Tannins are plant-derived polyphenolic compounds that are widely found in foods, particularly in fruits and beverages. These materials are water-soluble and able to precipitate proteins from aqueous solutions. It had been shown that feeding some animals such as rat and mouse with tannins mimicks the effects of isoproterenol on salivary glands. Tannins stimulate β-receptors by some indirect me...

The immunohistochemical localization of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) in the submandibular glands of the rat was investigated by use of an antiserum to FGF-2. Nerve fiber bundles with FGF-2-immunoreactivity were found in association with interlobular ducts and blood vessels; they dissociated into single immunoreactive nerve fibers perhaps to terminate in proximity to acinar cells, or t...

A 46 yr old female came to the ENT department of Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, India, with minimal painless swelling in the bilateral cheek and left submandibular region for two months, in September 2014. The patient had no significant medical history other than multiple carious tooth extractions. Bimanual palpation could not locate the submandibular gland on the right side...

Recently we employed two enantiomers of the muscarinic antagonist quinuclidinyl iodobenzilate (IQNB), and pharmacokinetic analyses, to define and quantitate nonspecific and specific binding to rat parotid gland muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) in vivo (Hiramatsu et al., 1993). The present studies were designed to utilize this same approach for evaluating mAChRs in three other morphol...

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes survival and differentiation of neural cells in the central and peripheral nervous systems. BDNF has been detected in plasma, but its source has not yet been established. Expression of BDNF mRNA has been identified in the submandibular glands when male rats are exposed to acute immobilization stress. In the present study, we investigated whether...

Branching morphogenesis is an important developmental process for many organs, including the salivary glands. Whereas epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, which are cell-to-cell communications, are known to drive branching morphogenesis, the molecular mechanisms responsible for those inductive interactions are still largely unknown. Cell growth factors and integrins are known to be regulators o...

Consideration of Submandibular (Undescended) Ectopic Parathyroid Glands in Surgery and Localization Studies Anatomyof theparathyroidglandsvaries.Duringembryogenesis, precursor glands descend from the third and fourth pharyngeal pouches into the neck, but up to 20% end up in “ectopic” locations.1 Adenomas that develop fromundescended glands in the submandibular region aredifficult to identify on...

Adiponectin and adiponectin receptors (AdipoR1/2) are expressed in various tissues and are involved in the regulation of multiple functions such as energy metabolism and inflammatory responses. However, the effect of adiponectin and AdipoRs in submandibular glands has not been fully evaluated. In the present study, we found that mRNA and protein of both adiponectin and AdipoR1/2 were expressed ...

Salivary glands repair and regenerate following various types of injuries and surgical procedures. However, the tissue responses induced in the contralateral glands have yet to be elucidated in detail. Hsp27, a member of the heat-shock protein (Hsp) family, is strongly expressed in physiological environments, particularly during development. Hsp27 was previously shown to play a role in the regu...