Biomaterial Database

The presence of mast cell granules in rat parotid secretory granule preparations. 1980

M R Robinovitch, and D Lagunoff, and J M Iversen

Rat parotid secretory granule preparations contain, in addition to the acinar secretory granules, a second type of granule. Whereas the acinar granules lyse under hypotonic conditions, this second type of granule does not, thus providing a means for obtaining a fraction sufficiently enriched in these granules to allow for their characterization. In the present study, these granules are shown to possess demonstrable chymotrypsin-like enzyme activity. In the intact rat parotid, such activity is shown by histochemical methods to be present in the numerous mast cells residing in the connective tissue stroma, but no such activity exists in any of the parenchymal cells. On the basis of their electron microscopic appearance, enzyme activity, and physical characteristics it is concluded that the second type of granule present in rat parotid secretory granule preparations originates from stromal mast cells rather than from parenchymal cells.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008407	Mast Cells	Granulated cells that are found in almost all tissues, most abundantly in the skin and the gastrointestinal tract. Like the BASOPHILS, mast cells contain large amounts of HISTAMINE and HEPARIN. Unlike basophils, mast cells normally remain in the tissues and do not circulate in the blood. Mast cells, derived from the bone marrow stem cells, are regulated by the STEM CELL FACTOR.	Basophils, Tissue,Basophil, Tissue,Cell, Mast,Cells, Mast,Mast Cell,Tissue Basophil,Tissue Basophils
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D010306	Parotid Gland	The largest of the three pairs of SALIVARY GLANDS. They lie on the sides of the FACE immediately below and in front of the EAR.	Gland, Parotid,Glands, Parotid,Parotid Glands
D002458	Cell Fractionation	Techniques to partition various components of the cell into SUBCELLULAR FRACTIONS.	Cell Fractionations,Fractionation, Cell,Fractionations, Cell
D002499	Centrifugation, Density Gradient	Separation of particles according to density by employing a gradient of varying densities. At equilibrium each particle settles in the gradient at a point equal to its density. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Centrifugations, Density Gradient,Density Gradient Centrifugation,Density Gradient Centrifugations,Gradient Centrifugation, Density,Gradient Centrifugations, Density
D003594	Cytoplasmic Granules	Condensed areas of cellular material that may be bounded by a membrane.	Cytoplasmic Granule,Granule, Cytoplasmic,Granules, Cytoplasmic
D006651	Histocytochemistry	Study of intracellular distribution of chemicals, reaction sites, enzymes, etc., by means of staining reactions, radioactive isotope uptake, selective metal distribution in electron microscopy, or other methods.	Cytochemistry
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D051381	Rats	The common name for the genus Rattus.	Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus