Studies on the Liberation of Sulphuric Acids from the Granules of the Mast Cells in the Subcutaneous Connective Tissue After Exposure to Roentgen and Gamma Rays

Abstract

Mast cells are found in varying numbers in the connective tissues of most vertebrates; they constitute a characteristic cell type; their function is little known. In carcinoma large numbers of these cells surround the growing tumor, but they do not exist in regions where x-ray or radium treatments have inactivated tumors. For the study of the effect of irradiation, rats were used. A 25 sq. cm. abdominal field was exposed to 1000 or 1500 r of x-rays, or to 1050, 1575, or 2100 r of [gamma] rays. At different times subsequently, pieces of abdominal wall, including skin, were cut out and examined histologically. About 2 days after irradiation it appeared that some of the sulfuric acid in the granules of the mast cells had left the cytoplasm and spread diffusely through the connective tissue. The effect was more pronounced after [gamma] rays than after x-rays.