Fig. 3

Connective tissue mast cells store noradrenaline. A and B Representative images of immunofluorescent staining in mouse skin (A) and mammary gland (B) using antibodies against noradrenaline (green) and c-kit (red), a marker for mast cells. Noradrenaline-storing cells are positive for c-kit. Scale bars: 20 µm. HF: hair follicle. C and D In the skin (C) and mammary gland (D) of mast cell–deficit mice, no noradrenaline and c-kit signals were observed, confirming that noradrenaline-storing cells in the tissues are mast cells. Scale bars: 50 µm. HF hair follicle, Epi epidermis, Duct mammary duct. E and F Representative images of immunofluorescent staining in normal mouse skin (E) and mammary gland (F) using antibodies against noradrenaline (green) and mMCP-1 (red), a marker for mucosal mast cells (MMC). Scale bars: 20 µm. HF: hair follicle. G and H Noradrenaline-storing cells are positive for mMCP-4, a marker for connective tissue mast cells (CTMCs), confirming that the cells are CTMCs. Scale bars: 20 or 50 µm. Three independent experiments were performed in each organ, and the representative pictures are shown in this Figure