Comparison of the response of mast cells in guinea-pig cardiac atria and ventricles

Comparative electron microscopy of basophils and mast cells, in vivo and in vitro

We compared the fine structure and electron microscopic cytochemical findings of basophils and mast cells from humans, guinea pigs, rabbits, mice and rats. The particulate structure was the most frequently observed and most typical structure of human and rabbit basophil granules and of guinea pig mast cell granules. The most prominent feature of guinea pig basophils and murine mast cells was that the fine structure of the granules was homogeneous. The fine structure of the granules in guinea pig basophils resembled that in murine mast cells, while the fine structure of the granules of guinea pig mast cells resembled those in human and rabbit mast cells. In mouse mast cells in culture, the majority of the granules contained small vesicles, which were also observed in human basophils in culture and in mouse basophils in vivo. The degrees of cytochemical reactivity of acid mucopolysaccharides among the species were different. Peroxidase activity was positive in most basophils and in human mast cells. Among mammals, the granules of basophils and mast cells present heterogeneous fine structure. It is of interest that the basophil granules of some species resemble the mast cell granules rather than the basophil granules of other species.

alpha-Fluoromethylhistidine decreases the histamine content of the rat right atrium under the influence of sympathetic activity

alpha-Fluoromethylhistidine (alpha-FMH; 65 mg/kg, i.p.), a specific inhibitor of histidine decarboxylase, significantly decreased the histamine content of the rat right atrium in a time-dependent manner; the maximal decrease of 22.2% was observed 4 h after injection. However, alpha-FMH had no significant effect on the histamine content of the left atrium or the ventricles. The alpha-FMH-induced decrease in the right atrial histamine content was not observed in rats pretreated with 6-hydroxydopamine (25 mg/kg, i.p.). Two i.p. injections of 10 and 5 mg/kg of propranolol and the cardioselective beta 1-adrenoceptor antagonist metoprolol almost completely inhibited the alpha-FMH-induced histamine decrease. On the other hand, phentolamine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) had no influence on the histamine-decreasing action of alpha-FMH. These results suggest that in the rat right atrium there is a histamine pool where a rapid turnover of histamine is maintained by normal sympathetic activity.

Cardiac and renal mast cells: morphology, distribution, fixation and staining properties in the guinea pig and preliminary comparison with human

In guinea pig (GP) and human heart and kidney cell or tissue preparations fixed with Carnoy's fluid (but not with formol-saline), mast cells (MC) were extremely well preserved and could be detected after staining with alcian blue (AB). Although histamine content and distribution in GP and human heart appeared to be different, morphological and histochemical studies of MC suggested a similarity between the two species and a clear distinction from rat peritoneal MC.

Comparison of the release of various mediators from atrial and ventricular tissues of sensitized guinea-pig hearts

By comparison with ventricular tissues, collagenase-dispersed cell suspensions obtained from atrial tissues of sensitized guinea-pigs showed a higher histamine content, a higher proportion of mast cells, and a higher release with antigen or antisera to IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 of the following mediators: histamine, thromboxane B2 and leukotriene C4.