Human mast cells synthesize new granules during recovery from
degranulation. In vitro studies with mast cells purified from human lungs
AM Dvorak, RP Schleimer and LM Lichtenstein
Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA 02215.
Secretory cells undergoing release and recovery events related to
constitutive and/or stimulus-initiated secretion might be expected to
undergo distinctive changes in morphology as well. We studied the release
and recovery events of human mast cell secretion stimulated by antibody to
immunoglobulin E. We used enzymatically digested mast cells from human lung
specimens further purified by countercurrent centrifugation elutriation.
Release kinetics were like those reported for isolated human lung mast
cells. In two complete kinetic experiments we restudied these early release
patterns (0 to 30 minutes). Mast cells, either stimulated or controls, were
then cultured and sampled for electronmicroscopic studies at periodic
intervals (3 to 48 hours). We describe events of the late recovery period
here, although some overlap with processes seen in early recovery samples
occurred. Mast cells that released nearly all their cytoplasmic granules
and exteriorized the containers, eg, granule-channel membranes, underwent
progressive enlargement of Golgi structures and development of numerous
small cytoplasmic vesicles and small, membrane-bound granules filled with
particulate and dense content. Ultimately, new mature cytoplasmic granules
of all substructural patterns occurred. Nuclear blast changes and expansion
of cytoplasmic mass accompanied this period of new granule synthesis. Mixed
recovery patterns were present in individual cells. These represented the
morphological expression of a variety of recovery events. Thus, some cells
showed a combination of channel recovery and remodeling to form new granule
containers within which condensation of content produced crystalline
patterns, as well as synthesis of new granules, as described here. This
morphological versatility resulted in multiple mast cell morphological
phenotypes during these release and recovery processes.
Volume 71,
Issue 1,
pp. 76-85,
01/01/1988
Copyright © 1988 by The American Society of Hematology
