L12: Connective Tissue Flashcards
Elements of CT
- Cell types: fixed and migratory
- ECM: ground substance (water, proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans and multiadhesive glycoproteins) and fibers (elastic, collagen and reticular)
What are the functional attributes of CT?
- Structure
- Defense/protection
- Nutrition
- Fat depot (for cushioning, insulation, energy reserve)
Embryological origin of cells of CT
- Mesoderm
- Ectodermal neural crest
List of fixed cells found in CT
- Fibroblasts (active and quiescent known as fibrocytes)
- Myofibroblast
- Adipocytes
- Mast cells
- Macrophages
List of migratory/transient cells found in CT
- Plasma cells
- Leukocytes (NLMEB)
Fibroblast: distinguish between active and quiescent, function, histological attributes
- Active fibroblast: large, large amount of cytoplasmic processes (star-shaped) – large rER volume, many mitochondria, euchromatic nucleus, basophilic cytoplasm, nucleoli visible?
- Quiescent fibroblast: small, fewer amount of cytoplasmic processes, heterochromatic nucleus, acido/eosinophilic cytoplasm, nucleoli not visible
- Active fibroblasts synthesize and secrete fibers (incl. collagen) and ground substance. Quiescent fibroblasts have ability to do so when stimulated.
Briefly discuss synthesis and secretion of collagen
- Procollagen alpha chains containing propeptides are synthesized
- Hydroxylation of prolyl and lysyl residues occurs in ER (Vit C dependent)
- Glycosylated
- Assembly of chains into triple helix
- Soluble (since propeptide chains) transported to Golgi
- Packaged into vesicles
- Exocytosed to EC space, peptidases cleave terminal peptides transforming collagen into insoluble collagen molecules, which aggregate into fibrils
Function of cortisol as far as fibroblasts are concerned?
- Chronic administration of cortisol decreases activity of fibroblasts resulting in degradation of CT, including bone
What is a myofibroblast? Clinical relevance
- Cells that possess characteristics of fibroblasts and smooth muscle (actin myosin present) cells
- These are numerous in areas of wound healing
- Dupuytren’s contracture: microvascular ischemia leads to trauma to palmar aponeurosis. As a result, tissue repair occurs involving fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. T1 collagen replaced with T3 collagen. T3 collage crosslinks with myofibroblasts causing contraction at the MP joints, commonly 4/5th digits.
Two types of adipocytes
- Unilocular aka white adipocytes
- Multilocular aka brown adipocytes
Histological features of unilocular adipocytes
- Large, single droplet not bound by membrane, ensheathed by vimentin filaments giving stipled effect at boundaries of droplet.
- Nucleus pushed to periphery by droplet – signet ring appearance = thin boundary of cytoplasm with nucleus
What do adipocytes secrete? Function? Absence leads to what?
- Leptin
- Works in concert with other hormones to signal satiety, depress appetite
- Absent/mutation leads to morbid obesity
What are lipodystrophies?
- Disorders of lipid distribution in body and loss of body fat, in some cases due to defective lamins in nuclear envelope. These tend to be genetic in nature
Difference between brown and white adipocytes? Functionally?
- White adipocytes have single fat droplet that serve as TGL store for energy needs of body
- Brown adipocytes have multiple fat droplets, also ensheathed by vimentin. These are abundant in early development and serve to generate heat (decoupling in ETC). They are well-endowed with mitochondria therefore acidophilic. Nucleus is not displaced in these cells and is spherical.
Mast cells. Derived from what? Function – important chemicals? Histological features? Principle location?
- Derived from bone marrow stem cells
- Mediate inflammatory response and hypersensitivity reactions: Fc receptors present on cell allow cell to degranulate when bound to antigen/antibody complex. Histamine release causes tissue swelling and increased mucus production (eg. Nasal mucosa in hay fever). Leukotrienes can elicit bronchospasms in asthma. Allergic reactions to bee stings, drugs trigger release of mediators too. List: heparin, histamine, chondroitan sulfates, proteases, chemotactic factors – ILs, TNFs, leukotrienes, thromboxanes etc.
- Histo: large ovoid cells (largest of fixed cells), multiple granules seen that are metachromatic
- Location: located in CT proper adjacent to blood vessels and in subepithelial layers of respiratory and GI tracts. Not found in nervous tissue.