A comparison of histamine secretion from peritoneal mast cells of the rat and hamster.

Functional mast cells have been obtained by peritoneal lavage of the rat and hamster. Both cell types released histamine on stimulation with appropriate dilutions of anti-rat IgE and anti-hamster serum. The maximum response evoked by each reagent was significantly greater for the hamster cells. The release was non-cytotoxic and was in each case blocked by the corresponding soluble antigen. The rat and hamster cells responded to concanavalin A and the lectin from lentil. Phosphatidylserine (PS) potentiated the release only from the rat cells. In the absence of the lipid, the hamster cells were more reactive. The lectin from wheat germ, in the presence of PS, evoked histamine secretion only from the rat cells. Both populations were refractory to the lectin from soybean and to protein A. Rat peritoneal cells were more responsive to the basic secretagogues compound 48/80 and peptide 401 (the MCD-peptide from bee venom). These differences were less marked in the case of polylysine and polyarginine. The two cell populations responded to the calcium ionophores A23187, ionomycin and chlortetracycline. The hamster cells were significantly more sensitive to the former two liberators but markedly less reactive to chlortetracycline. Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and dextran were potent histamine liberators from the rat cells but were totally ineffective against the hamster. Acetylcholine and carbamylcholine had no effect on either cell type. These results are discussed in terms of the functional heterogeneity of mast cells from different sources.