Recent attention has been directed to the interaction of the nerve and immune systems. The neuropeptide substance P, a tachykinnin which is a neurotransmitter in the central and peripheral nervous systems produces tissue swelling, augemntation of intersitial fibrin deposition and leukocyte infiltration after intracutaneous injection. There is a direct correlation reported between the extent of mast cell degranulation at the sites of injection and the tissue swelling or granulocyte infiltration. It has previously been demonstrated that antidromic electrical stimulation of sensory nerves induces degranulation of cutaneous mast cells, cutaneous vasodilation and augmented vascular permeability. Morphological studies have documented a close anatiomical association between mast cells and nonmyelinated nerves, that contain substance P and other neuropeptides. However, the presence of mast cells within nerve fasicles has not been previously examined ultrastructurally. In this study, we examined ultrastructurally the distribution of mast cells in the nerve fiber bundles located in the muscular connective tissue of rat tongues (n=20).
