Culture of neoplastic mast cells and their synthesis of 5-hydroxytryptamine and histamine in vitro.

A m o n g t h e e x p e r i m e n t a l l e u k e m i a s , mas t ce l l t u m o r s a re of especia l i n t e r e s t because of t h e i r h i g h c o n t e n t of h i s t a m i n e , h e p a r i n , a n d also, in c e r t a i n species i n c l u d i n g t h e mouse , 5 h y d r o x y t r y p t a m i n e ( se ro ton in ; 5 H T ) . T w o t r a n s p l a n t a b l e m o u s e m a s t o c y t o m a s h a v e been r e p o r t e d r e c e n t l y , a n d t h e i r mas t ce l l c h a r a c t e r h a s been e s t a b l i s h e d b y h i s to log ica l , b iochemica l , a n d p h a r m a c o l o g i c a l m e t h o d s (1, 8, 13). C u l t u r e of t hese cell l ines offers a p o s s i b i l i t y of s t u d y i n g t h e i r r e p r o d u c t i o n a n d t h e i r s y n t h e t i c f u n c t i o n s u n d e r con t ro l l ed condi t ions . T h i s p a p e r p r e s e n t s a s y s t e m for c o n t i n u o u s c u l t u r e in vitro of t h e mas t ce l l n e o p l a s m P-815 (1). T h e specia l n u t r i t i o n a l needs of t hese cells, ref lec ted in a g r o w t h m e d i u m w h i c h is s i gn i f i can t ly d i f fe ren t f r o m c o n v e n t i o n a l t i s sue c u l t u r e m e d i a , a re desc r ibed , a n d s tud ie s of t h e m a s t cells in cult u r e w i t h r e g a r d to p r o d u c t i o n of t h e i r 5 h y d r o x y t r y p t a m i n e a n d h i s t a m i n e a n d to t h e i r n e o p l a s t i c i n f e c t i v i t y a re r e p o r t e d .