Monitoring exocytosis from single mast cells by fast voltammetry

We have used fast differential ramp voltammetry with carbon-fibre electrodes to monitor exocytotic secretion in single rat mast cells. The oxidation peak and other aspects of the electrochemical profile of the substance released were similar to those of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and the signals were increased by preloading the secretory granules with exogenous 5-HT. Metabolic blockade inhibited both visible degranulation and the electrochemical signal. For comparison, quinacrine, which is fluorescent and accumulates in secretory vesicles, was used as an alternative means of detecting secretion in single cells. The amplitude of the electrochemical signals observed during degranulation correlated well with the loss of quinacrine fluorescence. Both methods were used to record successive rounds of secretion in single mast cells in response to repeated applications of compound 48/80.