MORPHOLOGY OF CELL INJURY

MORPHOLOGY OF CELL INJURY

Morphology of cell injury is of two types:

 Reversible
 Irreversible

REVERSIBLE:
In olden days the term ‘’DEGENERATION’’ is used to denote morphology of
cell injury I,e- REVERSIBLE type.

But the term degeneration does not provide any information on the nature of underlying changes,
So the term ‘’RETROGESIVE CHASNGES’’ or simply reversible changes of cell injury are
applied to non lethal cell injury.

The common examples of morphologic forms of reversible cell injury are:

o HYDROPIC change
o HYAALINE change
o MUCOID change
o FATTY change

Fatty change is discussed under intraacellular accumulations.

HYDROPIC CHANGE:
It is defined as the accumulation of water with in the cytoplasam of the cell.

Can be identified by two symptoms:

Cloudy swelling
Vacoular degeneration

It is an entirely reversible change up on the removal of injurious agent.

Etiology:
This change is the most commonest and earliest of the cell injury, caused almost by all
causes.

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Examples:

1. Bacterial toxins and chemicals

2. Poisons
3. Burns

PATHOGENISIS:
Cloudy swelling results from impaired regulation of Sodium and Potassium at the cell
membrane.

Results in intracellular accumulation of sodium and escape of Potassium

Rapid flow of water in to the cell

Cell swelling Influx of calcium

HYALINE CHANGE:
It is seen in heterogeneous pathologic conditions and may be intracellular or
extracellular.

INTRACELLULAR HYALINE:
Mainly seen in epithelial cells

Examples:

Hyaline droplets in the proximal tubular epithelial cells due to excessive reabsorption of
plasma proteins.

Hyaline degeneration of rectus abdominal muscles called ZENKER’S degeneration.

Definition:
Muscle losses its fibbrilar staining and becomes glossy and hyaline. Extracellular
hyaline seen in connective tissue.

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Examples:

1. Hyalinised old scar of fibro collage nous tissues.

2. ,Hyaline arteriosclerosis In renal vessels in hypertension and diabetes
mellitus.

MUCOID CHANGE:
 Mucoid means mucous like substance
 Mucoid is the secretory product of mucous glands.
 It is a combination of proteins complexes with mucopolysacharides.
 The connective tissue that produces mucous is a ground substance in the
umbilical cord.
 Connective tissue mucin is termed as myxoid.
FATTY CHANGE:{ Steatosis}
Fatty metamorphosis is the intracellular accumulation of neutral fat with in
parenchymal cells.

This is particular common in liver but may occur in other in fatty tissues as,

1. Heart
2. Skeletal muscles
3. Kidneys

FATTY LIVER:
Liver is the commonest site for accumulation of fat because it plays central role in fat
metabolism

Depending upon the cause and amount of accumulation, fatty change may be

 mild
 Reversible
 Severe

Etiology:
Fatty change in liver results from two causes:

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 Condition with excess fat

 Liver cell damage

Liver cell injury from chronic alcoholism is multi factorial.

Involves in the following steps,

Increased lipolysis

Increased free fatty acid synthesis

Decreased triglyceride utilization

Block in lipoprotein excretion.

IRREVERSIBLE CELL DEATH:

 Cell death is a state of irreversible cell injury.
 It may occur in the living body as a focal change.

The pathologic process involved in cell death are

 Autolysis
 Necrosis
 Apoptosis

Autolysis:
 It is the disintegration of the cell by its own hydrolytic enzymes liberated from
lysosomes.

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 It can occur in the living body when it is surrounded by the inflammatory reaction.

Necrosis:
Necrosis is defined as a localized area of death of tissue followed later by degradation of tissue
by hydrolytic enzymes liberated from dead cells.

It is of 5 types,

 Liqification necrosis
 Gaseous infection necrosis
 Fat necrosis
 Fibrinoid necrosis.

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NECROSIS APOPTOSIS

Stimuli hypoxia, toxins physiologic and pathologic

Histology cellular swelling, coagulation single cells,chromatin

necrosis, disruption of condensation, apoptotic bodies
organelles

DNA breakdown random, diffuse internucleosomal

Mechanisms ATP depletion, membrane gene activation, endonuclease

injury, free radical damage

Tissue reaction inflammation no inflammation, phagocytosis

of apoptotic bodies

APOPTOSIS:
 Apoptosis is a form of ‘coordinated and internally programmed
cell death’ having signifi cance in a variety of physiologic and
pathologic conditions .
 The term was first introduced in 1972 distinct from necrosis by being controlled and
regulated
cell death.
 It is opposed to that of mitosis by having regulated
size of the cell turn over.

REFERENCES:

Topic: Morphology of cell injury

Text book: Text book of pathophysiology
Scientist: Harsha mohan
Page no: 16-26

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MORPHOLOGY OF CELL INJURY

In

Patho physiology

Submitted by

Anugna kurapati

14AB1T0002

PHARM.D 2nd year

Under the guidance of

Mr. Vara Prasad Saka

Department of Bio-technology

Submitted to

Dean of Academics

SATEESH.S.GOTTIPATIB.Pharm.,MS(USA),R.Ph.,CIP(USA)

VIGNAN PHARMACY COLLEGE

Approved by AICTE, PCI- New Delhi & Affiliated to JNTUK-Kakinada

Vadlamudi (V), Chebrolu (M), GunturDt)- 522 213

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