of major functions.

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