Effect of sulfur mustard on mast cells in hairless guinea pig skin
The skin of 24 anesthetized hairless guinea pigs was exposed to saturated sulfur mustard (bis-2-chloroethyl sulfide; HD) for 5 and 7 minutes using 14-mm diameter vapor cups. Animals were euthanatized 24 hours after exposure and skin specimens taken for morphometric evaluation of granulated mast cells with an image analysis system (IAS). Tissue specimens were processed in paraffin, sectioned at 5 microns and stained with Unna's stain for mast cells. The number of granulated mast cells and the area occupied by mast cell granules was determined. There were significantly fewer mast cells (p < 0.05) in either HD exposure group than in sham-exposed animals, with significantly fewer mast cells in the 7-minute than the 5-minute HD group. There were also significantly smaller areas occupied by granules in either HD exposure group than in sham-exposed animals. HD-induced lesions in the hairless guinea pig have shown signs of an inflammatory response, and with their granules of vasoactive histamine, mast cells might be expected to play a role in HD-induced injury. Changes in mast cells exposed to low sulfur mustard levels, as detected by an IAS, may serve as an early marker for cutaneous damage, which might not be as easily determined with routine light microscopy.
- Research Organization:
- Army Medical Research Inst. of Chemical Defense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 7239946
- Report Number(s):
- AD-P-008756/9/XAB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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