The Department was established in 1951. Since then, as an integral part of the Faculty of Military Health Sciences, it has been involved in education and scientific research work on chemical warfare agents for defensive and protective purposes only. It comprises two laboratory groups – a biochemical (biochemical laboratory, laboratory of organic synthesis, analytical laboratory, decontamination laboratory) and an experimental therapy group (toxicological laboratory, pharmacological laboratory, neurophysiological laboratory, behavioral laboratory, genotoxicological laboratory). This structure permits the complex study of highly toxic substances including chemical warfare agents which aims to determine their action on biochemical, behavioral, histochemical, pharmacological and neurophysiological level, to study and develop antidotes, to analyse all types of samples with respect to the presence of known chemical warfare agents, to test decontamination effectiveness of developed and field decontamination kits. Present scientific research projects are focused on therapeutic, prophylactic and protective measures against the most toxic chemical warfare agents. Special attention has been paid to the most recent and most dangerous nerve agents. The main educational activity task was to give lectures for undergraduate and post-graduate studies dealing with problems of biological effects of real and potencial chemical warfare agents, the possibilities of the medical and chemical protection against them and the approaches to medical care of persons intoxicated with chemical warfare agents, especially nerve agents. The Department of Toxicology also participates in the teaching of toxicology in disaster medicine.

A new method of prophylaxis, decontamination, diagnostics and therapy after intoxication with nerve agents and yperits
Bajgar, J., Kassa, J., Cabal, J., Fusek, J., Bartošová, L., Kunešová, G., Kuča, K., Jun, D., Štětina, R., Svobodová, H., Musílek, K., Žďárová Karasová, J., Kolečkář, V.
Antimutagenic effects of selected natural substances and their combinations
Polívková, Z., Šmerák, P., Langová, M., Bártová, J., Štětina, R.
Butyrylcholinesterase and aldoximes - bioscavengers for detoxification of organophosphates
Kuča, K., Kovarik, Z., Jun, D., Žďárová Karasová, J., Musilová, L., Binder, J., Kolečkář, V., Bosak, A., Berend, S., Čalič, M., Vrdoljak, A., Šinko, G., Radiš, B.
Countermeasure against chemical terrorism – development of new antidotes against nerve agents
Kuča, K., Jun, D., Musílek, K.
FARMAKO – Determination of important pharmacokinetic and biochemical parameters and evaluation of blood-brain barrier penetration using drugs introduced to Czech Army
Žďárová Karasová, J., Kuča, K., Pohanka, M., Novotný, L.
Genetic profile of biotransformation and DNA repair genes in cancer patients from the Czech Republic
Vodička, P., Souček, P., Štětina, R.
INHIBITOR – Novel inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase as prophylaxis of nerve agent poisonings
Musílek, K., Pohanka, M., Žďárová Karasová, J.
ORCHIDS - Evaluation, optimisation, trialling and modelling procedures for mass casualty
Simpson, J., Cabal, J., Kuča, K.
PROTEIN – Biosensors for determination of nerve agents and yperites using recombinant proteins and nanotechnology
Pohanka, M., Kuča, K., Musílek, K., Žďárová Karasová, J., Kassa, J.
REAKTIVÁTOR – Robotized system for in vitro evaluation of novel rectivators of acetylcholinesterase inhibited by nerve agents
Cabal, J., Kuča, K., Jun, D., Musílek, K., Pohanka, M.
SUBSTANCE – Development of novel decontaminants and disinfectants of skin based on micellar compounds
Kuča, K., Cabal, J., Jun, D., Novotný, L., Musílek, K., Kassa, J., Pohanka, M.
YPERIT – Potential interference of toxic properties of sulphur mustard
Štětina, R., Svobodová, H.

In 2008, the Department of Toxicology has started the cooperation with the National Poison Control Centre, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade – Republic of Serbia and continued in cooperation with some other research institutes (Medicinal Science Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Taejon – Korea, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb - Croatia, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain – United Arab Emirates, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology of Federal Armed Forces Medical Academy Munich – Germany, TNO Prins Maurits Laboratory in Rijswijk – the Netherlands, Department of Toxicology of NBC Research Centre of Military Medical Academy in Sofia – Bulgaria, Centre de Recherches du Service de Santé des Armeés /CRSSA/ Grenoble – France) in the field of development of prophylactic and therapeutical means against nerve agents and organophosphorous insecticides. The cooperation has been mostly characterized by the exchange of scientific information.