The Autoimmune Skin Disease Bullous Pemphigoid: The Role of Mast Cells in Autoantibody-Induced Tissue Injury

In response to nematode infection, the host presumably attempts to create an unfavorable environment to prevent larval penetration of the host and to expedite parasite expulsion from the gut. In this study, we have used W/WVmice with or without mast cells after bone marrow reconstitution (BMR-W/WV) to examine the role of mast cells in the host response. W/WV, BMR-W/WV, and wild-type (+/+) mice were infected with Trichinella spiralis. Infected W/WVmice exhibited less tissue damage and experienced a delay in worm expulsion and a greater degree of larval penetration of the gut leading to encystment in skeletal muscle. Tissue injury was greater and worm expulsion was normalized in BMR-W/WVmice, but larval penetration remained unchanged. Spontaneous contractile activity of jejunal muscle was disrupted in W/WVmice, as was the contractile response to carbachol. These abnormalities were also present in BMR-W/WVmice. These results indicate that mast cells mediate tissue damage and contribute to the timely expulsion of nematodes from the gut during primary infection.

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Do Mast Cells Have a Role in Tendon Healing and Inflammation?

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells9051134 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 1134

Author(s):

Md Abdul Alim ◽

Magnus Peterson ◽

Gunnar Pejler

Keyword(s):

Mast Cells ◽

Neurogenic Inflammation ◽

Tissue Injury ◽

Healing Process ◽

Tendon Healing ◽

Tendon Injury ◽

Glutamate Signaling ◽

Human Tendon ◽

Injured Tendon

Understanding the links between the tendon healing process, inflammatory mechanisms, and tendon homeostasis/pain after tissue damage is crucial in developing novel therapeutics for human tendon disorders. The inflammatory mechanisms that are operative in response to tendon injury are not fully understood, but it has been suggested that inflammation occurring in response to nerve signaling, i.e., neurogenic inflammation, has a pathogenic role. The mechanisms driving such neurogenic inflammation are presently not clear. However, it has recently been demonstrated that mast cells present within the injured tendon can express glutamate receptors, raising the possibility that mast cells may be sensitive to glutamate signaling and thereby modulate neurogenic inflammation following tissue injury. In this review, we discuss the role of mast cells in the communication with peripheral nerves, and their emerging role in tendon healing and inflammation after injury.

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