Abstract
Population-densities of epidermal Langerhans cell in the abdominal skins of mice (C3H/ HeNCrj) were examined on one, 4 and 7 days after stripping of the horny cell layers, respectively, using ATPase staining and electron microscopy. Contact hypersensitivity was induced by topical application of DNFB on the skin of these mice. The results obtained in the present experiments were as follows;
1) The ATPase staining showed that the epidermal Langerhans cells were decreased in number one day after tape stripping but the number reverted to normal tinctorially 4 days after tape stripping.
2) The density of epidermal Langerhans cell was not influenced electron microscopically by stripping of the horny cell layer, although the Langerhans cell and the keratinocyte in the stripped epidermis did show some degenerative changes.
3) The contact hypersensitivity reaction to DNFB was suppressed in the mice sensitized one day after the tape stripping, but normal states were reverted to in the mice sensitized on 3, 5 and 7 days after tape stripping.
4) It would appear that some suppressor cells in the spleen were induced in the mice sensitized one day after tape stripping.
From the findings, it is concluded that the contact sensitivity to DNFB is influenced not only by the population of the epidermal Langerhans cell, but also by its ATPase-activity.
