Number Of Tissue Mast Cells Research Articles

Observations of Acid Mucopolysaccharide and Mast Cells in the Skin of Hairless Mice Following the Topical Application of Estrone and Pregnenolone

Histologic examination of the sexual skin of the rhesus monkey during the period of swelling due to estrogen stimulation has revealed evidence of partial depletion of the tissue mast cells (1). A mucoprotein was noted in the intercellular spaces during this period. Chain and Duthie (2) identified this mucoid material as hyaluronic acid. Schiller and Dorfman studied the effects of several hormones (3a, 3b, 3c) on the turnover of hyaluronic acid and chondroitinsulfuric acid in rats. Topical application of estradiol to the skin of hairless rhino mice produced non-pitting edema, which histologically resembled the mucinous material seen in the sexual skin of the monkey (4). Schiff and Burns (5) studying biopsy specimens from the mucous membranes of patients undergoing tonsillectomy, noted an increased number of tissue mast cells and increase of tissue acid mucopolysaccharide in patients receiving 20 mg. of Premarin intravenously pre-operatively. There was a steady increase in both elements during the first 4 hours after surgery, and a decrease by 8 hours. These changes were not observed in the operated control group not given Premarin. The authors concluded that conjugated estrogen appeared to exert a protective effect on tissue mast cells with resultant increase in total cell count and increased mast cell granule storage.

Blood coagulation and anticoagulant mechanisms in the turtle Pseudemys elegans

1. 1. Three groups of control (warm) and three groups of experimental (cold-torpid) turtles ( Pseudemys elegans) were subjected to room temperature (21–22°C) and to low temperature (2–4°C) respectively, from 1 to 6 months. Blood coagulation was studied utilizing such standard tests as the prothrombin clotting time of plasma and the coagulation time of whole blood. An anticoagulant substance with the metachromatic staining properties of a mucopolysaccharide was extracted from plasma and an attempt was made to correlate the amount of this substance with mast cell populations of liver and duodenal tissues. 2. 2. The prothrombin clotting time of the warm and cold-torpid groups varied considerably, but the mean clotting times for the two groups were essentially identical. An absence of whole blood coagulation was noted in many animals from both warm and cold environments. It was concluded that neither the warm nor the cold-torpid animals had an apparent fibrinogen deficiency, and that the variation in the clotting time was possibly due both to other factors of the clotting process and to seasonal or other factors independent of the experimental environment. 3. 3. Mean yields for the extracted anticoagulant were 2·04 and 6·67 mg/100 ml plasma for the three groups of warm and the three groups of cold-torpid animals respectively. The yield of the anticoagulant increased with length of exposure to the experimental environment. 4. 4. No correlation was found between the quantity of the anticoagulant substance and the number of tissue mast cells in liver and duodenal tissues from warm or cold-torpid animals. Neither was correlation found between the prothrombin clotting time and the anticoagulant yield nor between the coagulation of whole blood and the anticoagulant yield.

Tissue mast cells, histamine and 'slow reacting substance' in anaphylactic reaction in guinea pig.

AbstractAnaphylactic reaction was produced in vitro in isolated guinea‐pig tissue. Histamine and ‘slow reacting substance’ (‘SRS’) in different tissues occurred in amounts proportional to the mast‐cell population. The occurrence of these substances was attended with a reduction of the number of tissue mast cells. When the appearance of histamine and ‘SRS’ was blocked by enzyme inhibitors, there was no decrease in mast cells. It is suggested that the tissue mast cells may be the common source of both histamine and ‘SRS’ in anaphylactic reaction.

Effects of hypophysectomy on tissue mast cell numbers and heparin levels in the rat.

The effects of hypophysectomy on tissue mast cell counts and heparin concentrations were studied in male rats 1 1/2–2 months old. It was observed that removal of the pituitary gland caused a significant elevation of the mast cell numbers in liver, lung and kidney, but not in the spleen; thymus showed a trend toward increased values. The heparin contents of the organs examined were not significantly modified by the operation; the kidneys exhibited a trend toward higher values.

Blood clotting time and tissue mast cell number of the bat (Myotis lucifugus) in different physiological states.

Summary1. Blood coagulation times and tissue mast cell counts were determined on summer and winter bats and upon their exposure to 5°C and 23°C; respectively. 2. In nature the blood clotting time of the active summer bat is short, while that of the dormant winter bat is prolonged. Exposure of the summer bat to 5°C and the winter bat to 23°C in the laboratory results in a lengthening and a shortening of the clotting, respectively. The number of tissue mast cells in the duodenum appear to increase in the former case and decrease in the latter instance. 3. The above changes are interpreted as indicating the presence of a mechanism which prevents thrombus formation under the conditions of slow blood flow during dormancy and which allows for rapid clotting when the bat is active. The mast cell changes suggest that the alterations in clotting time are determined at least in part by alterations in the availability of heparin to the circulation.

Influence of total-body x-irradiation upon tissue mast cell number.

Summary1. Mast cell counts were made on the cheek pouches of hamsters subjected to total-body X-irradiation. 2. Following irradiation there is a marked increase in the number of atypical mast cells accompanied by a reduction in the total number of mast cells. 3. Repopulation of the cheek pouch with mast cells is relatively slow, being incomplete even at the end of 33 days.

Effect of cortisone on tissue mast cells in the hamster cheek pouch.

SummaryCortisone acetate injected sub-cutaneously into hamsters produced a decrease in the number of tissue mast cells in the cheek pouch. The size decreased and the cells were disrupted, with discharge of granules and stainable material. The treated hamsters consistently had fewer extravascular cells. The clotting times in the treated hamsters, were at first somewhat less than in the controls, but in those surviving 21 days of treatment, an increase in clotting time occurred.

Mast cell resistance to hormonal influence.

Summary and ConclusionsThe effect of cortisone and thyroxine and starvation on the numbers of tissue mast cells in the rat mesentery, heart, and skeletal muscle was investigated by making numerical counts of the cells. A whole mount technic was employed for the mesentery, while other tissues were prepared by the usual histological routine. All were stained with an alcoholic solution of aqueous toluidin blue. No significant changes in mast cell numbers were effected by either cortisone or thyroxine. Starvation produced a statistically significant increase. The alleged degenerative (types of mast cells were seen as frequently in controls as in treated rats. This group of experiments therefore has failed to provide any evidence supporting the contention that tissue mast cells are affected by thyroxine or cortisone.