Pathophysiological role of mast cells on the bone homeostasis.

在胶原诱导的小鼠关节炎炎症足部肥大细胞数量明显增加，肥大细胞是产生tnf - α的主要细胞之一。tnf - α阳性肥大细胞广泛存在于关节炎小鼠的炎性滑膜，部分肥大细胞靠近明显的骨和软骨破坏区域的破骨细胞。肥大细胞膜稳定剂治疗8周，乳糜酶抑制剂治疗4周，可显著降低胶原诱导关节炎的临床和x线评分，降低炎症小鼠爪子中tnf - α阳性肥大细胞的数量和tnf - α mRNA水平。用肥大细胞膜稳定剂和乳糜酶抑制剂处理后，破骨细胞的数量也减少。这些观察结果提示肥大细胞可能参与骨代谢和小鼠胶原诱导关节炎的发病机制。

The number of mast cells was markedly increased in the inflamed paws of collagen-induced arthritis in mice, and mast cells were one of the major cells producing TNF-alpha. TNF-alpha positive mast cells were present extensively throughout the inflamed synovium of arthritic mice, and some of the mast cells were in close proximity of osteoclasts in the area of marked bone and cartilage destruction. Treatment with a mast cell membrane stabilizer for 8 weeks and chymase inhibitor for 4 weeks significantly reduced clinical and X-ray scores of collagen-induced arthritis, and decreased the number of TNF-alpha positive mast cells and the mRNA levels of TNF-alpha in the inflamed paws of arthritic mice. The number of osteoclasts was also decreased by treatment with a mast cell membrane stabilizer and chymase inhibitor. These observations suggest that mast cells may be involved in bone metabolism and pathogenesis of collagen-induced arthritis in mice.