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Some abnormalities characterize cell injury regardless of the cause, and are thus seen in a
variety of pathologic situations, one of these changes is described next.
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2. Decreased Phospholipids synthesis:
As a consequence of defective Mitochondrial
function and/or hypoxia which both cause ATP
depletion that decreases Phospholipid synthesis
and deacylation-reacylation reactions which are
necessary for phospholipid turnover.
This affects all membranes including the membranes of the Mitochondria themselves.
4. Cytoskeletal abnormalities:
Increased cytosolic Ca+2 activates -Beside Phospholipases- Proteases that cause damage
to the elements of the cytoskeleton(protein filaments).
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- Physical and Chemical agents
Chemical injury:
Toxins, including environmental chemicals and
substances produced by infectious pathogens, induce cell injury that culminates primarily in
necrotic cell death.
The wrong usage of Drugs is a big problem in Jordan, over usage of Antibiotics is an
example.
Mechanisms of Chemical injury, Different types of toxins induce cell injury by two general
mechanism:
o Direct-acting toxins by combining with critical molecular component. Examples include:
▪ Mercuric chloride poisoning (as may occur from ingestion of contaminated seafood)
binds to the sulfhydryl groups of cell membrane proteins causing inhibition of
ATP-dependent transport and increased
membrane permeability.
▪ Cyanide poisons mitochondrial cytochrome
oxidase and inhibits oxidative phosphorylation,
thus reducing ATP synthesis which cause a
reduction in Phospholipids Synthesis and
deacylation-reacylation reactions.
o Latent toxins:
Many toxic chemicals are not intrinsically active but must first be converted to reactive
metabolites, which then act on target cells. Understandably, such toxins typically affect the
cells in which they are activated, this is usually accomplished by cytochrome P-450 in the
smooth ER of the liver and other organs, examples include:
▪ The conversion of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) to the toxic
free radical carbon-trichloride (CCl3) -principally in the
liver- causing Lipid Peroxidation + decrease export of
lipids outside the liver leading to Fatty change -more
about this in the next lecture-
▪ Acetaminophen (Paracetamol), An overdose or regular
doses that are taken while drinking alcohol do cause severe Liver damage, know that
Most cases of acetaminophen-induced liver injury are caused by an intentional or
suicidal overdose.
DNA Damage
Cells usually have mechanisms to repair DNA damage,
Damage to DNA is sensed by intracellular sentinel proteins,
which transmit signals that lead to the accumulation of p53
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protein. p53 first arrests the cell cycle (at the G1 phase) to allow the DNA to be repaired
before it is replicated.
However, if the damage is too great to be repaired(severe damage and accumulation of
misfolded proteins) successfully, p53 triggers apoptosis, mainly by stimulating BH3-only
sensor proteins that ultimately activate Bax and Bak, proapoptotic members of the Bcl-2
family.
DNA damage causes include:
Exposure of cells to radiation or chemotherapeutic agents, intracellular generation of
Regenerative Oxygen Species (ROS), and acquisition of mutations may all induce DNA
damage, which if severe may initiate a suicide program results in cell death by Apoptosis.
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Figure from page 46
Ischemic and Hypoxic injury
Hypoxia or Oxygen deficiency leads to failure of many energy dependent metabolic
pathways, and ultimately to death of cells by necrosis, remember that Anaerobic
glycolysis produces far less amounts of ATP (2 compared to 30 in Aerobic per glucose
molecule) leading to ATP depletion.
Ischemia is an advanced level of Hypoxia, as not only oxygen but many other
substances aren't being delivered causing more rapidly damage + further ATP
depletion.
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Mechanisms of ischemic injury:
Irreversible changes lead to Necrosis most of the times, apoptosis by the mitochondrial
pathway is also thought to contribute.
➢ Dead cells of the ischemic tissue may become replaced by large masses of myelin figures
which are either phagocytosed or degraded more into fatty acids and may become
calcified.
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Ischemia-reperfusion injury:
Restoration of blood flow to ischemic tissues can promote recovery if they are reversibly
injured, in certain situations, reperfusion paradoxically exacerbates injury (more dead cells
in addition to the already irreversibly injured cells).
Clinical Correlations
❖ The identification of factors that determine when reversible injury becomes irreversible
and progresses to cell death would be very useful so we may be able to identify
strategies to prevent permanent consequences of cell injury.
❖ Leakage of intracellular proteins into blood through damaged membranes provides a
means of detecting tissue damage, CK & troponin in MI and ALT, AST & ALK in the liver
are examples of leakage that helps detect injuries.
❖ When a patient who has suspected liver disease, we perform liver function tests to
assess the status of hepatocytes i.e if they are injured or not, in necrosis and apoptosis
as mentioned proteins leak hence their presence indicates cell injury.
❖ In MI patients other than physical examination and history taking we perform tests on
serum blood for cardiac enzymes , if they are high we would know that cell injury of
myocytes has occurred.
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❖ The functional consequences of hypoxia and ischemia depends on the severity and
duration of the deficit. For instance, the heart muscle ceases to contract within 60
seconds of coronary occlusion.
SUMMARY
▪ Different initiating events cause cell injury and death by diverse mechanisms.
▪ Hypoxia and ischemia lead to ATP depletion and failure of many energy-dependent
functions, resulting first in reversible injury and, if not corrected, in necrosis.
▪ In ischemia-reperfusion injury, restoration of blood flow to an ischemic tissue
exacerbates damage by increasing production of ROS and by inflammation.
▪ Protein misfolding depletes essential proteins and, if the misfolded proteins
accumulate within cells, results in apoptosis.
▪ DNA damage (e.g., by radiation) also can induce apoptosis if it is not repaired.
▪ Inflammation is associated with cell injury because of the damaging actions of the
products of inflammatory leukocytes.
▪ Ischemia is more rapidly damaging than hypoxia in the absence of ischemia.
▪ Ischemia: delivery of substrates is also compromised.
▪ Hypoxia: anaerobic glycolysis
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