CELL INJURY Flashcards
definition of cell injury
occurs when cells are stressed so severely that they are no longer able to adapt OR exposed to damaging agents OR suffer from intrinsic abnormalities
REVERSIBLE CELL INJURY
• The functional and morphologic changes are reversible if the damaging stimulus is removed • Hallmarks of reversible cell injury: • Reduced oxidative phosphorylation • Cellular swelling • Alterations in organelles
2 morphological features of reversal injury on
light microscopy:
• Cellular swelling (hydropic
change)
• Fatty change
Cellular Swelling (hydropic change):
• First manifestation of cell injury.
• Caused by changes in ion concentrations and water influx.
• Appears whenever cells are incapable of maintaining ionic and fluid
homeostasis.
• Result of failure of energy dependant pumps in the plasma membrane.
Macroscopic and microscopic features of reversible cell injury
Macroscopic Features: If many cells in an organ are affected, the following features can be seen: • Increased weight • Increased turgor • Pallor
- Microscopic Features:
- Small, clear vacuoles within cytoplasm
- Increased eosinophilia of the cytoplasm
Fatty Change (steatosis):
• Refers to the abnormal accumulation of lipid droplets (triglycerides) in the
parenchymal cells of organs.
- Causes:
- Toxins
- Protein malnutrition
- Diabetes mellitus
- Obesity
- Hypoxia
- Alcohol
EXAMPLE OF REVERSIBLE CELL INJURYOF FATTY CHANGE
• Example: FATTY LIVER
• In developed countries, alcohol abuse is the primary cause of fatty
liver.
• Main causes of non-alcoholic fatty liver include diabetes and obesity.
• Macroscopic Findings:
• May not see anything if mild.
• If more severe the liver may appear enlarged, yellow or greasy.
- Microscopic Findings:
- Small vacuoles in the cytoplasm and around the nucleus of hepatocytes.
IRREVERSIBLE CELL INJURY
• With continuing damage the injury becomes irreversible, at which
time the cell cannot recover and it dies
• It is difficult to pinpoint the exact time where reversible becomes
irreversible
• Two phenomena consistently characterize irreversibility:
• Inability to reverse mitochondrial dysfunction
• Profound disturbances in membrane function
MECHANISMS OF CELL INJURY
- Depletion of ATP
- Mitochondrial damage
- Calcium influx
- Oxidative stress (accumulation of ROS)
- Defects in membrane permeability
- Damage to DNA & proteins
CAUSES OF CELL INJURY
- Oxygen deprivation
- Physical agents
- Chemical agents & drugs
- Infectious agents
- Immunologic reactions
- Genetic derangements
- Nutritional imbalances
OXYGEN DEPRIVATION
• Hypoxia is a deficiency of oxygen, which causes cell injury by reducing aerobic
oxidative respiration.
• Causes of hypoxia:
• Reduced blood flow (ischemia).
• Inadequate oxygenation of the blood (cardiorespiratory failure).
• Decreased oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood (anemia,
carbon monoxide poisoning
physical agents
- Mechanical trauma
- Extremes of temperature (burns and deep cold)
- Sudden changes in atmospheric pressure
- Radiation
- Electric shock
Chemical Agents and Drugs(causes of cell injury)
• Simple chemicals such as glucose or salt in abnormal concentrations (high or
low) may injure cells directly or by deranging electrolyte balance in cells.
• Trace amounts of poisons (arsenic, cyanide, or mercuric salts) may damage
sufficient numbers of cells within minutes or hours to cause death.
• Other:
• Environmental and air pollutants, insecticides, and herbicides
• Industrial occupational hazards (carbon monoxide and asbestos)
• Recreational drugs
• Therapeutic drugs
infectious agents
• Includes viruses, rickettsiae, bacteria, fungi, parasites.
infectious agents
• Includes viruses, rickettsiae, bacteria, fungi, parasites.
Immunological Reactions
• Serves an essential function in defense against infectious pathogens.
• Immune reactions may also cause cell injury (e.g. autoimmune diseases and
responses to pathogens).
Genetic Derangements( causes of cell injury)
• Different mechanisms:
• Deficiency of functional proteins, such as enzyme defects in
inborn errors of metabolism.
• Accumulation of damaged DNA or misfolded proteins.
• Nutritional Imbalances (causes of cell injury)
• e.g. Deficiencies of specific vitamins, self-imposed (anorexia nervosa), nutritional
excesses (cholesterol predisposes to atherosclerosis)
necrosis
Definition: the death of tissues following bioenergetic failure & loss of plasma membrane integrity