Lecture 1: Cellular Responses to Stress and Toxic Insults: Adaption, Injury, and Disease Flashcards
Based on Robbins Outlines
FLeakage of intracellular enzymes (i.e., lactate dehydrogenase) is a marker of?
Irreversible cell injury
What kind of cellular adaptation is a result of increased demand and stimulation?
Hyperplasia or hypertrophy
What kind of cellular adaptation is a result of chronic irritation (physical or chemical)?
Is it irreversible or reversible?
Metaplasia
Reversible
What cellular adaptation is most common in the uterus during pregnancy; stimulated by?
Endometrium from estrogen?
- Hypertrophy during pregnancy; stimulated by estrogenic hormones
- Hyperplasia (pathologic) of endometrium from estogen, but still remains as a thin lining to the muscular wall and does not contribute as much to the change in size!
What cellular adaptation is most common in muscle disuse?
Barrett esophagus?
- Muscle disuse = atrophy
- Barrett esophagus = goblet cell Metaplasia (squamous to columnar type)
Metabolic alterations to a cell that are due to chronic injury result in what?
Intracellular accumulations, calcification
The most common stimulus for hypertrophy of skeletal muscle is __________
Increased work load
The most common stimulus of hypertrophy for cardiac muscle is ________.
Usually resulting from what?
- Increased hemodynamic load
- HTN or faulty valves
What is the key characteristic of hypertrophy?
Increased protein synthesis
During the increased workload on the heart growth factors are stimulated and 2 biochemical pathways activated, which is thought to be the most important in physiologic muscle hypertrophy and which in pathologic hypertrophy?
- PI3K/AKT in physiologic (i.e., exercise induced) hypertrophy
- Signaling downstream GPCR’s in pathologic hypertrophy
Cumulative sub lethal injury over long life span induce what cellular response?
Cellular aging
Which TF’s are activated in the molecular pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy and work to increase the synthesis of muscle proteins responsible for hypertrophy?
GATA4, NFAT, and MEF2
*NFAT, GATA4, and MEF2 inhibitors are in phase 1 or 2 clinical trials; hoping to prevent cardiac failure from excessive hypertrophy
What 2 adaptions does cardiac hypertrophy elicit that are associated with fetal heart functions?
What is the purpose of these adaptions?
1) Switch of contractile proteins from adult myosin heavy chain α isoform to the fetal/neonatal β isoform
- The β isoform has a slower, more energetically economical contraction
2) Increased expression of ANP (atrial natriuretic factor), which is down-regulated after birth
- Kidneys secrete Na , water follows, reduces blood volume
What type of necrosis is associated with tuberculous infection?
What type specifically?
- Caseous necrosis
- Myobacterium tuberculosis
*Caseous necrosis is described as what?
How does it look on microscopic examination?
- Yellow-white and “cheese-like”
- Structureless collection of fragmented or lysed cells and amorphous granular debris enclosed within a distinctive inflammatory border (Granuloma)
The female breast is an example of what 2 cellular growth adaptions?
- Hormonal hyperplasia: proliferation of glandular epithelium at puberty
- Hypertrophy: during pregnancy
What are 2 examples of compensatory hyperplasia (liver and bone marrow)?
- Donating a lobe of liver for transplantation, remaining cells proliferate so that organ grows back to original size
- After acute bleed or hemolysis, there is great expanse of red cell progenitors due to EPO
What are the causative agents involved in pathologic hyperplasia of the endometrium and in benign prostatic hyperplasia; can these abnormalities be fixed?
- Endometrial hyperplasia = estrogen
- BPH = androgens
- Can be treated by simply fixing the hormonal imbalances, allowing them to revert back to normal
How is hyperplasia related to cancer?
- Hyperplasia itself is NOT cancer
- Pathologic hyperplasia constitutes a “fertile soil” in which cancerous proliferations may eventually arise
What is the characteristic signs of atrophy?
Autophagy and decreased protein synthesis
In cancer, what is responsible for the suppression of appetite and depletion of lipid stores that culminates in muscle atrophy?
TNF
The degradation of cellular proteins seen in atrophy occurs mainly through which pathway?
