Guest Lecture: Infectious Diseases Flashcards

1
Q

How do infections directly damage the nervous system?

A

They produce toxins and steal nutrients

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

How do infections indirectly damage the nervous system?

A

They trigger an overactive immune response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What can microglia and infiltrating immune cells do?

A
  1. proliferate (multiply)
  2. Release signals to other cells
  3. Phagocytose pathogens
  4. Release toxic products
  5. Restrict nutrient availability
  6. Trigger cell death
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

For myelitis, where is the inflammation?

A

The spinal cord

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

For encephalitis, where is the inflammation?

A

The Brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

For Meningitis, where is the inflammation?

A

In the meninges

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

For Endophthalmitis, where is the inflammation?

A

In the Eye

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Organisms which consume nutrients from a living host, at the host’s expense.
- Can cause irreversible damage before symptoms
- Non-specific symptoms, like headaches

A

Parasites

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Disease burden: about 250 million cases and 700,000 deaths globally per year
* Plasmodium parasites (protozoa (single-celled))
* Transmitted by bite from infected mosquito
Neurological effects: seizures, coma

A

Malaria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Severe form of malaria spreads to
the brain

A

Cerebral malaria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How to treat Malaria?

A
  1. Malaria vaccine
  2. Antimalarial drugs
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q
  • CDC: up to 40 million
    people in US could be
    infected
  • Mostly asymptomatic
    because immune system can
    prevent illness
  • Anti-parasitic medications
    for severe disease,
    immunocompromised
  • Exposure to oocytes (eggs)
  • Eating undercooked meat
  • Exposure to cat feces
  • Increases excitatory neurotransmission in CNS
    Neurological effects: seizures, mood disorders
A

Toxoplasmosis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q
  • Reduced glutamate re-uptake
    by astrocytes -> more
    excitation
  • GABA used as carbon
    source -> less inhibition
A

Toxoplasmosis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q
  • Single-celled, prokaryotic
    microorganisms
  • General concerns:
  • Ubiquitous (can be found all over
    the place)
  • Spread of antibiotic resistance
A

Bacteria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How do antibiotics kill bacteria?

A

They inhibit some vital cellular
process

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How do bacteria become
antibiotic resistant?

A

Decrease import, increase export,
alter target of antibiotic, enzymes
to inactivate

17
Q

How does methicillin kill bacteria?

A
  • Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) are necessary to form their protective cell wall
  • Methicillin enters bacteria and
    Inhibits PBPs
18
Q

infection of the fluid within the eye
* Causes
- intraocular surgery
- traumatic injury
- systemic infection
* Can quickly lead to irreversible
vision loss
- Retinal degeneration, detachment

A

Endophthalmitis

19
Q
  • Damage the retina directly
  • Degrade proteins (proteases)
  • Lyse retinal cells (pore-forming
    toxins)
  • Combat immune response
  • Bind to immune cell receptors to
    prevent recognition
  • Inhibit inflammatory signaling
  • Lyse immune cells after phagocytosis
A

Staphylococcus aureus toxins

20
Q

Treatments for Endophthalmitis

A
  1. Antibiotics: vancomycin
  2. Extreme case: enucleation (removal
    of eye)
21
Q
  • Eukaryotic microorganisms
  • General concerns:
  • Newly infectious species
  • Resistance to anti-fungal
    medications
A

Fungi

22
Q
  • DNA or RNA surrounded by
    protein coat
  • Typically considered non-living
    since on their own they can’t:
  • Grow
  • Reproduce
  • Create proteins
  • Make/use their own energy
  • General concerns
  • Evade detection by immune system
  • Hard to develop antiviral drugs
    -> Lack cellular processes to target
    -> Diversity of structures
A

Viruses

23
Q

Neurotropic viruses:
preferentially target the nervous
system
* CDC: causes ~59,000
deaths per year worldwide
* Caused by bite/scratch from
infected animal

A

Rabies

24
Q

Treatment for Rabies

A

Rabies vaccine
* Once symptoms are present,
there are no effective treatments
* >99% mortality rate

25
Q
  • Infected muscle -> neuromuscular junction -> nervous system
  • Virus endocytosed by presynaptic neuron, trafficked to soma by dynein (retrograde transport)
  • Flu-like symptoms progress to
    cognitive dysfunction
  • Mild: confusion, anxiety
  • Severe: hallucinations, hydrophobia, insomnia
A

Rabies

26
Q

2015-2016, Brazil: hundreds of
babies born with microcephaly
- Cause
* Bite from infected mosquito
* Sexually transmitted
* Transmitted to fetus during
pregnancy

A

Zika Virus

27
Q

Guide migration of new neurons
during development

A

Radial glia

28
Q

What happens when Zika infects fetal brain?

A
  • Impaired cell division
  • Cells destroyed by virus,
    apoptosis, immune system
29
Q
  • Mainly in young children
  • Poor hand washing
  • Contaminated food/water
  • Mainly in anterior horn motor
    neurons (can spread to
    posterior horn, brain stem,
    thalamus)
  • Viral replication within motor
    neurons leads to cell death
  • Paralysis, including of breathing
    muscles
A

Poliomyelitis

30
Q

Treatment for poliomyelitis

A
  • Polio vaccine
  • No cure
  • Ventilator
31
Q
  • Chronic inflammation and
    neurodegeneration
  • Demyelinating disease of CNS
  • Autoimmune disease: immune
    system targets myelin
  • Muscle weakness, vision
    impairment
A

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

32
Q

Treatment for Epstein-barr virus

A

Clinical trials for vaccines

33
Q
  • Most abundant protein in the nervous system
  • Normal function: several cellular
    processes including protection from stress
  • General concerns
    • No cure or treatments
      -> Difficult to target (non-living)
      -> Difficult to physically destroy
    • Can progress rapidly and is always fatal
A

Prions

34
Q

_________ fold abnormally -> cause
others to as well -> form toxic
aggregates within tissue ->
neurodegeneration
* Widespread symptoms
(dementia, personality change)

A

Prions

35
Q
  • Neural
  • Glial
A

Progenitor cells