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Guinea pig mast cells: comparative study on morphology, fixation and staining properties
N S Ghanem1, E S Assem, K B Leung
1Department of Pharmacology, University College London, UK.
International Archives of Allergy and Applied Immunology
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Mast cells (MC) distribution and properties were studied in guinea pig tissues. Carnoy
Area of Science:
- Histology
- Cell Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Mast cells (MC) are crucial immune cells found in various tissues.
- Understanding MC distribution and characteristics is vital for immunological research.
- Previous studies have not fully elucidated MC distribution and properties in guinea pigs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distribution of mast cells (MC) in different guinea pig tissues.
- To analyze the histochemical and cytochemical properties of guinea pig mast cells.
Main Methods:
- Tissue preparation using Carnoy's fluid and formol-saline fixation.
- Alcian blue staining at pH 0.5-2.2 for MC detection.
- Manual cell counting and comparison with the Technicon H6000 basophil system.
- Histochemical and cytochemical analysis of MC granules.
Main Results:
- Carnoy's fluid fixation preserved MC effectively, while formol-saline fixation reduced counts.
- MC were predominantly found in interstitial and perivascular connective tissues.
- MC counts varied across different tissues, confirmed by both manual and automated methods.
- Guinea pig MC exhibited variations in size, morphology, histamine content, and fixation susceptibility.
- GP MC granules differed from rat peritoneal MC, showing similarity to 'mucosal' MC.
Conclusions:
- Carnoy's fluid is superior for preserving guinea pig mast cells for histological analysis.
- Mast cell distribution in guinea pigs is primarily interstitial and perivascular.
- Guinea pig mast cells possess unique characteristics compared to other species.