3Inflammation and phagocytosis Flashcards
Define Inflammation
A nonspecific but predictable response of living tissue to injury
What causes injury?
Chemical agents, physical forces, living microbes and many other endogenous and exogenous pathologic stimuli that can disturb the normal steady state of the body
What kind of a process is inflammation?
A dynamic process evolving through several phases which lasts from a few minutes to days or even months or years
What kind of inflammation has a sudden onset and short duration?
Acute Inflammation
What kind of inflammation last a long time?
Chronic Inflammation
What kind of a role does inflammation play?
It has a protective role and is generally beneficial, but side effects may be noxious(fever). Process may become uncontrollable, producing more harm than good.(pulmonary TB elicits a protective tissue reaction that can erode pulmonary vessels, causing massive bleeding.
What do dead and dying neutrophils produce?
Pus
In what kind of tissue does inflammation occur?
Living ONLY! If inflammation is found during an autopsy this indicates the injury occurred before death
Five cardinal signs of inflammation
- Calor(heat)
- Rubor(redness-erythema)
- Tumor(swelling)
- Dolor(pain)
- Functio laesa(loss of function)
Pathogenesis of Inflammation:
Circulatory Changes
Changes in blood flow=first response to injury mechanical stimuli(burn) signals smooth muscles cells on pre-capillary arterioles, which act as sphincter regulating inflow of blood into the capillaries arterioles vasoconstrict for first few seconds after initial injury relaxation of smooth muscle(vasodilation) allows blood to rush into capillaries=redness, swelling and warmth
What causes the warmth during inflammation process?
Arterial blood is warm and is pumped into the area in large quantities, so the inflamed tissue also becomes warm(hyperemia)
Is the influx of blood during inflammation regulated?
No. The capillaries and venules are only an endothelial layer and basement membrane and cannot actively regulate the incoming bloodflow
What do erythrocytes do during the inflammation process?
sludged erythrocytes form stacks, called Rouleaux formation, which impedes and slows down the circulation even more
What do WBC do during the inflammation process?
They marginate and become attached to the edge of the endothelium(pavementing: stick to edges)
What allows WBC’s to adhere?
Leukocytes develop elongated protrusions(present but in an inactive form normally) on their surface cytoplasm and become sticky, which allows them to adhere to the endothelial cells lining the capillaries and venules
Best known activators: Interleukins
Where is the greatest concentration of interleukins?
At the site of inflammation. Derived in part from platelets and in part from leukocytes
What is one of the most important triggers for the release of mediators of inflammation?
The adhesion of leukocytes to the endothelial cells
What initiates clotting?
Platelets. Ultimately leads to the formation of fibrin strands that anchor the leukocytes to the vessel wall and prevent them from moving away
How long does the permeability of the vessel walls of the capillaries and venules last?
Several hours to several days and is usually accompanied by leakage of fluid from the vessels into the interstitial spaces
what cells are most common in acute inflammation?
Neutrophils(PMN’s)
Joined by other cells like monocytes within the first 24 hours
What happens to PMN’s as inflammation proceeds into chronic stages
PMN’s have a life span of 2-4 days only, they become less prominent and are replaced by macrophages, lymphocytes and plasma cells
Emigration of Leukocytes
Active process that occurs in phases
- Adhesion of PMN’s to the endothelium
- Insertion of cytoplasmic pseudopods between the junction of the endothelial cells
- passage through the basement membrane
- ameboid movement away from the vessel toward the cause of the inflammation(bacteria)
Define Chemotaxis
Active movement of PMN’s along a concentration gradient. The chemoattractant being derived from bacteria or tissues destroyed by inflammation, or from activated compliment
-Chemotactic substances stimulate PMN’s to move along this gradient until they reach their source or site of inflammation
What happens to PMN’s that reach the bacteria or other chemotactic substances?
They lose their mobility and begin acting as scavengers by the process of “Phagocytosis”.
How do PMNs recognize a bacterium as foreign?
A PMN encounters and recognizes a bacterium as foreign by the pseudopods extending from the surface of the PMN
What happens after phagocytosis?
- The attachement of the cell membrane of the PMN to the bacterial cell wall.
- Attachment can be facilitated by immunoglobulins or complement which act as opsonins
- A PMN encounters and recognizes a bacterium as foreign by the pseudopods extending from the surface of the PMN
Define Phagocytosis
Engulfment of the bacterium is a process by which the cytoplasm of the PMN surrounds the foreign particle and encloses it into an invagination of the cell membran
What happens inside the phagocytic vacuole?
the bacterium is killed by bacteriocidal substances released from the cytoplasm of the PMN.
What is discharged into the lumen of phagocytic vacuoles?
The contents of the specific granules from PMN’s. Many die in their fight with bacteria
What causes pus?
Dead and dying PMNs, admixed with tissue debris, form the viscous yellow fluid
What is an inflammation dominated by pus formation called?
Purulent or suppurative inflammation
Inflammations typically produce what two important clinical findings?
Fever
Leukocytosis
Define Fever
Elevation in body temp exceeding 37 degrees centigrade. typical response to inflamm caused by endogenous pyrogen. Substances called interleukin-I and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) act on the thermoregulator centers in the hypothalamus(thermostat)
threshhold raised= increased body temp
*they will stop once source of inflammation is eradicated