Unit 1: cellular injury Flashcards
normal cell function depends on 3 things…
- continuous supply of nutrients
- removal of waste products from metabolism
- a normal cell environment
stages of cell injury…
- cell is injured
- cells function is altered
- cell degeneration
- cell death
adaptive cell responses
- atrophy
- hypertrophy
- hyperplasia
- metaplasia
what is degeneration
abnormality in cell structure/function (non-lethal injury)
- potentially reversible
- cells may reach a static state, where they continue to function on a suboptimal level
what is necrosis
cell death resulting from a lethal injury to the cells or tissues of a living organism
- can only occur in living organisms
- LOCAL cell death
what are the mechanisms of cell degeneration
- depletion of ATP
- impaired cell membrane function
- intracellular accumulations
- genetic abnormalities
what conditions can we see impaired ATP production in
- hypoxia
- hypoglycemia
- enzyme inhibition
- uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation
what is hypoxia
insufficient oxygen in cells
cause of hypoxia
- caused by any disease or obstruction of the respiratory system
- blood entering the lungs is not oxygenated enough
- can include things such as asthmatic attacks
what is hypoxemia
- the decreased ability of blood to carry oxygen
- e.g. in anemia oxygen is not carried effectively by the blood to tissues
- may still be a normal amount of hemoglobin, but it could be altered
- can occur with local vessel obstruction or ischemia
what is hypoglycemia
low glucose levels in the blood
hypoglycemia and depletion of ATP
- cells not getting enough nutrients (glucose) to generate ATP
enzyme inhibition and depletion of ATP
- interference with enzymes is the respiratory chain
- e.g. cyanide
uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation and depletion of ATP
- anything that alters how enzymes and chemical reactions are organized on the mitochondrial membrane leads to decreased ATP production
main effects of ATP depletion in cells
Have to do with pumping water and sodium out of the cell
1. Intracellular accumulation of water
2. swelling of cytoplasmic organelles
3. switch to anaerobic glycolysis
ATP depletion and intracellular accumulation of water
- lack of ATP leads to dysfunction of the cell membrane energy-dependent sodium pump
- leads to cloudy swelling due to accumulation of fluid and electrolytes
ATP depletion and swelling of cytoplasmic organelles
- influx of sodium and water can lead to this swelling
- Swelling of the mitochondria causes physical uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation
- Appears as vacuolated spaces around the nuclei and the cytoplasm
ATP depletion and the switch to anaerobic glycolysis
- switch leads to lactic acid production, which causes intracellular pH to decrease
- causes further disruption of organelle membranes - damage to lysosomal membranes leads to the release of lysosomal enzymes into the cytoplasm
first signs of hypoglycemia and hypoxia
loss of consciousness (because the effects of defective energy production will first affect those cells with the highest BMR such as brain cells)
what can cause cell membrane damage
- free radicals
- activation of the compliment system
- direct lysis of the cell membrane
free radicals and cell membrane damage
free radicals initiate a cascade or oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, DNA, etc. 3 reactions relevant to cell injury mediated by free radical…
1) lipid peroxidation
2)protein oxidation
3) DNA damage
activation of the compliment system and cell membrane damage
- the final compounds of the activated complement cascade can damage cell membranes
direct lysis of the cell membrane can be induced by…
- enzymes with lipase-like activity
- certain viruses cause lysis by direct insertion into the cell membrane or by initiating an immune response against infected cells
- physical and chemical agents such as extreme cold or heat and chemical solvents
what are some effects of impaired cell membrane function…
- loss of structural integrity
- loss of function
- deposition of lipofuscin
loss of structural integrity due to impaired membrane function
- less severe injury may allow the membrane to be repaired, though some membrane may be lost
- e.g. RBCs: can assume a spheroidal shape - spherocytes can be diagnostic for immune medicated anemia
Deposition of Lipofuscin due to impaired cell membrane function
- damaged bits of cell membrane are deposited into the cytoplasm - results in complexes of phospholipids and proteins from free-radical peroxidation of the lipids in sub-cellular membranes
- “wear and tear”
- No effect on cell function
Types of intracellular accumulation that can lead to cell degeneration
- Fatty degeneration (fatty change)
- Iron deposition
- Bilirubin accumulation
what is fatty degeneration
when triglycerides accumulate in the cytoplasm of parenchymal cells
- can result in fatty liver disease
- anything which disturbs the balance of fatty acid processing and exporting mechanism can lead to triglyceride accumulation in liver cells
the balance of fatty acid processing and exporting mechanisms can be upset and start favouring triglyceride accumulation in the liver due to…
- increased mobilization of adipose tissue (increased FAs reach liver)
- overactivity of enzyme systems (increased conversion of FAs to triglycerides
-oxidation of triglycerides to other forms is decreased - Apoprotein synthesis is decreased
what happens if too much fat accumulates in the liver
- would appear pale, beige and enlarges
- would feel friable, fragile, softer and greasy
- might float in water
Hepatic Lipidosis (fatty liver syndrome) in cats
- caused when the cat starts eating considerably less
- elevated plasma triglycerides, marked fat accumulation in hepatocytes, and accumulation of bile pigments - leading to jaundice
- The ability of the liver to esterify fatty acids from adipose tissue is likely normal, until plasma transport mechanisms become saturated - triglycerides accumulate in hepatocytes
what is a bruise
an area of hemorrhage caused by blunt trauma which injures blood vessels in the tissues