- Ubiquitin-proteasome pathway
- Nutrient deficiency and disuse may activate ubiquitin ligases, which attach the small peptide ubiquitin to cellular proteins and target these proteins for degradation in proteosomes
What is one of the hallmarks of atrophy and how can this be visualized?
- Autophagy: starved cell eats its own components in an attempt to reduce nutrient demand to match supply
- Some cell debris may resist digestion and persist in cytoplasm as residual bodies
- Example of residual bodies is lipofuscin granules, which can impart a brown discoloration to the tissue
What is the most common epithelial metaplasia and what are some examples?
- Columnar to squamous (squamous metaplasia)
- Respiratory tract in response to chronic irritation; in smoker the normal ciliated columnar of the trachea and bronchi are replaced by stratified squamous cells
- Stones in the excretory ducts of salivary glands, pancreas, or bile ducts, may also lead to squamous metaplasia
Vitamin A deficiency induces what type of metaplasia, where?
Induces squamous metaplasia in respiratory epithelium
What is the purpose of squamous metaplasia (gained and lost)?
Can progress to?
- Stratified squamous epithelium is better able to hold up against irritation/insult
- Loses its specialized capacity (such as mucus secretion and ciliary action)
- Influences that predispose to metaplasia, if persistent, can initiate malignant transformation in metaplastic epithelium
Barrett’s esophagus is an example of what kind of metaplasia?
Squamous to columnar (columnar metaplasia)
*Metaplasias are named for what it turns into
Myositis ossificans is what kind of cellular adaption?
- Connective tissue metaplasia (mesenchymal variety)
- Creation of bone, cartilage, or adipose tissue in tissues that do not normally contain these elements (i.e., muscle)
What is the mechanism of metaplasia?
- Does NOT result from a change in the phenotype of an alreadu differentiated cell type
- Is the result of a re-programming of stem cells due to signals from cytokines, GFs, and the ECM
What are the hallmarks of reversible cell injury?
- Reduced oxidative phosphorylation and lower ATP
- Cellular swelling from changes in ion concentrations and water influx
What is the mechanism for necrosis and the hallmark?
Necrosis is caused by and is always?
- Lysosomal enzymes enter cytoplasm and digest the cell\
- Cellular contents leak thru damaged PM into EC space, where they elicit inflammation = hallmark
- Caused by toxins, infections, ischemia, and trauma. Is ALWAYs pathologic
Apoptosis is characterized by?
- Nuclear dissolution, fragmentation of the cell without complete loss of membrane integrity, and the rapid removal of cell debris = NO inflammation
- Can be pathologic AND/OR physiologic
Oxygen deprivation leads to cell injury how?
Reduces the cell’s ability to do aerobic oxidative respiration and oxidative phosphorylation
What are the 4 ultrastructural changes of reversible cell injury?
1) Plasma membrane alterations, blebbing, loss of microvilli
2) Mitochondrial changes, swelling and appearance of small amorphous densities
3) Dilation of the ER, w/ detachment of the ribosomes
4) Nuclear alterations, w/ diaggregation of granular and fibrillar elements
If there is ischemia to a cell, what happens in the mitochondria?
Decreased ox-phos and decreased ATP production
What are the 3 consequences of decreased ATP production in the mitochondria?
1) Decreased Na pump
2) Increased anaerobic glycolysis
3) Detachment of ribosomes (decreased protein synthesis)
What 2 features of reversible cell injury can be recognized under the light microscope?
Cause of each of these features?
- Cellular swelling: failure of energy-dependent ion pumps in plasma membrane
- Fatty change: occurs in hypoxic injury and various forms of toxic or metabolic injury. Apperance of lipid vacuoles in the cytoplasm
The morphological changes seen in reversible cell death are associated with what 5 biochemical and structural changes?
1) Decreased generation of ATP
2) Loss of membrane integrity
3) Defects in protein synthesis
4) Cytoskeletal damage
5) DNA damage
What is it called on microscopic examination, small clear vacuoles may be seen within the cytoplasm, representing distended and pinched-off segments of the ER?
The may show what kind of staining?
- Hydropic change or vacuolar degeneration
- Increased eosinophillic staining
Are the appearance of intracytoplasmic myelin figures associated with reversible or irreversible cell injury?
- NOT associated with reversible cell injury
- More likely associated with irreversible cell injury, and a characteristc of necrosis
What are 4 reversible morphological changes seen in the cell with injury?
