EFFECT OF SODIUM-BUTYRATE TREATMENT ON THE GRANULE MORPHOLOGY, HISTAMINE LEVEL AND ELEMENTAL CONTENT OF THE BONE-MARROW-DERIVED MAST-CELL

Mast cells derived from the bone marrow of BALB/c mice (BMMC) were cul tured and their growth ceased with sodium butyrate. Sodium butyrate tr eatment (1mM, 4 days) caused maturation of the granules, and increased histamine content from approx. 1 pg/cell to 4 pg/cell. X-ray microana lysis revealed that maturation of the granules was accompanied by the increase in relative weight percent of sodium, phosphorus and sulphur, with concomitant decrease in chloride. The sulphur to potassium ratio increased three-fold in butyrate-treated mast cells. The existence of a different elemental composition during mast cell maturation may pro vide additional parameter for rapid discrimination of mast cell subpop ulations.