1. Cell Injury Flashcards
What is pathology the study of?
What went wrong.
What is disease a consequence of?
Failed homeostasis with consequent morphological and functional disturbances.
What does the degree of cell injury depend on?
Type of injury, severity of injury, and type of tissue.
What are some common causes of cell injury and death?
Hypoxia, toxins, physical agents, radiation, micro-organisms, immune mechanisms, dietary insufficiency and deficiencies or excess.
What are the four main causes of hypoxia?
Hypoxaemia hypoxia - arterial content of oxygen is low, from altitude.
Anaemic hypoxia - decreased ability of haemoglobin to carry oxygen.
Ischaemic hypoxia - interruption to blood supply, from heart failure.
Histiocytic hypoxia - inability to utilise oxygen in cells due to disabled oxidative phosphorylation enzymes, from cyanide poisoning.
How do neurones and fibroblasts differ in terms of how long they can tolerate hypoxia for before cell death or permanent damage?
Neurones - a few minutes.
Fibroblasts - a few hours.
Name two examples of toxin that can cause cell injury and death.
High concentration of oxygen, glucose and salt in hypertonic solutions, poisons, pollutants, insecticides, etc.
How can the immune system damage cells?
Hypersensitivity reactions where the host tissue is injured secondary to an overly vigorous immune reaction like with hives - inflammation in the skin.
Autoimmune reactions where the immune system fails to distinguish self from non-self, e.g. Graves disease.
What are the four principal targets for cell damage?
Cell membranes, nucleus, proteins, and mitochondria.
What happens in the cell in hypoxia?
Mitochondria reduce oxidative phosphorlyation so less ATP is made. This means the Na+ pump has less action so there is an influx of Ca2+, H2O and Na+ and an efflux of K+ which leads to cellular swelling etc. The lack of ATP means there has to be more glycolysis so pH decreases, as do glycogen stores. Low ATP means ribosomes detach from the endoplasmic reticulum so there is less protein synthesis and lipid deposition.
What are free radicals?
Reactive oxygen species with a single unpaired electron in an outer orbit. It is unstable and highly reactive to produce more free radicals.
What are the three most biologically significant free radicals?
OH* - hydroxyl.
O2- - superoxide.
H2O2 - hydrogen peroxide.
How can free radicals be generated from H2O?
Radiation: H2O -> OH* + H*.
What is the Fenton reaction?
Fe2+ + H2O2 -> Fe3+ + OH- + OH*.
What is the Haber-Weiss reaction?
O2- + H+ + H2O2 -> O2 + H2O + OH*.
Why are lipids in the cell membranes a good target for free radicals?
It causes lipid peroxidation, this leads to further generation of further free radicals.
How do free radicals cause injury of proteins, carbohydrates, and DNA?
Causes the molecules to bend out of shape, so they become cross-linked. They’re then mutagenic.
How does the body respond to free radicals?
Uses anti-oxidant system to remove them. Using: enzymes, free radical scavengers, or storage proteins.