Trichinella spiralis induces a profound mastocytosis and eosinophilia in the small intestine of the infected mouse. Mouse mast cells (MC) store in their granules various combinations of at least five chymotryptic chymases [designated mouse MC protease (mMCP) 1 to 5], two tryptic proteases designated mMCP-6 and mMCP-7 and an exopeptidase, carboxypeptidase A (mMC-CPA). Using antipeptide, protease -specific antibodies to these MC granule proteases, immunohistochemistry was done to determine the distribution, number and protease phenotype of the MCs in the small intestine and spleen 10 to >60 days after Trichinella infection of BALB/c and C3H mice. TEM was performed to evaluate the granule morphology of the MCs between intestinal epithelial cells and in the lamina propria (mucosal MCs) and in the submucosa, muscle and serosa of the intestine (submucosal MCs).As noted in the table below, the number of submucosal MCs remained constant throughout the study. In contrast, on day 14, the number of MCs in the mucosa increased ~25 fold. Increased numbers of MCs were observed between epithelial cells in the mucosal crypts, in the lamina propria and to a lesser extent, between epithelial cells of the intestinal villi.
