ABSTRACT
Mast cells have been implicated in the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); mast cells are present in the gut muscle of patients with non-inflammatory bowel disease and are increased in numbers in IBD patients. Longitudinal muscle strips were prepared from the jejunum of these animals and muscle activity examined in vitro using standard muscle bath techniques to record isometric muscle activity. Histamine induced contractile activity in muscle strips prepared from taenia coli. Exposure of muscle strips to anti-human IgE decreased the number of mast cells in these tissues. Prior equilibration of tissues with disodium cromoglycate, a mast cell stabilizing compound, reduced the response of muscle strips to anti-IgE, but the degree of inhibition by cromoglycate was variable between patients. In that model, mast cell mediated antigen-induced contraction was not associated with increased numbers of mast cells in the muscle of sensitized rats.
