Ultrastructure of mast cell degranulation induced by eosinophil peroxidase: Use of diaminobenzidine cytochemistry by scanning electron microscopy.

It has been previously demonstrated that eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) when supplemented with hydrogen peroxide and a halide induces noncytotoxic mast cell degranulation. Using a more highly purified EPO preparation, the ultrastructure of EPO-induced mast cell secretion has been studied using transmission and scanning electron microscopy and freeze-fracture techniques. At relatively low EPO concentrations, secretory changes were comparable to those caused by other mast cell secretagogues. Swollen and less electron-dense granules were seen in intracellular channels, some of which opened to the outside of the cell. EPO stimulation led to bulging of the surface membrane by submembranous granules and formation of pores in the cell surface that also contained fewer villous projections than control cells. During the secretory process, plasma membrane bulges were depleted of intramembranous particles in both the E and P faces of the apical regions of the perigranular and plasma membranes. Higher EPO concentrations caused a marked cytotoxic disruption of the mast cells. Diaminobenzidine cytochemistry was used to detect EPO reaction products on the mast cell surface by scanning electron microscopy; this technique should prove useful in detecting peroxidase reaction products on a variety of target cells.