Enteric neuroimmune interactions in gastrointestinal hypersensitivity responses involve antigen detection by mast cells, mast cell degranulation, release of chemical mediators, and modulatory actions of the mediators on the enteric nervous system (ENS). Electrophysiological methods were used to investigate electrical and synaptic behavior of neurons in the stomach and small intestine during exp...

The effect of intracerebroventricular infusion of compound 48/80 (C48/80), a mast cell secretagogue, on adrenal cortisol secretion was investigated in dogs under pentobarbital sodium anesthesia. A marked increase in adrenal cortisol secretion was elicited by C48/80 along with a concomitant increase in the plasma levels of cortisol and immunoreactive ACTH, but neither arterial blood pressure and...

Mast cells are primary effector cells of allergy, and recruitment of mast cells in involved tissue is one of the key events in allergic inflammation. Tryptase is the most abundant secretory product of mast cells, but little is known of its influence on mast cell accumulation. Using mouse peritoneal model, cell migration assay, and flow cytometry analysis, we investigated role of tryptase in rec...

The role of the intestinal mast cell system in the pathophysiology of postischaemic mucosal lesions is not understood. The present goals were to investigate the contributions of mast cells and mast cell-derived vasoactive mediators to mucosal injury caused by arterial occlusion. We evaluated the intestinal ischaemia-reperfusion-induced local morphological changes in mast cell-depleted anestheti...

We have used a high performance liquid chromatography assay, which detects chymotryptic cleavage of the phe8-his9 bond of angiotensin I to yield angiotensin II, in order to examine human lung mast cells for the presence of chymotryptic activity. Mast cells, purified from human lung by enzymatic dispersion, countercurrent elutriation, and Percoll gradient centrifugation, were lysed or challenged...

Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] is released from enterochromaffin cells in the mucosa of the small intestine. We tested a hypothesis that elevation of 5-HT in the environment of enteric mast cells might degranulate the mast cells and release mediators that become paracrine signals to the enteric nervous system, spinal afferents, and secretory glands. Western blotting, immunofluorescence,...

In vitro culture systems using bone marrow cells from BALB/C mice were set up in medium supplemented with spleen-derived medium. Bone marrow cells grown in spleen-derived medium gave rise to cultures containing >97% mast cells. The cells were used in polarisation chemotaxis assays with the intention of determining the effect of nerve tissue-derived neurotransmitters on mast cell migration. ...

A carboxypeptidase activity was recently identified in highly purified human lung mast cells and dispersed mast cells from skin. Using affinity chromatography with potato-tuber carboxypeptidase inhibitor as ligand, mast cell carboxypeptidase was purified to homogeneity from whole skin extracts. The purified enzyme yielded a single staining band of 34,500 D on SDS-PAGE. Carboxypeptidase enzyme c...

background: secretory proteins of ige receptor activated mast cells and basophils play a pivotal role in the generation of immediate and long term immune responses in allergy and type i hypersensitivity. objective: the present study aims to generate a 2-d map and profile of proteins secreted from a high secretory variant of the rat basophilic leukemia cell line, rbl-2h3.1, which in view of the ...

Mast cells (MC) are important in the numerous physiological processes of homeostasis and disease. Most notably, MC are critical effectors in the development and exacerbation of allergic disorders. Nitric oxide (NO) is a diatomic radical produced by nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and has pluripotent cell signaling and cytotoxic properties. NO can influence many MC functions. Recent evidence shows ...