Abstract
1) A subcutaneous injection of sinomenine in a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight elicits a marked degranulation of the mast cells at the abdominal skin in mice. The effect reaches maximum 3 hours after the administration. 2) The presence of enzymes in the mast cells is first investigated, such as malic and succinic dehydrogenase, monoamine oxidase, non-specific esterases, acid and alkaline phosphatase, G-6-P ase, ATP ase, β-glucuronidase and leucine aminopeptidase, and changes of the enzyme activity are examined histochemically over a three hours' period following the injection. 3) In the intact mast cell, activities of malic and succinic dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, β-glucuronidase and leucine aminopeptidase, and diastase-resistant PAS reaction are positive, activities of monoamine oxidase and G-6-P ase poorly positive, and those of non-specific esterases, alkaline phosphatase and ATP ase negative. The enzyme activity is localized mainly in the granules. 4) Following the degranulation, the activities of monoamine oxidase and β-glucuronidase and PAS-positive substances become negative, while the other enzymes present in the intact cell keep the activity in the extra-cellular granules. None of the enzymes which are absent in the intact cell are activated following the degranulation. 5) These findings suggest that the enzyme activities concerning the specific functions of the mast cells are relative labile, and also that the degranulation of the cell requires the energy metabolism.
