Early Development of Mast Cell System in Lingual Tissues of Intrauterine and Newborn Rats

Author(s): Zavala Walther David, Foscolo Mabel, Davila J, Cavicchia J. C.

Mast cells (MC) are predominantly localized at the interface between host and environment such as skin and mucosal surfaces. They are able to perceive a variety of allergens and invading pathogens. In oral tissues, degranulation of mast cells has been a consistent feature of inflammatory lesion like liquen planus, gingivitis, periapical process and tumoral responsive. The aim of the present study is to describe the morphology and to establish the homing time in the tongue’s connective tissue of rats. Tongue sections were collected from Wistar rats processed and included in paraffin wax, cut and stained with toluide blue and alcian blue-safranin and immunoenzyme staining procedure with Monoclonal Antibody to mast cell Tryptase. The total number of mast cells was counted and the area was measured to estimate the population density (mm2) and the individual cell morphology. Results showed morphology changes and a series of variations between the first and the second week samples after birth (p0.001), but there were not changes between intrauterus and newborn period. Mast cells were detected from the fifteenth day of intrauterine life in closed relation with skeletal muscle cells. These data suggest a quick MT adaptation and a strategic location that allow them to react against different oral antigens. More studies are going to be necessary to elucidate this phenomenon.

tongue, oral immunity, mast cells

1. Kirshenbaum AS, Kessler SW, Goff JP, Metcalfe DD. Demonstration of the origin of human mast cells from CD34+ bones marrow progenitor cells. The Journal of Immunology. March 1, 1991, vol. 146 no. 5 1410-1415
2. Stevens RL, Austen KF. Recent advances in the cellular and molecular biology of mast cells. Immunol Today. 1989 Nov;10(11):381-6
3. Cook H C, Manual of Histological Demonstration Techniques Bancroft JD & Stevens A, Theory and Practice of Histological Techniques, 2nd ed, 1982. p 200
4. Ashenagar MS, Sugihara K, Maeda A, Isogai R, Takahashi M, Aisu K, Horiuchi A, Aragane Y, Kawada A, Tezuka T.The presence of tryptase-positive and bikunin-negative mast cells in psoriatic skin lesions. Arch Dermatol Res. 2007 Feb;298(9):421-6. Epub 2006 Dec 5
5. Ramsay DB, Stephen S, Borum M, Voltaggio L, Doman DB. Mast cells in gastrointestinal disease. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2010 Dec;6 (12):772-7
6. Reuter S, Taube CMast cells and the development of allergic airway disease. J Occup Med Toxicol, 2008. Feb 27;3 Suppl 1:S2
7. Anthony RM, Rutitzky LI, Urban JF Jr, Stadecker MJ, Gause WC. Protective immune mechanisms in helminth infection. Nat Rev Immunol, (2007). Dec;7(12):975-87
8. Drazić R, Sopta J, Minić AJ. Mast cells in periapical lesions: potential role in their pathogenesis. J Oral Pathol Med. 2010 Mar;39(3):257-62
9. Kennelly R, Conneely JB, Bouchier-Hayes D, Winter DC Mast cells in tissue healing: from skin to the gastrointestinal tract.
10. Curr Pharm Des, 2011. Nov;17(34):3772-5
11. Theoharis C. Theoharides, Pio Conti (2004) Mast cells: the JEKYLL and HYDE of tumor growth. Trends in Immunology, Volume 25, Issue 5, 1 May, Pages 235-241
12. Kobayashi T, Nakano T, Nakahata T, Asai H, Yagi Y, Tsuji K, Komiyama A, Akabane T, Kojima S, Kitamura Y. Formation of mast cell colonies in methylcellulose by mouse peritoneal cells and differentiation of these cloned cells in both the skin and the gastric mucosa of W/Wv mice: evidence that a common precursor can give rise to both "connective tissue-type" and "mucosal" mast cells. J Immunol,1986. Feb 15;136(4):1378-84
13. Kambe N, Hiramatsu H, Shimonaka M, Fujino H, Nishikomori R, Heike T, Ito M, Kobayashi K, Ueyama Y, Matsuyoshi N, Miyachi Y, Nakahata T
14. Development of both human connective tissue-type and mucosal-type mast cells in mice from hematopoietic stem cells with identical distribution pattern to human body. Blood. 2004 Feb 1;103(3):860-7. Epub 2003 Oct 2
15. Abraham D, Oster H, Huber M, Leitges M. The expression pattern of three mast cell specific proteases during mouse development. Mol Immunol. 2007, Feb;44(5):732-40. Epub 2006 Jun 13
16. http://www.aacytal.com.ar/AACyTAL_legislacion.html
17. Zavala W, Foscolo M, Davila J, Cavicchia J. Mast Cell in rat mayor salivary glands. Biocell. 2009, 33(1)A95
18. Matsson L. Mast cell heterogeneity in various oral mucosal sites in the rat. Arch Oral Biol. 1992, 37(6):445-50
19. Abraham D, Oster H, Huber M, Leitges M. The expression
20. pattern of three mast cell specific proteases during mouse development. Mol Immunol. 2007 Feb;44(5):732-40. Epub 2006 Jun 13
21. Walsh LJ. Mast cell and Oral Inflamation. Crit Rev Oral Biol Med. 2003;14(3):188-98
22. Hamawy, MM; Mergenhagen, SE; Siraganian, RPAdhesion molecules as regulators of mast cell and basophil function. Immunol Today.1994: 15:62-66
23. Otsu K, Nakano T, Kanakura Y, Asai H, Katz HR, Austen KF, Stevens RL, Galli SJ, Kitamura Y. Phenotypic changes of bone marrow-derived mast cells after intraperitoneal transfer into W/Wv mice that are genetically deficient in mast cells. J Exp Med. 1987 Mar 1;165(3):615-27
24. Cheng CX, Li YN, Ohno H, Sawanobori K, Li YC, Shimada O, Atsumi S.Mast cells appear in skeletal muscle cultures. Anat Rec. 2007 Nov;290(11):1424-30