Abstract
The cells and connective tissue fibers, which come into immediate contact with an irritant, undergo the degenerative and retrogressive changes, frequently progressing towards necrosis. Soon, the surviving mesenchymal cells of the surrounding region undergo the changes which have marked protective potentialities.Recently, Selye (1, 2) has introduced an inclusive concept (Adaptation syndrome) concerning a more practical nature in the participation of these cells in the inflammatory response. These subjects have been studied mainly from the viewpoint of morphological pathology.However, though most inflammatory reactions take place in the matrix, most studies that deal with inflammation neglect the role of ground substances, of which the main components are acid mucopolysaccharides (AMP).It is generally recognized that AMP is produced in a number of pathologically occurring and experimentally induced subacute or chronic inflammatory tissues (3) and also in an early stage of healing wound (4) and that AMP may be concernn with the formation of collagen fibers in some way (5).It is quite important, we consider, that more attention should be devoted to study the participation of AMP upon the inflammatory response.When the tissue is exposed to injury, the noxious substances such as amines and (basic) peptides are produced by proteolysis and decarboxylation. It seems possible that AMP, hydrophylic acidic colloid of large molecular weight, may take part in the colloid chemical reaction with these noxious substances.In this present work, we examined the physico-chemical interaction between. AMP and basic noxious substances, and also the influence of AMP upon the disruption of mesentery mast cells due to the administration of amine or basic peptide and upon the inflammatory vascular reaction induced by histamine or leukotaxine.