SABA ANJUM

CELL INJURY

CELL INJURY
Cell injury results when cells are stressed so that
they are no longer able to adapt
When cells are exposed to inherently damaging
agents
When cells suffer from intrinsic abnormalities
Injury may progress through a reversible stage
and culminate in cell death

REVERSIBLE CELL INJURY

Early stages or mild forms of injury result in
functional and morphologic changes, that are
reversible if the damaging stimulus is removed.
The hallmarks of reversible injury are :
Reduced oxidative phosphorylation, depletion of
energy stores in the form of ATP
Cellular swelling caused by changes in ion
concentrations and water influx
Intracellular organelles, such as mitochondria and
the cytoskeleton, may also show alterations

CELL DEATH
Two principal types of cell death
1. Necrosis : When damage to membranes is
severe, lysosomal enzymes enter the cytoplasm
and digest the cell, cellular contents leak out,
resulting in necrosis. It is always a pathological
process.
2. Apoptosis : When the cell's DNA or proteins are
damaged beyond repair, the cell kills itself by
apoptosis. Characterized by nuclear dissolution &
fragmentation of the cell without complete loss of
membrane integrity, and rapid removal of the
cellular debris. Apoptosis is normal function of the
cell.

OXYGEN DEPRIVIATION
Hypoxia is a deficiency of oxygen, which causes
cell injury by reducing aerobic oxidative respiration
Causes of hypoxia include :
1. Ischemia
2. Inadequate oxygenation(cardiorespiratory
failure
3. decreased oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood
(anemia or carbon monoxide poisoning )
4. severe blood loss
Depending on the severity of the hypoxic state,
cells may adapt, undergo injury, or die.

PHYSICAL AGENTS
Physical agents include :
1. mechanical trauma
2. extremes of temperature (burns and deep cold)
3. sudden changes in atmospheric pressure
4. radiation
5. electric shock

CHEMICAL AGENTS AND DRUGS

The list of chemicals that may produce cell injury
are :
1. simple chemicals such as glucose or salt in
hypertonic concentrations
2. oxygen at high concentrations
3. Trace amounts of poisons ( Arsenic, cyanide,
mercuric salts )
4. Environmental and air pollutants
5. insecticides and herbicides
6. industrial and occupational hazards (carbon
monoxide and asbestos )
7. Recreational drugs such as alcohol
8. therapeutic drugs

INFECTIOUS AGENTS
These agents include :
1. Submicroscopic viruses
2. Large tapeworms
3. Rickettsiae
4. Bacteria
5. Fungi
6. Parasites

IMMUNOLOGIC REACTIONS
The immune system serves an essential function
in defense but may also cause cell injury.
Injurious reactions to endogenous self-antigens
are responsible for several autoimmune diseases.
Immune reactions to many external agents, such
as microbes and environmental substances, are
also important causes of cell and tissue injury

GENETIC DERANGEMENTS
Genetic defects may cause cell injury :
1. deficiency of functional proteins
2. enzyme defects in inborn errors of metabolism
3. accumulation of damaged DNA
4. misfolded proteins
Variations in the genetic makeup can also influence
the susceptibility of cells to injury by chemicals and
other environmental insults

NUTRITIONAL IMBALANCES
Nutritional imbalances are the major causes of cell
injury as in :
1. Protein-calorie deficiencies
2. Deficiencies of specific vitamins
3. anorexia nervosa (self-induced starvation)
4. Excess of cholesterol ( atherosclerosis )
5. obesity ( Diabetes and Cancer )
In addition to the problems of undernutrition and
overnutrition, the composition of the diet makes a
significant contribution to a number of diseases

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