Study of Mast Cells and Granules from Primo Nodes Using Scanning Ionic Conductance Microscopy

Abstract

Acupuncture points have a notable characteristic in that they have a higher density of mast cells (MCs) compared with nonacupoints in the skin, which is consistent with the augmentation of the immune function by acupuncture treatment. The primo vascular system, which was proposed as the anatomical structure of the acupuncture points and meridians, also has a high density of MCs. We isolated the primo nodes from the surfaces of internal abdominal organs, and the harvested primo nodes were stained with toluidine blue. The MCs were easily recognized by their stained color and their characteristic granules. The MCs were classified into four stages according to the degranulation of histamine granules in the MCs. Using conventional optical microscopes details of the degranulation state of MCs in each stage were not observable. However, we were able to investigate the distribution of the granules on the surfaces of the MCs in each stage, and to demonstrate the height profiles and three-dimensional structures of the MCs without disturbance of the cell membrane by using the scanning ion conductance microscopy.

Dimensional comparison between amplitude-modulation atomic force microscopy and scanning ion conductance microscopy of biological samples

“…With the capability to study these structures and their respective functions in a contact-free liquid format with nanoscale resolution, there are many opportunities for the SPM technique to improve upon current measurement capabilities in the biomedical sciences. [25][26][27] The present study compares the capabilities of AFM and SICM for imaging different types of biological samples in a liquid environment. There have been many reports showcasing AFM and SICM images separately, but only few compares the two types of images.…”

Achievements of PVS (Primo Vascular System) Research from a Historical Perspective

“…Over the past twenty years, more than one hundred papers have been published in international academic journals, including ones registered with SCI (E) and SCOPUS, by the PVS group. For example, the group reported that they had succeeded in identifying the structures, which the BK group claimed to have found, in the lymphatic system [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] and the blood system [25][26][27][28], on the surfaces of internal organs [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45], and inside the nervous system [46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55]. In addition, they hypothesized that the structures might ...…”