Polymorphic Neutrophils Activated (PMN) – Changes in the Exudative Phase (Nursing)

00:01 The PMNs are pretty impressive, so I want to give them their due.

00:05 So let's hang out here for just a minute.

00:07 I put a box around them to highlight them.

00:10 So, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

00:13 Because these little critters are amazing.

00:16 Now, they're the most common subtype of the white blood cells.

00:19 Remember there's five subtypes of white blood cells, but this is the most common.

00:24 Now, they are short-lived and highly mobile.

00:27 Look at that.

00:28 That's why these will fillers can jump from the bloodstream into the alveoli.

00:32 These guys can enter parts of the tissue where other cells and molecules cannot.

00:37 So they're short lived but they move really quick.

00:40 They're highly, highly mobile.

00:43 Keep in mind, what are we talking about? The PMNs, good! Short-lived, highly mobile.

00:49 That's how they make it into the alveoli.

00:52 You've got a really good picture there of what a PMN would look like.

00:56 So when you're thinking about these guys, I want you to picture this graphic that I have there for you.

01:02 You keep in mind, they are the most common subtype.

01:05 They're short-lived, they're highly mobile.

01:07 And let's look at that third point.

01:10 Now these guys have another skill set.

01:12 They can actually ingest infectious agents and other cells and foreign material.

01:18 Not bad.

01:19 They can do a lot of things in a very short period of time.

01:24 Now, they do other things in the cells and this is a sign of when the party's getting out of control.

01:30 Let's look at three of them.

01:32 The neutrophils release proteases.

01:35 Hey, anytime you see the letters ASE think about enzyme.

01:39 You know what enzymes do they cause a reaction, they break things up.

01:43 And so anytime you see the letters ASE, it's breaking down whatever is in front of those letters.

01:49 In this case, one of the three ways, the neutrophils, let the party out of control, is they release proteases, protein digesting enzymes.

02:00 There's the first one.

02:02 Here's the second one.

02:04 The neutrophils will release reactive oxygen molecules.

02:08 These are bad boys because they cause free radical damage.

02:13 So, we got the proteases, we've got reactive oxygen molecules.

02:17 Number three is the neutrophils release more cytokines.

02:24 This is when things get really crazy, because you know what cytokines do, that's what's started this whole process.

02:32 The neutrophils will release more cytokines which insights and perpetuates the inflammatory response.

02:39 So, see how you get stuck in this party that is way out of control in the alveoli.