Factor-independent tissue cultured mast cells: establishment from rat peritoneal mast cells

We report here that extended culture of purified rat peritoneal mast cells (RpMC), typical of the connective tissue-type (CTMC), gives rise to continuously proliferative cell lines without the requirement of exogenous growth factors such as IL-3 and IL-4 or accessory cells. Two of the cell lines established, RCMC1 and RCMC2, are described here. Both cell lines have been maintained in continuous culture in vitro for over a year. Although these cell lines were derived from CTMC, they exhibit phenotypic characteristics of mucosal-type mast cells, i.e., they contain rat mast cell protease II (RMCP II), low levels of histamine and stain alcian blue+/safranin-. Previous studies have identified both high and low affinity receptors for IgE, designated Fc epsilon RI and Rc epsilon RII, respectively, on RpMC and rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells. At the early stages of cell culture, RCMC1 expressed predominantly Fc epsilon RI and a gradual increase in the expression of Fc epsilon RII has been observed with time in culture. By comparison, RCMC2 expressed predominantly Fc epsilon RII throughout its entire period of cell culture.