Morphological differences in innervation between mucous glands and serous glands: a quantitative histological study using the sublingual glands of elderly humans. (September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kawamoto, Ai; Kitamura, Kei; Yamamoto, Masahito; Murakami, Gen; Abe, Shin-ichi; Katori, Yukio
• Is Part Of: Acta oto-laryngologica. Volume 135:Number 9(2015)
• Page Start: 942
• Page End: 949
• Publication Date: 2015-09
• Subjects: Otolaryngology -- Periodicals; Ear -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Throat -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Otolaryngology -- Electronic Resources; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases; 617.8
• DOI: 10.3109/00016489.2015.1034878
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0001-6489

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Conclusion:</italic> In the sublingual gland, the serous lobule usually carried a higher density of NSE-positive nerve elements than the mucous lobule, whereas the mucous acinus in the mucous lobule was larger than the serous acinus in the serous lobule. <italic>Objectives:</italic> To demonstrate quantitative differences in nerve elements between the mucous and serous lobules of sublingual glands. <italic>Methods:</italic> This study investigated using specimens from 14 donated cadavers (mean age = 78 years). Since immunohistochemistry for neuron-specific enolase (NSE) stains all nerves in addition to other mesenchymal cells possibly of nerve origin, the present quantitative evaluation was based on NSE-positive areas per visual field under a ×20 objective lens (0.6 × 0.45 mm when printed). <italic>Results:</italic> In mucous lobules, the areas occupied by NSE-positive nerve elements ranged from 5798–16, 541 μm² (mean ± SD = 9280 ± 2584 μm²). In contrast, the corresponding areas in serous lobules ranged from 7853–23, 540 μm² (mean ± SD = 13, 520 ± 4351 μm²). The difference in NSE-positive areas was statistically significant (<italic>p</italic> = 0.0022). However, the mucous acinus in the mucous lobule was 2-times larger than the serous acinus in the serous lobule (2474 ± 1477 μm² vs 1119 ± 632 μm²).</p> </abstract>