Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Critical protective role of mast cells in a model of acute septic peritonitis

Nature volume 381, pages 75–77 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

MAST cells play a detrimental role in IgE-dependent allergic reactions. In contrast, a protective function for mast cells has been proposed on the basis of some worm infection models. No reports exist on the in vivo significance of these cells in bacterial infections1,2. Here we use congenitally mast-cell-deficient W/Wv mice and normal +/+ littermates3,4 to analyse the role of mast cells in a model of acute septic peritonitis (caecum ligation and puncture (CLP)). Following CLP, W/Wv mice showed a significantly increased mortality compared to +/+ mice. The selective reconstitution of W/Wv mice with cultured +/+ mast cells substantially protected them from the lethal effects of CLP, whereas an anti-tumour-necrosis-factor (TNF) antibody injected immediately after CLP completely suppressed this protection. Our results reveal a previously unrecognized protective role of mast cells and mast-cell-derived TNF in acute bacterial peritonitis.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Galli, S. J. New Engl. J. Med. 328, 257–265 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Schwartz, L. B. Curr. Opin. Immun. 6, 91–97 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Galli, S. J. & Kitamura, Y. Am. J. Path. 127, 191–198 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Wershil, B. K. & Galli, S. J. Adv. exp. Med. Biol. 347, 39–54 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Nakano, T. et al. J. exp. Med. 162, 1025–1043 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Nakano, T., Kanakura, Y., Asai, H. & Kitamura, Y. J. Immun. 138, 544–549 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Echtenacher, B., Falk, W., Männel, D. & Krammer, P. H. J. Immun. 145, 3762–3766 (1990).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Gordon, J. R., Burd, P. R. & Galli, S. J. Immun. Today 11, 458–464 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Gordon, J. R. & Galli, S. J. Nature 346, 274–276 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Gordon, J. R. & Galli, S. J. J. exp. Med. 174, 103–107 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhang, Y., Ramos, B. F. & Jakschik, B. Science 258, 1957–1959 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Leal-Berumen, I., Conlon, P. & Marshall, J. S. J. Immun. 152, 5468–5476 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Matsuda, H., Kawakita, K., Kiso, Y., Nakano, T. & Kitamura, Y. J. Immun. 142, 927–931 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Ansel, J. C., Brown, J. R., Payan, D. G. & Brown, M. A. J. Immun. 150, 4478–4485 (1993).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Yano, H., Wershil, B. K., Arizano, N. & Galli, S. J. J. clin. Invest. 84, 1276–1286 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Sher, A., Hein, A., Moser, G. & Caulfield, J. P. Lab. Invest. 41, 490–499 (1979).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Vranian, G. Jr, Conrad, D. H. & Ruddy, S. J. Immun. 126, 2302–2306 (1981).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Otani, I., Conrad, D. H., Carlo, J. R., Segal, D. M. & Ruddy, S. J. Immun. 129, 2109–2112 (1982).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Malaviya, R. et al. J. Immun. 152, 1907–1914 (1994).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Malaviya, R., Ross, E., Jakschik, B. & Abraham, S. N. J. clin. Invest. 93, 1645–1653 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Wershil, B. K., Wang, Z.-S., Gordon, J. R. & Galli, S. J. J. clin. Invest. 87, 446–453 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Tracey, K. J. et al. Science 234, 470–474 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Rothstein, J. L. & Schreiber, H. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 607–611 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. McClean, K. L., Sheehan, G. J. & Harding, G. K. Clin. Infect. Dis. 19, 100–116 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Echtenacher, B., Falk, W., Männel, D. N. & Krammer, P. H. in Host Defense Dysfunction in Trauma, Shock and Sepsis (eds Faist, E., Meakins, J. L & Schildberg, F. W.) 755–758 (Springer, Berlin, 1993).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  26. Ramos, B. F., Zhang, Y. & Jakschik, B. A. Eur. J. Immun. 22, 2381–2385 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Holzheimer, R. G., Muhrer, K. H., L'Allemand, N., Schmidt, T. & Henneking, K. Infection 19, 447–452 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Hültner, L. et al. J. Immun. 142, 3440–3446 (1989).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Egger, D. et al. J. Immun. 154, 1830–1837 (1995).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Alexander, H. R. et al. J. clin. Invest. 88, 34–39 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Lothar Hültner: GSF-lnstitut für Experimentelle Hämatologie, Marchioninistrasse 25, D-81377 Munich, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Pathologie/Tumorimmunologie, Universität Regensburg, Franz-Josef–Strauss-Allee, D-93042, Regensburg, Germany

    Bernd Echtenacher, Daniela N. Männel & Lothar Hültner

Authors
  1. Bernd Echtenacher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniela N. Männel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lothar Hültner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Echtenacher, B., Männel, D. & Hültner, L. Critical protective role of mast cells in a model of acute septic peritonitis. Nature 381, 75–77 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/381075a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/381075a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing