Abstract: This experiment was conducted to study the histochemical properties and change of mast cells in bovine mammary glands during each period. Specimen of mammary gland from 21 healthy dairy cow were selected and the modified toluidine blue staining (MTB) and Alcian blue-Safranin O staining (AB-S) methods were exploited to investigate the histochemical properties and change of mast cells. Meanwhile the effect of two staining methods and fixing liquid were compared. The mast cells were only stained blue by Alcian blue, the effect of Carnoy was better than that of neutral formalin (NBF), the effect of MTB was better. Compared with non-lactating period, the number of mast cells remarkably decreased during lactating period (P＜0.05). The number of mast cells was the lest in mammary gland 60 days after parturition.These results indicated that mucosal mast cells existed in mammary gland, mast cells can be shown well by fixation with Carnoy’ liquid and staining with MTB. The number of mast cells remarkably decreased during lactating period, compared with non-lactating period.

Key words: mammary gland; mast cell; histochemical property; dairy cow