The appearance in blood of rat mast cell protease II (RMCPII) and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) was examined in normal and Nippostrongylus brasiliensis-primed rats challenged intravenously with worm antigen. Systemic release of these two products occurred only in immune recipients of antigen; substantial levels of RMCPII were also present in the intestinal perfusates of these same rats and there was depletion of both RMCPII and mucosal mast cells (MMC) from the intestinal mucosa. Depletion of MMC was evident after staining for proteoglycan or for serine esterase and the mast cell counts with both histochemical techniques were highly correlated. Taken together, the results suggest that MMC are likely to be the principal source of secreted GAG and RMCPII.
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