Mast Cell Degranulation in the Rat Uvea Induced by Histamine-Liberator Compound 48/80

Compound 48/80, a condensation product ofp-methoxyphenethyl-methylamine and formaldehyde, has been shown to cause the liberation of histamine from tissue mast cells of the rat and certain other species.3,9,10,12Liberation of the histamine is accompanied by degranulation of the mast cells. Compound 48/80 has, however, been shown to be less effective as a histamine liberator in certain other species, in particular the guinea pig.2The presence of mast cells in normal animal eyes was reported by Jorpes, Holmgren, and Wilander in 1937,7and changes in the mast cell distribution in certain clinical conditions in human eyes have been reported by several investigators.6,13,14Further, in recent studies, Larsen has shown that there are cytological changes in the mast cells of the uveas of experimental animals after experimentally induced uveitis.8 The object of this study was to determine whether the mast cells localized in the eyes