1) Cellular swelling
2) Blebbing of the plasma membrane
3) Detachment of ribosomes from the ER
4) Clumping of nuclear chromatin
What happens to maintenance of the membrane in necrosis, where are the enzymes that digest necrotic cells derived from?
- Necrotic cells cannot maintain membrane –> contents leak out
- Enzymes from lysosomes of the dying cells themselves and from lysosomes of recruited leukocytes called in as part of inflammatory reaction
Necrotic cells show increased _________ with H/E stains due to loss of _______ (stains blue from hematoxylin) and ____________ (stains red from eosin)
Necrotic cells show increased eosinophilia with H/E stains due to loss of RNA (stains blue from hematoxylin) and denatured protein (stains red from eosin)
Nuclear changes in necrosis happen in one of 3 patterns all due to nonspecific breakdown of DNA, what are they in order?
1) Karyolysis: basophilia of chromatin fade from loss of DNA due to enzymatic degradation by endonucleases
2) Pyknosis: nuclear shrinkage and inreased basophilia from the chromatin condensing into solid basophilic mass
3) Karyorrhexis: pyknotic nucleus undergoes fragmentation and eventually dissapears
What are the 3 major causes of ATP depletion?
1) Reduced supply of oxygen and nutrients
2) Mitochondrial damage
3) Actions of toxins (Cyanide)
Characteristics of coagulative necrosis?
Localized area of coagulative necrosis is called what?
Caused by and affects what organs?
- Tissue that remains firms, cell shape and organ structure preserved
- Nucleus dissapears
- Typically caused by an obstruction of blood vessel leading to tissue in ALL organs EXCEPT the brain
- Localized area of coagulative necrosis = infarct
Liquefactive necrosis is characterized by and typically a result of what?
Where is this type of necrosis seen?
- Digestion of the dead cells that turns the dead tissue into a liquid viscous mass
- Bacterial and fungal infections due to stimulation or large #s of leukocytes to an area and liberation of enzymes from these cells
- Frequently appears creamy yellow and is called pus
- Hypoxic death of CNS causes liquefactive necrosis
What is gangrenous necrosis?
What is wet gangrene?
- Not a specific pattern of cell death, but commonly used in practice
- Essentially coagulative necrosis of an extremity, often seen in limbs of uncontrolled diabetic patients
- Wet gangrene is when a bacterial infection is present as well and there will also be some liquefactive necrosis
Fat necrosis is commonly seen where and what reaction causes its appearance?
- Focal areas of fat destruction from release of pancreatic lipase into the substance of the pancreas and peritoneal cavity = acute pancreatitis
- Released enzymes split TAG esters within fat cells and these then combine with Ca2+ to produce chalky-white appearance from fat saponification
Fibrinoid necrosis is a special form usually seen in?
Appear how in H/E stains?
- Seen in immune reactions involving blood vessels (i.e., Malignant HTN and Vasculitis)
- Complexes of antigens and antibodies are deposited in the wall of arteries – Type III hypersensitivity
- These deposits + fibrin leaked from vessels result in a bright-pink and amorphous apperance in H/E stains, called “fibrinoid” (fibrin-like)
What happens if necrotic cells are not taken back up by leukocytes?
- They provide a nidus for the deposition of calcium salts and other minerals and become calcified
- Known as dystrophic calcification
In cell deprived of oxygen or glucose, proteins may become misfolded and accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER triggers what?
Cellular reaction called the unfolded protein response (that may culminate in cell injury or even death)
Mitochodrial damage leads to the formation of what pore, which causes what problems?
What is a component of this pore and possible drug target?
- Mitochondrial permeability transition pore
- Opening of this conductance channel leads to loss of membrane potential, failure of OxPhos, progressive depletion of ATP –> necrosis
- Structural component is cyclophilin D, targeted by cyclosporine (immunosuppressive)
- Cyclosporine reduces injury by preventing opening of the pore - targeted therapy for cellular injury
Which proteins are sequestered between the outer and inner membranes of the mitochondria and may leak out into the cytosol with increased permeability caused by damage to the mitochondria?
Cytochrome c and proteins that indirectly activate apoptosis inducing enzymes called caspases
Increased intracellular Ca2+ levels lead to cell injury in what 3 ways?
