Inflammation (adiponectin paper background)

Question 1

Is inflammation normal? Why does it happen?

Answer 1

A short-term inflammatory response is normal and good. It happens when cells are damaged due to infection or physical injury

Question 2

What signals are involved in setting off inflammation? Where do they come from?

Answer 2

Histamine, prostaglandins, inflammatory cytokines, bradykinin. They’re released by the damaged cells

Question 3

How do the recipient cells of the inflammatory signalling molecules respond to them?

Answer 3

Cell crawling, phagocytic cells move to the site of injury, swelling

Question 4

What causes swelling?

Answer 4

Excess fluid containing phagocytic cells leaking from blood vessels near the injury

Question 5

How does swelling stop?

Answer 5

Once phagocytic cells clear out the pathogens and cell debris at the site of injury, then the source of the signals stop. The pain, redness, heat and inflammation go down when the signals stop

Question 6

What are the steps in the acute inflammatory response?

Answer 6

1. An induction event occurs, either physical injury or a pathogen. The damaged cells release chemical signals
2. Specialized sensor cells detect the signals from the damaged cells and secrete more inflammatory mediator chemicals in response
3. The mediator chemicals will be detected by target tissues
4. After the injury is resolved, anti-inflammatory chemicals shut everything off

Question 7

What is an induction event?

Answer 7

The thing that causes the injury and causes the chemical signals to be released from damaged cells. Can be either physical injury or an infection

Question 8

What are sensor cells?

Answer 8

Specialized type of cells that detect the chemical signals with TLR receptors and release more in response

Question 9

What is chronic inflammation?

Answer 9

An acute inflammatory response that doesn’t shut off, or always stays on at a low level

Question 10

Is chronic inflammation normal?

Answer 10

Definitely not

Question 11

What are 4 possible triggers for chronic inflammation?

Answer 11

1. Chronic infections
2. Unrepaired tissue damage that keeps releasing the inducing chemicals
3. Persistent allergens
4. Other undefined initiating triggers like underlying medical conditions

Question 12

Why is chronic inflammation a problem?

Answer 12

Highly correlated with a ton of disease states

Question 13

Why is chronic inflammation a positive feedback loop?

Answer 13

The disease state triggers an inflammatory response, and the inflammatory response makes the disease state worse, more cells get damaged and keep releasing inducing chemicals, which then causes the inflammatory response to persist

Question 14

Why is chronic inflammation correlated with autoimmune diseases?

Answer 14

The immune response isn’t terminated, so the immune system ends up overactive and starts attacking healthy cells

Question 15

Why is chronic inflammation correlated with obesity and diabetes?

Answer 15

Sedentary lifestyles are correlated with high amounts of inflammatory signals. Adipose cells often release excessive amounts of the chemicals

Question 16

Why is chronic inflammation correlated with chronically infected gums?

Answer 16

Cells release inflammatory signals because they’re always infected with pathogens. The damage over time leads to heart attack and stroke

Question 17

Why is chronic inflammation correlated with heart failure and cancer?

Answer 17

Inflammatory cells produce a lot of free radicals, which then damages DNA and leads to mutations. Lipids and proteins are also damaged, leading to heart failure