[Effects of stress and highly selective vagotomy on mast cells in the wall of the rat stomach (author's transl)].

Quantitative changes in the gastric mast cells in ulcer diathesis and especially in the development of acute ulceration have already been studied. Qualitative changes may be asse-sed by Alcian Safranin blue stain which permits one to distinguish two sub groups: the blue mast cells and the red mast cells, which alone undergo degranulation. This report describes the modifications in number and aspect of the mast cells of the stomach of the white rat after stress due to restraint at variable intervals after highly selective vagotomy. The density of the mast cells and their appearance depend partly on vagal nerve supply. After highly selective vagotomy, their density increases while the initially unbalanced proportion of red and blue mast cells becomes normal in the long term. After stress, there is a reduction in the number of mast cells and, above all, disappearance of the red forms whether the rats are vagotomised or not. This study takes into consideration multifactorial problems which intervene in the etiology of stress ulcers and the necessity of continuing the study of the consequences of vagotomy.