Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry Priciples for Free Access to Science
  Search:   
    >> Advanced Search

Guidelines | Subscriptions | About | exPRESS - Current - Archive | Business Information | Contact
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mozaffari, M. S.
Right arrow Articles by Borke, J. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mozaffari, M. S.
Right arrow Articles by Borke, J. L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, Vol. 50, 527-532, April 2002, Copyright © 2002, The Histochemical Society, Inc.

ARTICLE

Taurine in Submandibular Gland of the Rat: Effect of Muscarinic Drugs

Mahmood S. Mozaffaria and James L. Borkea
a Department of Oral Biology and Maxillofacial Pathology, Medical College of Georgia, School of Dentistry, Augusta, Georgia

Correspondence to: Mahmood S. Mozaffari, Dept. of Oral Biology & Maxillofacial Pathology, CB 3710, Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry, Augusta, Georgia 30912-1128. E-mail: Mmozaffa@mail.mcg.edu

Taurine exerts a number of actions in mammalian cells, including regulation of ion transport and osmoregulation. The production and secretion of saliva involve transepithelial ion transport, thereby making the plasma-like primary saliva hypotonic before secretion. Therefore, it is plausible to suggest modulation of salivary taurine by muscarinic agents that affect salivary gland function. One of the objectives of this study was to determine tissue content and localization of taurine in the submandibular gland of the rat. Further, we determined whether treatment with muscarinic drugs that either increase (e.g., pilocarpine) or decrease (e.g., propantheline) saliva secretion affects the submandibular gland taurine content. The results indicate that the submandibular gland contains an appreciable amount of taurine (8.9 ± 0.3 µmoles/g wet wt). Further, acute treatment of the rats with either of the muscarinic drugs did not significantly affect tissue taurine content compared to the control group. By contrast, chronic treatment with propantheline, but not pilocarpine, reduced the tissue content of taurine compared to the control rats (p<0.05). Utilizing light microscopic immunohistochemical techniques, intense immunoreactivity was found primarily in the striated ducts of the submandibular gland. Neither pilocarpine nor propantheline treatment led to differential distribution of immunoreactivity in this tissue. In conclusion, the submandibular gland contains an appreciable amount of taurine, primarily in the striated ducts, that can be decreased by chronic muscarinic receptor blockade.

(J Histochem Cytochem 50:527–532, 2002)

Key Words: taurine, salivary gland, pilocarpine, propantheline, rat


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?





Guidelines | Subscriptions | About | exPRESS - Current - Archive | Business Information | Contact
The Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry is owned, published, and licensed by The Histochemical Society © 2002