Voluntary exercise increases IgA concentration and polymeric Ig receptor expression in the rat submandibular gland

Ligation of the main excretory duct of the rat submandibular gland (SMG) produces a pronounced atrophy that is reversed upon ligature removal. Based on previous studies by our group and others suggesting that P2Y2 nucleotide receptors are upregulated in response to tissue damage, we hypothesized that P2Y2 receptor activity and mRNA levels would increase after duct ligation and return to control levels after ligature removal. Our results support this hypothesis. Intracellular Ca2+ mobilization in response to the P2Y2 receptor agonist UTP in SMG cells was increased significantly after ligation periods of 1.5 to 7 days, whereas no significant response was observed in the contralateral, nonligated gland. P2Y2 receptor mRNA, as measured by semiquantitative RT-PCR, increased about 15-fold after 3 days of ligation. These increases reverted to control levels by 14 days after ligature removal. In situ hybridization revealed that the changes in P2Y2 receptor mRNA abundance occurred mostly in acinar cells, which also were more adversely affected by ligation, including an increase in the appearance of apoptotic bodies. These findings support the idea that P2Y2 receptor upregulation may be an important component of the response to injury in SMG and that recovery of normal physiological function may signal a decreased requirement for P2Y2 receptors.

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Cytochemical Evidence for Presynatic β-Adrenergic Regulation of Secretion in the Developing Rat Submandibular Gland

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100079590 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 35 ◽

pp. 430-431

Author(s):

L.S. Cutler

Keyword(s):

Cyclic Amp ◽

Adenylate Cyclase ◽

Submandibular Gland ◽

Neonatal Rat ◽

Cyclase Activity ◽

Adenylate Cyclase Activity ◽

Parotid Glands ◽

Adrenergic Agonist ◽

Rat Submandibular Gland

Many studies previously have shown that the B-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol and the a-adrenergic agonist norepinephrine will stimulate secretion by the adult rat submandibular (SMG) and parotid glands. Recent data from several laboratories indicates that adrenergic agonists bind to specific receptors on the secretory cell surface and stimulate membrane associated adenylate cyclase activity which generates cyclic AMP. The production of cyclic AMP apparently initiates a cascade of events which culminates in exocytosis. During recent studies in our laboratory it was observed that the adenylate cyclase activity in plasma membrane fractions derived from the prenatal and early neonatal rat submandibular gland was retractile to stimulation by isoproterenol but was stimulated by norepinephrine. In addition, in vitro secretion studies indicated that these prenatal and neonatal glands would not secrete peroxidase in response to isoproterenol but would secrete in response to norepinephrine. In contrast to these in vitro observations, it has been shown that the injection of isoproterenol into the living newborn rat results in secretion of peroxidase by the SMG (1).

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