Pathology - Erobbins Flashcards
What are the four principle adaptive responses of cells?
hypertrophy, hyperplasia, atrophy, and metaplasia
What characteristics of stress result in irreversible damage and cell death?
stress is severe, persistent and rapid in onset
What are physiologic adaptations?
represent responses of cells to normal stimulation by hormones or endogenous chemical mediators (e.g., the hormoneinduced enlargement of the breast and uterus during pregnancy)
What are pathologic adaptations?
responses to stress that allow cells to modulate their structure and function and thus escape injury
What are trophic triggers?
soluble mediators that stimulate cell growth such as growth factors and adrenergic hormones
Does metaplasia occur to mature cells?
No, metaplasia is thought to arise due to a change in gene expression in the stem cells
Compare and Contrast Apoptosis and Necrosis
Necrosis: Enlarged cell size, disrupted plasma membrane, enzymatic digestion, accompanies inflammation, always pathologic
Apoptosis: Reduced cell size, intact membrane, no inflammation, can be physiologic or pathologic
Differentiate hypoxia from ischemia
Ischemia is the inadequate supply of oxygen to a tissue due to a physical obstruction, hypoxia is inadequate supply of oxygen because of a lowered concentration of oxygen in the blood
What are the common causes of cell injury?
Oxygen Deprivation, Chemical Agents, Infectious Agents, Immunologic Reactions, Genetic factors, Nutritional Imbalances, Physical agents, and Aging
Can we immediately see cell death?
No, cell death occurs before any accompanying ultrastructural changes that can be seen by light microscopy and even longer before any gross morphological changes
Which two characteristics are consistent signs that cell damage has become irreversible?
The inability to correct mitochondrial dysfunction and profound disturbances in membrane function
What are the major morpholigical correlates of reversible cell injury?
Cellular swellin due to failure of energy dependent ion pumps and Fatty change resulting in the appearance of lipid vacuoles in the cytoplasm. Dilation of the ER with detachment of ribosomes, and nuclear alterations with clumping of chromatin
What type of necrosis is characteristic of infarcts?
Coagulative necrosis (everywhere but the CNS)
What are the four principal targets and biomechanical mechanisms of cell injury?
- Mitochondria and their ability to generate ATP and ROS
- Disturbance of Ca2+ homeostasis
- Damage to cellular membranes
- Damage to DNA and protein misfolding
What are the effects of Mitochondrial damage?
Decrease in ATP production leading to multiple downstream effects and an increase in ROS leading to lipid, protein, and DNA damage
What are the effects of increased Ca2+ permeability?
Entry of calcium leads to increased mitochondrial permeability and activation of multiple cellular enzymes
What are the effect of membrane damage?
Plasma membrane damage leads to the loss of cellular components, lysosomal membrane damage leads to the digestion of cellular components
What are the effects of protein misfolding and DNA damage?
Activation of pro-apoptotic proteins leading to eventual apoptosis
What are the effects of mitochondrial damage?
- Increased influx of Ca2+, H20, and Na+ leading to cellular swelling and loss of microvilli
- Increased efflux of K+
- Decreased ATP production
- Increased glycolysis leading to increased lactic acid production and decreased pH
- Detachment of ribosomes leading to decrease production of proteins
What changes cause mitochondria to undergo necrotic changes? Apoptotic Changes?
- Necrosis: Decreased O2 supply, Toxins, Radiation lead to decreased ATP and increase in reactive oxygen species
- Apoptosis: Decreased survival signals, DNA or Protien damage results in leakage of mitochondrial proteins and apoptosis
How do cells get rid of free radicals?
- The rate of decay of superoxide is increased by Superoxide Dismutases
- Glutathione peroxidase in teh cytoplasm of cells catalyzes the breakdown of H2O2 into H2O
- GS-SG + H2O2 = 2GSH + 2H20
- Catalase is peroxisomes breaks down H2O2 extremely quickly
- Endogenous antioxidants prevent formation of free radicals or quickly bind them
How do ROS cause cell injury?
- Lipid peroxidation of membranes resulting in an autocatalytic radical chain
- Promotion of sulfhydryl protein cross-linking leading to enhanced degredation or loss of activity
- DNA damage via reaction with thymine in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA
What are the mechanisms of membrane damage in cell injury?
- Decreased phospholipid synthesis due to decrease in concentration of ATP
- Increased phospholipid breakdown by endogenous phospholipases activated by increased cytosolic Ca2+ levels
- Lipid peroxidation by free radicals
- Activation of proteases leading to cytoskeletal damage and eventually membrane damage
- Presence of lipid breakdown products act as a detergent to cell membranes
Describe the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis
Cell injury leads to Bcl-2 family sensors activating Bax and Bak which cause increased mitochondrial permeability allowing cytochrome C to enter the cytosol and activate caspases that cleave proteins at aspartic residues leading to nuclear degredation and membrane blebbing and eventual apoptosis