28 Questions
Which of the following is NOT a category of intracellular accumulations described in the text?
Exogenous pigments only
What is one of the causes listed for cells to accumulate abnormal amounts of substances?
Deficiency of critical enzymes
Where can abnormal substances accumulate within cells according to the text?
Within lysosomes and organelles
Which term is defined as the accumulation of iron in tissues, especially in the form of ferritin and hemosiderin?
Hemosiderosis
What can lead to an abnormal amount of a normal substance accumulating in cells?
Increased rate of production but inadequate removal
Which one of the following is a pathway of abnormal intracellular accumulations as discussed in the text?
Deficiency of critical enzymes
What type of cellular constituents are mentioned in the text as potential normal intracellular accumulations?
Lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates
What can cause cells to accumulate abnormal amounts of various substances?
Inadequate removal by metabolic activity
Which of the following describes pathological calcification according to the text?
Deposition of calcium salts in dead or dying tissue
Which pigment is identified by its staining reaction with Prussian blue dye?
Hemosiderin
What is the major storage form of iron in the body?
Hemosiderin
Which condition is associated with decreased melanin pigmentation?
Albinism
What is Lipofuscin derived from?
Polyunsaturated lipids peroxidation
Which type of calcification occurs in dead or degenerated tissues?
Dystrophic calcification
What is the characteristic appearance of lipofuscin in tissue sections?
Yellow-brown finely granular intracytoplasmic appearance
Which disease condition can lead to Metastatic Calcification?
Vitamin D intoxication
What makes Hemosiderin accumulate in tissues according to the text?
Local or systemic excess of iron
Which disease condition leads to secondary hyperparathyroidism and subsequent Metastatic Calcification?
Renal failure
What can lead to accumulation of proteins in cells?
Genetic or acquired defects in protein folding and transport
Which of the following describes fatty change (steatosis)?
Fatty change can be irreversible and lead to cell death.
What is the major cause of fatty liver known as alcoholic liver disease?
Excessive alcohol consumption
Which stain is typically used to distinguish lipid accumulations from water or glycogen?
Oil Red-O stain
What gives atherosclerotic plaques their characteristic yellow color?
Cholesterol and cholesteryl esters in smooth muscle cells and macrophages
What type of pigment is melanin?
Endogenous pigment
How does tattooing contribute to pigmentation of the skin?
By introducing exogenous pigments that remain in dermal macrophages permanently
What is the main cause of pigment accumulation in anthracosis?
Inhalation or inoculation of carbon particles
Which statement accurately describes glycogen storage diseases?
Glycogen storage diseases involve abnormal accumulation of carbohydrates.
What is the consequence of an imbalance between uptake, utilization, and secretion of fat in cells?
Accumulation of triglycerides within parenchymal cells
Study Notes
Intracellular Accumulations
- Intracellular accumulations can be normal or abnormal, and may be harmless or associated with varying degrees of injury
- Three categories of intracellular accumulations:
- Normal cellular constituents (e.g. lipid, proteins, carbohydrates)
- Abnormal substances (e.g. exogenous/endogenous)
- Pigments (e.g. exogenous/endogenous)
Pathways of Abnormal Intracellular Accumulations
- Abnormal metabolism (e.g. fatty change in liver)
- Alterations in protein folding and transport (e.g. α1-antitrypsin deficiency)
- Deficiency of critical enzymes (e.g. storage diseases)
- Inability to degrade phagocytosed particles (e.g. accumulation of carbon or silica particles)
Types of Intracellular Accumulations
- Hydropic change (water)
- Fatty change (e.g. steatosis, fatty liver)
- Proteins (e.g. abnormal protein accumulation)
- Glycogen (e.g. glycogen storage diseases)
- Complex carbohydrates (e.g. mucopolysaccharidoses)
- Minerals (e.g. iron, calcium)
- Pigments (e.g. exogenous/endogenous)
- Amyloid
Fatty Liver
- Abnormal accumulation of triglycerides within parenchymal cells
- Caused by an imbalance between the uptake, utilization, and secretion of fat
- Commonly seen in the liver, but can also occur in other organs
- May be mild and reversible or severe and produce irreversible cell injury and death
- Major causes of fatty liver:
- Alcoholic liver disease
- Protein malnutrition (starvation)
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Obesity
- Hepatotoxins
- Hypoxia (anemia, cardiac failure)
- Drugs
Pigments
- Exogenous pigments: carbon, introduced into the body from outside by ingestion, inhalation, or inoculation
- Endogenous pigments: melanin, bilirubin, hemosiderin, lipofuscin
- Accumulation of pigments can occur inside cells in different situations
Hemosiderin
- Golden yellow-to-brown, granular pigment
- Hemoglobin-derived
- One of the major storage forms of iron
- Identified by its staining reaction (blue color) with the Prussian blue dye
- Accumulates in tissues when there is a local or systemic excess of iron
- Two types of excess accumulation:
- Hemosiderosis: accumulation of hemosiderin within tissue macrophages, not associated with tissue damage
- Hemochromatosis: more extensive accumulation of hemosiderin, often within parenchymal cells, leading to tissue damage, scarring, and organ dysfunction
Lipofuscin
- Brownish-yellow, granular intracellular material
- Consists of lipids and phospholipids in complex with protein
- Derived from the free radical-catalyzed peroxidation of polyunsaturated lipids of subcellular membranes
- Not injurious to the cell or its functions, but is important as a marker of past free-radical injury
- Seen in a variety of tissues (e.g. heart, liver, brain) as a function of age or atrophy
Pathologic Calcification
- Abnormal deposition of calcium salts, together with smaller amounts of iron, magnesium, and other minerals
- Two forms:
- Dystrophic calcification: deposition of calcium salts in dead or degenerated tissues
- Metastatic calcification: deposition of calcium salts in vital tissues with abnormal calcium metabolism
- Causes of metastatic calcification:
- Increased secretion of parathyroid hormone
- Destruction of bone tissue
- Vitamin D-related disorders
- Associated with renal failure
Test your knowledge on the substances that can accumulate within cells, the pathways of abnormal intracellular accumulations, causes and mechanisms of fatty liver, endogenous and exogenous pigments, as well as terms like hemosiderosis, jaundice, and pathological calcification.
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