Mast cell degranulation in beige mice with the Chédiak-Higashi defect

The degranulation response of peritoneal mast cells to calcium ionophore A23187 and compound 48/80 has been compared by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy in normal C57 black mice and C57 beige mice with a genetic defect analogous to the human Chédiak-Higashi Syndrome (CHS). These methods reveal granule secretion in response to the degranulating agents in mast cells of both normal and beige mice. The observations indicate that beige peritoneal mast cells retain the capacity to exocytose their granules upon stimulation and suggest that the defect underlying the formation of the mega-inclusions is not attributable to impaired degranulation.