Abstract
Summary and Conclusions
The effect of cortisone and thyroxine and starvation on the numbers of tissue mast cells in the rat mesentery, heart, and skeletal muscle was investigated by making numerical counts of the cells. A whole mount technic was employed for the mesentery, while other tissues were prepared by the usual histological routine. All were stained with an alcoholic solution of aqueous toluidin blue. No significant changes in mast cell numbers were effected by either cortisone or thyroxine. Starvation produced a statistically significant increase. The alleged degenerative (types of mast cells were seen as frequently in controls as in treated rats. This group of experiments therefore has failed to provide any evidence supporting the contention that tissue mast cells are affected by thyroxine or cortisone.
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