Sharp increase in density of pulmonary and pericardial mast cells in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats |
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Authors: | I L Erokhina S V Okovityy A A Kazachenko A N Kulikov O I Emelyanova O A Bystrova |
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Institution: | (1) Molecular Neurobiology and Cell Biology Unit, Centre for Neuroscience, Cochin University of Science and Technology, 682 022 Cochin, Kerala, India |
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Abstract: | Multifunctional granular mast cells (MCs) are involved in various pathological processes. The response of the MC population
in the myocardium, pericardium, and lungs to pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been studied 8 weeks after the injection of monocrotaline.
Five intact and five experimental rats were used. The density of MCs of different degrees of maturity was estimated in paraffin
sections stained with Alcian blue and Safranin. The expression of PH was estimated by functional parameters using an echocardiogram
and morphological markers. The MC density in the myocardium of intact and experimental rats was relatively low, i.e., 2–4
cells/mm2. In the pericardia of intact rats, the MC density was 14 times higher than in the myocardia and increased by a factor of
three in PH. In the myocardia and pericardia of intact and experimental rats, mature, Safranin-positive cells predominated
(70–80%). In the lungs of intact rats, the MC density was about 30 cells/mm2 and 98% of the cells were immature Alcian-positive cells. In lungs of rats with PH the mean density of MCs increased 5.6
times. In lungs of rats with severe pathologies, mature Safranin-positive cells appeared. The highest number of MCs in lungs
was found in rats with distinctly pronounced disorders of myocardial function and marked histolological damages of myocardium
and lung. The findings show the active reaction of the MC population to monocrotaline-induced PH, which stimulates the migration
of immature MCs to the pericardium and lungs from the outside. The connection of cellular mechanisms of the development of
PH with the function of MCs is not yet clear; however, the results of the present work indicate the important role of MCs
in the pathogenesis of PH. |
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