Veterinary Pathology - Cell Degeneration

Introduction

Intracellular Accumulations:

Following sublethal injury, cells may accumulate abnormal amounts of various substances. These accumulations may be either temporary or persistent and may be relatively harmless or cause further compromise to the cell.

Mechanisms which may lead to intracellular accumulations fall into three groups:

1. A normal endogenous substance may be produced more rapidly than the cell's rate of catabolism or export. Examples include fatty change in hepatocytes in diabetes mellitus and following CCl4 exposure.

2. A normal endogenous substance may accumulate because it cannot be completely metabolised. For example, intralysosomal accumulation of ceroid lipofuscin derived from peroxidation of membrane phospholipids occurs in aged, atrophic or sublethally injured cells and in cells from animals with inherited lysosomal enzyme defects (lysosomal storage disorder).

3. An abnormal exogenous substance may accumulate because cells cannot degrade it. Examples include inhaled carbon and silica particles and injected tattoo ink. These substances are usually phagocytosed by but not degraded by macrophages.

Cases

Carbontetrachloride

Review Questions