MECHANISM OF DISEASE Flashcards
What does 5 fluorouracil do?
Prevent synthesis of thymidine
What does cisplatin do?
Bind to DNA cause damage and block repair
What does vinca alkaloids do?
Stabilise free tubulin, prevent microtubule polymerisation
What does paclitaxel do?
Stabilise microtubules, prevent de-polymerisation and arrest cell mitosis
Describe the steps of necrosis
- Result of an injurious agent or event – whole groups of cells are affected
- Initial events are reversible, later ones are not
- Lack of O2 – prevent ATP production
- Cells swell due to influx of water – ATP required for ion pumps to work
- Lysosomes rupture – enzymes degrade other organelles and nuclear material haphazardly
- Cellular debris released, triggering inflammation
What are the cytoplasmic changes in necrosis
- Opacification – protein denaturation and aggregation
2. Complete digestion of cells by enzymes causing cells to liquify
What are the biochemical changes in necrosis
- Releases enzymes – Creatine kinase or lactate dehydrogenase (into extracellular enviro.)
- Release of other proteins such as myoglobin – useful to measure extent of damage
Describe the steps in apoptosis
- Programmed cell death of one or a few cells
- Events are irreversible and energy (ATP) dependent
- Cells shrink as the cytoskeleton is disassembled
- Orderly packaging or organelles and nuclear fragments into membrane bound vesicles
- New molecules are expressed on vesicles membranes that stimulate phagocytosis without causing an inflammatory response
Cytoplasmic changes in apoptosis
- Cell shrinks. Organelles packaged into membrane vesicles
- Cell fragmentation. Membrane bound vesicles bud off
- Phagocytosis of cell fragments by macrophages and adjacent cells
- No leakage of cytosolic components
Nuclear changes in apoptosis
- Nuclear chromatin condenses on nuclear membrane
2. DNA cleavage
Biochemical changes in apoptosis
- Expression of charged sugar molecules on outer surface of cell membranes (recognised by macrophages to enhance phagocytosis
- Protein cleavage by proteases, caspases
Caspase activation
Inactive procaspase Y cleaved
Caspase X + prodomain
Caspase X activates caspase Y
TNF extrinsic apoptosis method
- TNF binds to TNFR bringing death domains close together
- Environment for dimerisation with other proteins like FADD
- Increases the concentration of death effector domain which recruits procaspase 8. Structure = DISC
- Activate - autoproteolysis. Becomes caspase 8
what is cancer?
Group of diseases characterised by:
abnormal cell proliferation
tumour formation
invasion of neighbouring normal tissue - able to supply themselves with nutrients
Metastasis to form new tumours at distant sites
Evidence suggesting cancer is a disease of the genome at the cellular level
carcinogens alter DNA = mutations - overtime it’ll accumulate.
Accumulation occurs after cells defence mechanisms of DNA repair has been evaded.
Mechanisms block carcinogenesis - but burdening system = higher chance cell escape surveillance