Mast cells in lung of rat

Abstract

This paper is a short review of scientific literature on lung mast cells in norm and pathology that shows the current state of this problem. Particular attention is paid to the quantity, location and arrangement of the mast cells. The mast cells are a part of immune system whom origin are myeloid stem cells. They are a kind of white blood cells. Many authors from the 19th century to the present day have traced and described the role of mast cells in the human body, their structure and changes depending on the functional state of the organism. Paul Ehrlich is the first author that described in his doctoral thesis the mast cells as effectors of allergy particularly in the beginning of reaction and in acute phase of the process. Research has continued through out the 20th century and researchers' efforts are primarily focused on clarifying the structure and function of mast cells and identifying their role in pathological responses in the human body. Mast cells are found in all organs, but they predominate in peripheral blood, spleen and bone marrow. There are cells in the rat skin that live for about 12 weeks, and more recent studies have found that proliferation of mature mast cells is caused by various factors.

Mast cells and pathological process in lungs of rats and mice

“…It is difficult to explain the distinct difference of mast cells number in rats and mice lungs. The presence of mast cells in tissues is also associated with autoimmune, allergic and immunological reactions because they release diverse chemicals capable of initiating and modulating such reactions (14,19,26,39). Lung damage is related with mast cells granules and their biologically active substances, including heparin, histamine, and eosinophils chemotactic factor, leukotrienes, prostaglandins, serineproteases and cytokines (4,8,34,35).…”

“…Mast cells are present in lungs of humans, rats, mice and other mammals and play an important role in the lungs in both health and disease. Fixed mast cells are found in lung epithelium and free mastocytes are in the bronchial lumen (18,19,21,28,29) and in in the lamina propria of the bronchi as well as the supporting tissue of the bronchioles (41,45). The protease content of mucosal mast cells is characterized by the chymases, which are bound to chondroitin sulfate chains of serglycin proteoglycans, whereas connective tisssue mast cells are found in the intestinal submucosa, peritoneum, and skin and contain the chymases, tryptases and carboxypeptidase bound to heparin chains of serglycin proteoglycans (2,4,8,14,19,41).…”

“…Mucosal and connective tisssue mast cells also differ in their ability to secret histamine and lipid mediators. Upon activation, mucosal mast cells release small amounts of histamine and large quantities of cysteinyl leukotrienes, whereas connective tisssue mast cells release higher levels of histamine and prostaglandin D (19,35). The autonomic receptors of beta-adrenergic type and the biochemicals by which various neurotransmitters, hormones and pharmacological agents modulate the release of mast cell mediators (4,16,17,19).…”