PI session 1 Flashcards
What is cell death?
Irreversible severe cell injury that exceeds attempts at repair or adaptation induces cell death
What are the two distictive forms of cell death?
- Apoptosis
- Necrosis
Why does apoptosis occur?
- cell no longer needed by the body
- OR it is damaged beyond repair
Why is there no inflammatory response associated with apoptosis?
- Dissolution of nucleus without perforation of cell membrane
- Prevents cell contents from leaking into extracellular matrix
Why is there no inflammatory response associated with apoptosis?
- Dissolution of nucleus without perforation of cell membrane
- Prevents cell contents from leaking into extracellular matrix
Cells destined to die activate intrinsic enzymes that degrade genomic DNA and nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. These enzymes are called what?
Caspases
What 2 pathways converge on caspase activation?
- Mitochondrial pathway (intrinsic) - mitochondrial membrane becomes more permeable and releases pro-apoptotic molecules
- Death receptor pathway (extrinsic) - activates inflammatory cascade
What are the anti-apoptotic proteins in the intrinsic pathway?
BCL2, BCL-xL, and MCL1
What are the pro-apoptotic proteins in the intrinsic pathway?
BAX and BAK
What are the regulated apoptosis initiator proteins?
BAD, BIM, BID, Puma, and Noxa
sensors of cellular stress/damage & initiate apoptosis when activated
What occurs in the intrinsic (mitochondrial) pathway of apoptosis?
- Growth factors and other survival signals stimulate BCL2, protecting cells from apoptosis
- When no signals are sent, or in the case of DNA damage or ER stress, BH3-only proteins (apoptosis initiators) are upregulated
- BH3-only proteins activate BAX and BAK which insert into mitochondrial membrane forming the permeability transition pore
- Results in cytochrome C leaking into the cytoplasm and binding to APAF-1 (apoptosis activating factor) and forms an apoptosome which binds CASPASE-9
Explain the extrinsic (death receptor-activated) pathway with regards to Fas.
- When FasL binds to Fas, 3 or more molecules of Fas are brought together along the inner cell membrane, and their collective cytoplasmic death domains form a binding site for an adapter protein called FADD (Fas-associated death domain)
- FADD then binds to Caspase-8 (or caspase-10), activating the EXECUTIONER caspase sequence of the extrinsic path
What is karyolysis?
- Basophilia of the nucleus fades
- Loss of DNA due to enzymatic destruction
What is pyknosis?
- Nuclear shrinkage and increased basophilia
- Chromatin condenses into a ‘dense, shrunken basophilic mass
What is karyorrhexis?
- Pyknotic nucleus undergoes fragmentation
- Within 1-2 days, the nucleus in the necrotic cell totally disappears
What are the 6 patterns of tissue necrosis?
- Coagulative
- Liquefactive
- Gangrenous
- Caseous
- Fat
- Fibrinoid
What occurs in coagulative necrosis?
- Denaturation of structural proteins and enzymes
- Shadow of dead cells/tissue persists for days
- Leukocytes eventually remove dead cells
- Classic example: infarcts (ischemic necrosis) in solid organs
Brain infarcts are an exception–> Liquefactive instead
On histology slides, necrotic cells will lack what organelle?
Nucleus
What are the gross appearance characteristics of infarcts?
- Firm
- Located near periphery of organ
- “Wedge shaped” (like triangle pointing toward center of organ)
- Pale/white, except for in lungs where it is red
What is liquefactive necrosis?
- Dead cells completely digested into viscous liquid
- Examples: Abscess d/t bacterial infection; Infarct in brain/CNS
- If abundant inflammation (neutrophils): pus
What is gangrenous necrosis?
- Not a specific pattern of cell death, but commonly used in clinical practice
- Coagulative necrosis involving a limb (lower leg)
- Superimposed bacterial infection attracting leukocytes and degradative enzymes causing liquefactive necrosis
- Combination causes so-called wet gangrene
What is caseous necrosis?
- Grossly has a soft, pale, crumbly/friable “cheesy” look
- Buzzword for Tuberculosis
- Characteristic of a focus of inflammation called a granuloma
What is fat necrosis?
- Focal areas of fat destruction
- Enzymes leak out of damage cells and liquefy membranes of fat cells in the peritoneum
- Typical of NECROTIZING PANCREATITIS - (abdominal emergency caused by leaking pancreatic lipases)
- Fat saponification: chalky white material - broken down lipid combines with calcium to make soap-like substance