Histology

Connective tissue

Prof.Dr.Carmen Lăcrămioara Zamfir

Connective tissue
The cells of the connective tissue

-proper cells mesenchymal cell

fibroblast
fibrocyte
myofibroblast
adipocyte

-migrated cells macrophage

mastocyte
lymphocyte
plasmocyte
eosinophile
Connective tissue
The proper cells of the CT

The mesenchymal cell

-very numerous in embryonic tissue
-reduced in the adult tissues
-nondifferentiated pluripotent cells
-small, fusiforme or stellate, with ovoidal nucleus
-rare mitochondria, sparsed chromatine, RER
can be absent
-through repeated differentiation can generate
new cellular types involved in neovascularization

Perycite (perivascular cell)

-is considered as a nondifferentiated mesenchymal
cell which under various stimul influence can
differentiate into endothelial cells or smooth
muscle cells
Connective tissue
Proper cells of the CT

Fibroblast/fibrocyte
-represent the same cell in different functional stage
-the most numerous cells of the CT
-they have the same involvement in fiergenesis, a single
cell producing all the components of ECM

Fibroblast
-is a misnomer because is a mature cell
-very active cell especially in growing tissues
-present throughout the CT
-elongated cell with numerous thin flattened cellular
processs
-central, pale nucleus
-basophilic cytoplasm due to a great number of RER
involved in protein synthesis
-abundant Golgi complex
Connective tissue
Proper cells of the CT

Fibrocyte
-a mature cell, no longer active in tissular formation,
but still active in maintaining homeostatic activity
-some authors consider it in a quiescent phase, in
which they are involved in fiber maintenance and not
production
-it keeps the fibroblast morphologic features
-more voluminous than fibroblast, is fusiform,with
2 efilated processes
-under adequate stimulation can transform into
fibroblasts, the conversion being a reversible process
-small flattened nucleus
-eosinophilic cytoplasm, reduced cellular organelles
-small dispersed fragments of RER suggest a reducedp
proteic synthesis
Connective tissue
Functions of the fibroblast

-produces all the components of the ECM

-growing fibroblasts synthetise ground substance
-resting fibroblasts have the capacity to become active and to replace a damaged
tissue through the scars- collagen deposits (fibrosis)
-the same cell line that produce fibroblasts also produce adipocytes, osteoblasts and
chondrocytes
-produces different Growing Factors GF
-interfere with lipoproteic metabolism
-express specific immunological markers
-secrete pro-angiogenic factors (VEGF, IL-8)
Connective tissue
Functions of fibrocytes
-become extremely active during repair of
- tissues (role in the healing process)
injured
-when tissue damaged has occurred, the
stimulated fibrocytes undergo mitoses
-controll fiber orientation by applying
mechanical forces on the fibers
Connective tissue
Myofibroblast

-elongated cell which can not be identified in routine stainings

-display properties of both fibroblast and smooth muscle cell
-rich content in bundles of actin filaments and myosin, RER, Golgi complex
-alpha smooth muscle actin in myofibroblast is regulated by TGF-1β
-FIBRONEXUS-myofibroblast-to ECM anchoring junction
-differs from smooth muscle cell because it does not have a basal lamina
to surround the cell
-transmits to the ECM the contraction generated by the actin filaments
-when their role in physiological repair of skin alteration end, their
contractile activity ceased and they are apoptotically destroyed
-their persistence in wound healing process will generate tissular
alterations -hypertrophic scars
-sclerodermic fibrosis
-Dupuytren contracture
Connective tissue
Proper cells of the CT
Adipocyte
-specialized in lipid synhesis , storage and release
-there are 2 distinct types, arising from the bidirectional differentiation
of a commun precursor, adipoblast, generated by the same nondifferentiated
mesenchymal cell, under the controll of PPAR –gama
-white adipocyte
-brown adipocyte

White adipocyte
-large cell(up to 100μm diameter)
-unilocular cell(a single lipidic droplet without
membrane, but with a small layer of cytoplasm)
Connective tissue
White adipocyte
-the bulk of the cell volume is a lipid droplet surrounded by a thin rim of cytoplasm
-the lipid content is first semifluid and finally becomes solid
-the nucleus is flattened at the perifery of the cell
-the lipid droplet -95% triglycerids
-5% free fatty acids
-cholesterol esters
- -carotenic pigment(depending on
its concentration, the color of adipose
tissue varies from yellow to orange)
-on histological slides, the lipids ar solved during tissular
preparation, so the adipocytes appear as colourless cells
-there are special stainings to observe adipocytes(Scharlach, Sudan III, IV)
Connective tissue
Brown adipocytes

-abundant in fetus and newborn(2-5% from body weight)

-appear in interscapulary and anterior mediastinal area
-they are reduced in adults
-form a persistent structure in hibernating animals(seal,
marmote, bear)
-small cells with a central nucleus and numerous
mitochondria
-are multilocular cells(each cell contains multiple lipid
droplets
-are always disposed in lobular structures, in a close proximity
to a great number of cappilaries
-their name is given by a large number of oxidant cytochrome
distributed in numerous mitochondria with long cristae
-has a high metabolic rate, able to generate high amount
of heat in newborn, when the thermoregulatory hypotalamic
centres are not completely developped
Connective tissue
Functions of brown adipocytes

