ABSTRACT
This chapter deliberates the relationship between mast cells and the endocrine system. Exploration of the relationship among mast cells, the parathyroid glands, and bone resorption was stimulated by the original observations that the number of bone marrow mast cells was increased in patients with osteoporosis. The interactions between parathyroid hormone and mast cells involve not only the stimulation of mast cell hyperplasia, but also the activation of mast cells to release both histamine and serotonin. Mast cells are abundant in the urogenital system, and their numbers and the levels of tissue histamine have been particularly well-studied in the female. The success of using histamine H2 receptor antagonists, such as cimetidine and ranitidine, in treating gastric ulcers at least partially resolved the controversy surrounding the importance of histamine in gastric acid secretion. Potential secretagogues for the release of mast cell-associated histamine in the gastric mucosa are gastrin and pentagastrin.
