Small Basophils Research Articles

In vitro Appearance of Large Human Histamine-Containing Basophilic Cells

The appearance of large human basophilic cells containing histamine was followed to reflect cell maturation in cultures of peripheral blood leukocytes. Aliquots were taken on day 0 and after 7, 9-10 and 14 days in culture, and the basophilic cell numbers were determined in 200 microliter cytospin specimens stained with Wright's stain. The number of small basophils initially present declined during the culture period. The number of spontaneously appearing large basophilic cells varied among the cultures from different individuals and was slightly, though not significantly, higher in atopic individuals than in normals. In cultures of cells from atopic individuals, the number of large basophilic cells was reproducibly increased by the addition of appropriate allergen to the cultures. In cultures of cells from normal individuals, the number was increased two- to six-fold by adding conditioned medium (CM), either from 3-day cultures of cells from atopic individuals stimulated with allergen or with CM from the Mo T cell leukemic line. The addition of mitomycin C decreased the number of large basophilic cells and cycloheximide abrogated their appearance.

Appearance of basophilic cells/mast cells and IgE antibodies in liquid human cell cultures.

Maturation of basophils/mast cells as well as formation of IgE antibodies are parts of the immune response to antigens. We have analyzed these important constituents of the allergic inflammatory response in vitro, cultivating human peripheral blood cells from allergic and normal individuals. Mesenteric lymph nodes were also cultured from two normals. In liquid cultures of peripheral blood cells, the number of small basophils initially present decreased and large basophilic cells appeared over a 2-week period. In normals, the maturation of large basophils from precursor cells could be stimulated with supernatants from peripheral blood cell cultures from atopic individuals stimulated with the relevant allergen. The IgE levels declined in cultures of peripheral blood, whereas the IgE antibodies in cultures of cells from a mesenteric lymph node from one of the nonallergic individuals increased during the 2-week period. In separate cultures, the IgE formation could not be reproducibly stimulated by antigen or mitogen. The study shows the possibility to stimulate the maturation of basophil/mast cell precursor cells present in the blood of allergic and healthy individuals with antigen-induced factors. In contrast, the IgE formation by blood cells was difficult to stimulate.

Ultrastructure and immunolabeling of gonadotrops and thyrotrops in the pituitary of the African catfish, Clarias lazera

Pituitaries of the African catfish (Clarias lazera) were studied with immunocytochemical methods, at the light-microscopic and ultrastructural levels, for the characterization and localization of gonadotropic and thyrotropic cells. Two immunostaining procedures with the use of different markers were carried out: (i) with peroxidase-antiperoxidase, (ii) with protein A-gold. In routinely stained sections for light microscopy two types of basophils were identified in the proximal pars distalis: (1) large, round, purple cells, and (2) small, angular, light-blue cells. Both types were immunolabeled with antibodies against Clarias α,β-gonadotropin (GTH) and salmon G100-GTH. Only the large basophils were immunolabeled with anti-carp β-GTH, whereas the small basophils were the only cells immunolabeled with anti-human thyrotropin beta subunit (anti-h TSH-β). It was concluded that the large basophils represent the gonadotrops and the small basophils the thyrotrops. At the ultrastructural level the immunostaining of the GTH-cells was confined to three types of inclusions: (i) secretory vesicles, (ii) globules, and (iii) electron-dense, membrane-bound irregular masses. Especially the protein A- gold method, in combination with the use of a highly diluted homologous antiserum, resulted in a distinct localization of GTH. The presence of two types of nerve fibres, synaptically contacting the gonadotrops, is discussed with regard to the presence of a peptidergic (stimulatory) and an aminergic (inhibitory) control of GTH-secretion.

The pituitary gland of the coelacanth fish Latimeria chalumnae Smith: General structure and adenohypophysial cell types

The pituitary gland of Latimeria chalumnae is situated rostroventral to the telencephalon. The hollow pituitary stalk is bent forward and is ventrally connected to a saccus-vasculosus-like organ, rostrally to a neurointermediate lobe. The infundibular lumen protrudes far into the neurohypophysial lobules. The elongated principal part (pars cerebralis) of the pars distalis is partly embedded in a dorsal depression of the pars intermedia and caudally invaded by the neurohypophysis. It may be divided into rostral and proximal pars distalis and includes a ramified hypophysial cleft, which continues rostrally as a duct with adjacent islets of pars distalis tissue (parts of a pars buccalis). The adenohypophysis consists of cell cords and follicles. Eight tinctorial cell types can be distinguished: in the rostral islets: large basophils with acidophil globules, in the rostral pars distalis: small basophils, large basophils with amphiphil characters and erythrosin-, orange G-positive acidophils; in the proximal pars distalis: orange G-positive acidophils and small and large basophils, having similar staining properties; in the pars intermedia: one amphiphil cell type.