-transform the accumulated energy into heat in newborns and hybernating animals
-low temperature exposure release a large quantity of tissular noradrenaline(NA)
-NA mobilizes the adipocyte lipase, which will hidrolize triglycerides into fatty acids
and cholesterol
-the fatty acids metabolization will determine an increase of O2 consumption together
with the production of heat
-thermogenin facilitates the increase of the body temperature
-THERMOGENIN-transmembranary protein from the nitochondria of the brown
Adipocytes, able to redirect the resulted energy toward heat production and not to
ATP production
seal
marmot
Connective tissue
Hibernoma

-uncommun soft tissues benign tumor of

vestigial brown fat
-is named hibernoma because of its
resemblance to the brown fat of the
hibernating animals
-occurs between the age of 20 and 40
-they grow slowly, with painless
enlargement
Connective tissue
Migrated cells of CT

Macrophage

-arises from monocytes, which differentiate from medulary monoblasts

-monocytes migrate into the blood stream and after 34-48 hours, they
pass into the CT, where differentiate into macrophages
-large cells(25-50μ)
-irregular shape, with numerous folds which ensure cellular mobility
-kidney shaped nucleus
-cytoplasmic Golfi complex, RER, REN, mitochondria, secretory vesicles,
lysosomes
-
Epithelial tissue
Migrated cells
Macrophage localization

-in CT-classical macrophage

-liver-Kupffer cells
lung-alveolar macrophages
-lymph node-fixed/free macrophages
-spleen-free.fixed macrophages
-bone marrow-fixed macrophages
-bone-osteoclasts
-Skin-Langerhans cells
-CNS- microglia
-placenta=Hofbauer cells
Connective tissue
The functions of macrophages

-phagocytosis
-immunity
-they are antigen presenting cells (APC)
-controll the immune response and the development of the inflammatory
process, as a result of their secretory activity(cytokines TNF-α, IL-10, !L-12,
IL-18)
-facilitate the chronic inflammation, due to a complex stimulation of the
tumoral hypoxic cells
-protect the tissues against bacteria, viruses, fungus
-destroy the aged red blood cells
-interfere in lipidic and iron metabolism
Kupffer cell
Connective tissue
Migrated cells
Plasmocyte

-big, ovalary cell (20μ), arised from

lymphocites,
but with a small capacity of migration
-a great amount of RER gives basophilia to
cytoplasm
-perinuclear large Golgi complex, pale and
easy to be distinguished as a clear area in the
basophilic cytoplasm
-excentrically round nucleus, with a particular
distribution of heterochromatin(cartwheel or
clock face arrangement)
-synthesize and secrete antibodies, being
deeply involved in immunity
Connective tissue
Migrated cells
Mast cell

-round or ovalary cell (15-20μm)

-irregular shape
-features and fubctions are similar to those of basophil
both cells arising from the same stem medullary cell
-the mast cell will migrate and differentiate in the CT
-basophils will migrate and localise into the blood
-small and round nucleus, with a reduced condensed
chromatine compared with basophil
-a great number of cytoplasmic granules cover the
nucleus
-the granules need a special preservation and stain to
be observed
Epithelial tissues
Number of cellular rows
Epithelial tissue
Number of cell layers

Simple squamous epithelial tissue

-a single layer of flattened cells , with a central
flattened nucleus and sparse cytoplasm
-the simplest type of epithelia
Localization –endothelium
-mesothelium
-lining of the heart
-parietal layer of Bowman capsule
-rete testis
-pulmonary alveols
Connective tissue
-Glutaraldehide is usually used to preserve the granules
-the basic dyes like toluidine blue sustain the specific property of these granules,
which are metachromatic, because ot their great number of heparinic acidic
Radicals
Metachromasia –the granules treatment with blue basic dyes determine the
connection of the granules to the basic dye and change its blue color in purple
red
-cytoplasm- RER, mitochondria, Golgi complex
-mast cells localization- skin ,mucous membranes, thymus, along the small blood
vessels, in the capsule of different organs
-mast cells are absent in brain and spinal cord
Epithelial tissue
Simple columnar epithelium can present apical specializations

Cilliated epithelium simple columnar with goblet cells

Uterine tube intestin

Brush border simple columnar epithelium

renal proximalconvoluted tube
Connective tissue
The content of mast cell granules (mediators of inflammation)

-histamine biogenic amine wich determine the increase of mucus production in

the respiratory system, with a consecutive increase of vascular permeability and
edema
-heparine-sulfated GAG with anticoagulant activity
-proteases like tryptase, chymase
-ECF(eosinophilic chemotactic factor)
-TNF-α
-leukotrienes
-interleukins
Epithelial tissue
Stratified epithelia-2 or more layers of cells
The cells from supperficial layer give the name of epithelia

Stratified cuboidal epithelia

Localization –excretory ducts of sweat glands
-other glandular excretory ducts

Stratified columnat epithelia

Localization –large excretory ducts
-urethral posterior segment
-eyelid