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Secretory responses in granular ducts and acini of submandibular glands in vivo to parasympathetic or sympathetic nerve stimulation in rats

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Summary

The roles of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves in the secretion of saliva from submandibular glands of rats have been tested by electrical stimulation of either nerve for 1 h unilaterally in separate animals. The flows of saliva thereby induced and their protein content were monitored. Structural changes in each gland were assessed by light- and electron microscopy and compared with the unstimulated contralateral control gland, and the extent of the changes was determined morphometrically. Sympathetic nerve stimulation induced a relatively low flow of saliva that was rich in protein and was accompanied by extensive degranulation from both acinar and granular duct cells. In contrast parasympathetic nerve stimulation induced a considerable flow of saliva that had a low protein content and no detectable degranulation occurred from the secretory cells. It is possible, therefore, that some protein in parasympathetic saliva may have arisen from a non-granular pathway.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oral Pathology, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rayne Institute, 123 Coldharbour Lane, SE5 9NU, London, UK

    J. R. Garrett, A. M. Suleiman & G. B. Proctor

  2. Department of Oral Biology, University of Washington, 98195, Seattle, WA, USA

    L. C. Anderson

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  1. J. R. Garrett
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  2. A. M. Suleiman
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  3. L. C. Anderson
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  4. G. B. Proctor
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Garrett, J.R., Suleiman, A.M., Anderson, L.C. et al. Secretory responses in granular ducts and acini of submandibular glands in vivo to parasympathetic or sympathetic nerve stimulation in rats. Cell Tissue Res 264, 117–126 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305729

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