No Mitoses in Basophilic Erythroblasts

SummaryIn the rabbit, under conditions in which mitoses accumulated in the acidophilic erythroblasts, none were observed in the basophilic erythroblasts. On the basis of certain assumptions, the basophilic erythroblasts were divided into two size classes: of average long diameters (as measured here) 10.3 and 8.4 nm. The larger have two pathways of development. One is to lose their cytoplasmic basophilia to form acidophils of the same size (Line 2 cells); the other is to divide amitotically into small basophils which eventually lose their cytoplasmic basophilia to become acidophils of the same size. Both groups of acidophils undergo mitotic division. Those from the large basophils divide once more; for those from the small basophils, it is a terminal division.This investigation was supported by NIH HL-12236-05 and a Grant NGR-05-003-460 from NASA to the University of California, Berkeley.

Formed elements of the blood of the fresh water mussel, Lamellidens corrianus.

The formed elements of the blood of L. corrianus are comprised exclusively of amoebocytes, whose total number is approximately 758 per cubic mm of blood. The blood cells are of three types, viz. acidophils, large basophils and small basophils, which are respectively 26.32%, 60.20% and 13.48% of the total blood cell population. The cytoplasm of the acidophils is filled with large acidophilic granules, while that of the basophils contains fine basophilic granules. Acidophils are the largest (7.6 μ × 6.7 μ), large basophils are smaller (6.5 μ × 4.9 μ), and small basophils are the smallest (4.1 μ × 3.8 μ). The nucleus occupies a very small volume of the cell (approx. 1/9th) in acidophils, a larger volume (approx. 1/4th) in large basophils, and a major volume (approx. 3/4th) in small basophils. The blood cells show amoeboid movement, which is brought about by means of broad lamellate pseudopodia. Large basophils move very slowly, acidophils move faster, and small basophils move quite fast. Fine bristle-like filipodia help the blood cells in getting entangled to form clumps. Filipodia are more abundant in large basophils and acidophils which pertake more actively in clumping than small basophils which rarely possess filipodia. Clumping is a reversible process which is promoted by mechanical agitation of blood.

Histology of the Pituitary, Testis, and Adrenal in Relation to Reproduction in the Bull

The relation between the histology of the endocrine organs and reproduction in bulls has not been studied extensively. Most of the reports dealing with normal and impaired fertility have been limited to the changes occurring in a single organ. In order to estimate the relative importance of the several possible causes of impaired fertility, the histology of the pituitary, adrenal, and testis in bulls is being studied at this station. Smith and Smith (11) described the separation of the anterior lobe of the bovine pituitary into a central and peripheral zone. Bassett (1) described the central portion of the anterior lobe as a core running through the gland. She also stated that the peripheral portion of the lobe contains many alpha cells, whereas the central portion is devoid of alpha cells but rich in beta cells. Bassett (1) and Hall (6) described two kinds of beta cells in the anterior pituitary of cattle. Garm (4) described the following cell types in the anterior lobe of normal dairy cows: acidophils with small nucleus, acidophils with large nucleus, small basophils, large basophils, hyaline basophils, and heterotrophic amphophils. He believed that the last type of cell represents a late functional stage of hyaline basophils. He described the hyaline basophils as large basophils with pale pink homogenous areas in the cytoplasm. Cows with nymphomania showed no change in acidophils but an increase in frequency of large basophils, chromophobes with a large nucleus, hyaline basophils, and hypertrophic amphophils. Gilmore et al. (5) have studied the bovine hypophysis in relation to breed, age, milk production, and sex. They studied the gland by making statistical analyses of cell counts on comparable sections of the gland. They described an acidophil that seemed to be related to the sexual activity of the animal. Friedman and Hall (3) and Smelser (10), studying the pituitary of the steer, reported higher concentrations of gonadotrophin in the central core and of prolactin in the peripheral zone of the anterior lobe. These differences in the concentrations of hormones were not noted in the pituitaries of cows. Bassett (1) reported that the small basophil cells were virtually absent in steer glands but were increased and prominent in cows treated with stilbestrol and in pregnant