Mast Cells In Anaphylaxis Research Articles

Role of mast cells in anaphylaxis. Evidence for the importance of mast cells in the cardiopulmonary alterations and death induced by anti-IgE in mice.

We used genetically mast cell-deficient WBB6F1-W/Wv and WCB6F1-S1/S1d mice and the congenic normal (+/+) mice to investigate the effects of intravenous infusion of goat antimouse IgE on heart rate (HR), pulmonary dynamic compliance (Cdyn), pulmonary conductance (GL), and survival. In WBB6F1-+/+ and WCB6F1-+/+ mice, anti-IgE induced extensive degranulation of tracheobronchial mast cells, as well as significant elevation of HR, significant reductions in Cdyn and GL and, in some cases, death. In contrast, W/Wv and S1/S1d mice exhibited little or no pathophysiological responses and no mortality after challenge with anti-IgE. In W/Wv mice reconstituted with mast cells by intravenous administration of bone marrow cells derived from congenic +/+ mice (+/+ BM----W/Wv mice), anti-IgE induced extensive mast cell degranulation, as well as pathophysiological responses and mortality similar to those observed in WBB6F1-+/+ mice. These findings suggest a critical role for mast cells in the development of the cardiopulmonary changes and mortality associated with anti-IgE-induced anaphylaxis.

The Behavior of Mast Cells in Anaphylaxis

Publisher Summary Mast cells contain antibodies and respond to antigen in anaphylaxis by presenting striking cytological changes with a consequent release of pharmacologically active substances. The anaphylactic phenomenon is the result of antigen–antibody reactions involving different sensitized cells and causing multiple responses according to the types of cells involved in the reaction. Thus, there should exist for each type of cell, a specific anaphylactic response depending upon the physiological characteristic of the cell hit by the antigen–antibody reaction. The mast cell plays a very important role in guinea pig anaphylaxis because of the known high sensitivity of this species to histamine, but an insignificant role in rat anaphylaxis because of the low sensitivity of this species to histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine. In both species, the reaction of antigen with antibodies fixed on the mast cells induces damage to these cells, which causes histamine liberation. The chapter also discusses the mechanism of the anaphylactic release of histamine from the mast cells.

Studies on the Role of Serotonin and Mast Cells in Anaphylaxis of the Mouse Produced with Soluble Antigen-Antibody Complexes

Summary The influence of various treatments on the anaphylactic response of the Swiss-Webster mouse to challenge with a soluble antigen-antibody complex composed of bovine serum albumin-antibovine serum albumin was studied. Protection against anaphylaxis was afforded by prechallenge treatment with either reserpine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, histamine and sodium salicylate or with the “serotonin antagonists” lysergic acid diethylamide, its bromine analogue and chlorpromazine. The antihistamine agent, pyrilamine maleate, was without effect. The protective effect of reserpine can be abolished with 5-hydroxytryptophan but not with 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine. Histamine or sodium salicylate did not affect the response to intravenous challenge with serotonin or histamine. Prechallenge treatment with 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-hydroxytryptophan increased the susceptibility of the animals to anaphylaxis. The highly sensitive pertussis-vaccinated mouse was protected against anaphylaxis by prechallenge treatment with epinephrine but not by prechallenge treatment with reserpine, the bromine analogue of lysergic acid diethylamide or dopamine. The refractory state induced by prior sublethal doses of antigen-antibody complex was not reversed by the administration of mouse complement or 5-hydroxytryptophan or a combination of both substances. Mice of the DBA/2 strain show only mild symptoms of anaphylaxis following doses of antigen-antibody complex three times those necessary to produce fatal anaphylaxis in a high percentage of Swiss-Webster mice. Examination of various tissues following anaphylactic death produced with the complex gave no indication that morphologic changes in mast cells accompany anaphylaxis.