1) Accumulation of Ca2+ in mito. results in opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore = failure of ATP generation
2) Activates enzymes like phospholipase**s (membrane damage), proteases (break down membrane and cytoskeletal proteins), endonucleases (DNA and chromatin fragmentation), and ATPases (speeds up** ATP depletion)
3) Result in induction of apoptosis, direct activation of caspases and by increasing membrane permeability
When are ROS produced in a cell and how are they dealt with?
- A normal product of the cell during mitochondrial respiration and energy generation
- Typically degraded and removed by cellular defense systems
- Cell is able to maintain a steady state in which free radicals are present transiently at low concentrations but DO NOT causes damage
Which free radicals are generated from the reduction-oxidation that occur during normal metabolic processes?
What is the redox reaction occuring to generate these by-products?
- O2-<b>.</b>, one electron
- H2O2
- <strong>.</strong>OH, three electrons
* Molecular O2 is reduced by transfer of four electrons to H2 to make two water molecules
How does the absorption of radiant energy generate free radicals?
- UV light, and X-rays can hydrolyze water into <strong>.</strong>OH and hydrogen (H) free radicals
How are leukocytes involved in the formation of free radicals?
- Leukocytes use NADPH oxidase during inflammation
- Pivotal in the oxidative burst conversion of molecular O2 to superoxide anion O2
Which transition metals are involved in the production of free radicals?
Which specifically with the Fenton reaction and describe this reaction?
- Iron and copper donate or accept free electrons during intracellular reactions and catalyze free radical formation
- Iron does the Fenton reaction (H2O2 + Fe2+–> Fe3++ OH* + OH-)
- Most intracellular free iron found in Fe3+ (ferric) state, must be reduced to Fe2+ (ferrous) to participate in Fenton reaction
- Production of the Fe3+ form, which is the most abundant form, produces a hydroxyl free radical (OH*), which is the most damaging!
How are hydroxyl free radicals (OH*) inactivated?
Conversion to H2O by glutathione peroxidase
What are some examples of antioxidants?
Vitamins E, A, ascorbic acid (C), and glutathione
What are 3 enzymes located near the sites of generation of the oxidations that scavenge free radicals and break down ROS?
- Catalase: present in peroxisomes, decomposes H2O2 (catalase rxn when pouring hydrogen peroxide on wound with bacteria present)
- Superoxide dismutase (SOD): convert O2-<strong>.</strong> to H2O2
- Glutathione peroxidase: breaks down OH- or H2O2
What is the importance of the intracellular ratio between oxidized glutathione (GSSG) to reduced glutathione (GSH)?
Reflection of the oxidative state of the cell and is an important indicator of the cell’s ability to detoxify ROS
What is lipid peroxidation?
- Free radicals attack the double bonds found in the lipid membrane of cells, this interaction yields peroxides
- Autocatalytic chain reaction ensues (called propogation) that can result in extensive membrane damage
How do free radicals effect proteins?
Enhances the action of what enzyme?
- Oxidative modification of proteins, through oxidation of AA side chains, formation of covalent protein-protein cross-links, and disruption of backbones
- Damages the active sites of enzymes and disrupts structural conformations
- Enhances proteosomal degradation of unfolded or misfolded proteins, raising havoc in the cell.
How can free radicals effect the DNA?
Cause single or double strand breaks in DNA that leads to cell aging and cancer
The major actions of superoxide anion (O2-*) stem from its ability to do what?
Stimulate the production of degradative enzymes rather tha direct damage of macromolecules
What are the 4 mechanisms of membrane damage?
1) ROS cause injury to the cell membranes (lipid peroxidation)
2) Decreased phospholipid synthesis: defective mito. function or hypoxia = decreased ATP needed for biosynthesis
3) Increased phospholipid breakdown: increased levels of Ca2+ activating phospholipases = increased lipid breakdown products (FFA’s, acyl carnitine, lysophospholipids) which have detergent effect on membrane
4) Cytoskeleton abnormalities: activation of proteases by increased intracellular Ca2+
Two phenomena consistently characterize irreversible changes in cell injury, what are they?
1) Inability to reverse mitochondrial dysfunction (lack of OxPhos and ATP generation)
2) Profound disturbances in membrane function