Acinar cell response to liquid diet during rats' growth period differs in submandibular and sublingual glands from that in parotid glands. Issue 2 (April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Takahashi, Shigeru; Uekita, Hiroki; Taniwaki, Hiroto; Domon, Takanori
• Is Part Of: Tissue & cell. Volume 49:Issue 2(2017)Part B
• Page Start: 275
• Page End: 284
• Publication Date: 2017-04
• Subjects: Submandibular gland -- Sublingual gland -- Growth -- Liquid diet -- Acinar cell; Cytology -- Periodicals; 571.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2017.01.011
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0040-8166

Abstract

Highlights: We studied effects of a liquid diet on submandibular and sublingual glands of growing rats. In our study, acinar cells were unaffected in submandibular glands. In our study, acinar cells were only slightly affected in sublingual glands. These results were very different from the results of parotid glands. Abstract: Continuously feeding a liquid diet to growing rodents strongly inhibits parotid gland growth, due to suppressed growth of acinar cells. This study investigated whether a liquid diet had a similar effect on submandibular and sublingual glands of growing rats. Rats were weaned on day 21 after birth and then fed a pellet diet in the control group and a liquid diet in the experimental group for 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Their submandibular and sublingual glands were excised, weighed, and examined histologically, immunohistochemically (using antibodies to 5′-bromo-2-deoxyuridine and cleaved caspase 3), and ultrastructurally. The submandibular glands did not significantly differ between the control and experimental groups at all tested points. Only at Week 8, acinar cell area and 5′-bromo-2-deoxyuridine-labeling index of acinar cells in sublingual glands were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. These results show that a liquid diet during rats' growth period had no effect on acinar cells in their submandibular glands, and only a slight effect on acinar cells in their sublingual glands of growing rats, in contrast to the marked effect of a liquid diet on parotid glands.