Abstract
A study was conducted to investigate the distribution and morphology of brilliant cells in the bovine normal uterus and uterus suffering from various types of endometritis, and to clarify the relationship between these cells and mast cells. Uterine specimens were collected from 52 cows at the Shibaura Slaughterhouse. They consisted of 15 normal ones, 21 with chronic catarrhal endometritis, 9 with chronic purulent endometritis (4 mild and 5 severe), and 7 with gangrenous endometritis. The results obtained are as follows. 1) Brilliant cells were distributed in the normal uterus in the same manner as in the uterus affected with endometritis. They were the most numerous in the stratum vasculare, which was followed by the stratum basale and the tunica muscularis in the order listed. They were hardly noticed in this stratum functionale and the tunica serosa. 2) These was a difference in the number of brilliant cells between the normal and affected specimens. These cells were the most abundant in the specimen with chronic catarrhal endometritis. They were reduced in number in specimens with severe chronic purulent endometritis and gangrenous endometritis. 3) Brilliant cells multiplied by mitosis and amitosis. 4) Brilliant cells had granules which were eosinophilic and which showed orthochromasia by toluidine blue staining. They were positive for periodic acid-Schiff reaction. From these results, it was concluded that some of the brilliant cells possessed essentially the same tinctorial characteristics as the type-1 mast cell of Riley and that of Nakashima and Hiekawa.
