A comparison of histamine secretion from peritoneal mast cells of the rat and hamster

Abstract

Functional mast cells have been obtained by peritoneal lavage of the rat and hamster. Both cell types released histamine on stimulation with appropriate dilutions of anti‐rat IgE and anti‐hamster serum. The maximum response evoked by each reagent was significantly greater for the hamster cells. The release was non‐cytotoxic and was in each case blocked by the corresponding soluble antigen. The rat and hamster cells responded to concanavalin A and the lectin from lentil. Phosphatidylserine (PS) potentiated the release only from the rat cells. In the absence of the lipid, the hamster cells were more reactive. The lectin from wheat germ, in the presence of PS, evoked histamine secretion only from the rat cells. Both populations were refractory to the lectin from soybean and to protein A. Rat peritoneal cells were more responsive to the basic secretagogues compound 48/80 and peptide 401 (the MCD‐peptide from bee venom). These differences were less marked in the case of polylysine and polyarginine. The two cell populations responded to the calcium ionophores A23187, ionomycin and Chlortetracycline. The hamster cells were significantly more sensitive to the former two liberators but markedly less reactive to Chlortetracycline. Adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP) and dextran were potent histamine liberators from the rat cells but were totally ineffective against the hamster. Acetylcholine and carbamylcholine had no effect on either cell type. These results are discussed in terms of the functional heterogeneity of mast cells from different sources.

Mast Cell Degranulation Induced by Lectins: Effect on Neutrophil Recruitment

“…Concanavalin A triggers histamine release by human basophils [15, 27]and rodent mast cells [28, 29, 30]. Mast cell degranulation induced by concanavalin A [31]and WGA [32]was attributed to their binding to oligosaccharides on IgE.…”

Concanavalin A-lnduced Activation of Hamster Mast Cells: Morphological Changes and Histamine Secretion

“…It is now generally ac cepted that mast cells from various species may be morphologically and functionally heterogeneous. Howev er, our morphological study shows that despite functional differences between hamster and rat peritoneal mast cells [3], ultrastructural changes occurring during Con A-induced histamine release from hamster mast cells resemble those described in rat peritoneal mast cells during anaphy lactic reaction [10][11][12]. The initial ultrastructural alter ations occurred as early as 10 s after activation by the lec tin.…”

“…The results indicate that Con A is capable of activating hamster peritoneal mast cells to release histamine in an extremely rapid secretory process: ultrastructural changes and histamine release occurred parallely, starting a few seconds after Con A challenge and being completed within 60 s. It has been previously shown that mast cells of normal, nonimmunized hamsters are considerably more sensitive to the action of this lectin than mast cells of rats [3], mice [4] and guinea pigs [4,9]. It is now generally ac cepted that mast cells from various species may be morphologically and functionally heterogeneous.…”

“…This lectin is believed to cross-link IgE molecules on the cell membrane by binding to man nose and glucose residues in the carbohydrate portion of the immunoglobulin [3]. It was suggested that this reac tion has great similarities to that induced by an antigen or anti-IgE [3,4], In previous studies [5] we found that Con A induces a dose-dependent histamine release from isolated peritoneal, pleural and cheek pouch mast cells from nonimmunized hamsters, peritoneal mast cells be ing the most responsive. Despite extensive electron mi croscopic investigations of mast cells in the literature, the ultrastructural changes of hamster mast cells activa ted by different stimuli have not been studied.…”

Differential effect of plant lectins on mast cells of different origins

“…Some papers (7,(10)(11)(12) have reported dependence on external calcium, whereas others (8,13) have reported histamine release in the absence of calcium. Con A induces histamine release from rat, mouse, hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, and human mast cells (14), although the percentage of histamine released differs depending on the specie or tissue studied (15)(16)(17)(18).…”