Special dyeing, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and ultrastructure: A study of mast cells/eosinophilic granules cells (MCs/EGC) from Centropomus parallelus intestine

Abstract Intestine mast cells/eosinophilic granule cells (MCs/EGC) of the marine species Centropomus parallelus(fat snook) were first studied using light and electron microscopy techniques. Mast cells are cells from the connective tissue found in almost all organs and tissues of vertebrates. In fish, they appear in greater numbers in parts of their bodies that are exposed to their environment, such as skin, gills and intestine. The granules in fat snook's mast cell contain a variety of substances, such as histamine, heparin, chondroitin sulfate, serotonin, proteases and cytokines. The present study of intestine MCs/EGC was carried out in 20 specimens of fat snook. Samples of tissue were fixed in Bouin solutionand in buffered formalin. Ferric hematoxylin - Congo red, pH6 acridine orange, pH2.5 and pH0,5 Alcian Blue (AB), toluidineblue, PAS, AB + PAS and immunohistochemistry protocols were used. In the mucosa and submucosalayers, MCs/EGCs granules with basic contents were evidenced by Congo red staining, and with acid contents granules were identified through pH 2.5 and 0,5 AB, and acridine orange. Basic and acid contents were simultaneously evidenced using ferric hematoxylin - Congo red stain. Metachromasiawas observed in both mucosal and submucosal mast cells. Neutral glycoproteins were evidenced by using PAS protocol, glycosaminoglycan through AB and both simultaneously through AB + PAS. In immunohistochemistry assays, MCs/EGC were positive for tryptase, chymaseand serotonin. As in mammals, the study of samples fixed in modified Karnovsky for transmission electron microscopy evidenced that most of the MCs granules were spherical and showed varying electron density, as described in previous reports on other teleost fish species. The metachromasiaobserved and the identification of tryptase, chymaseand serotonin suggest a great similarity between fat snook's MCs/EGC and those described in the mucosa of mammals.