Salivary glands provide saliva to maintain oral health, and a loss of salivary gland function substantially decreases quality-of-life. Understanding the biological mechanisms that generate salivary glands during embryonic development may identify novel ways to regenerate function or design artificial salivary glands. This review article summarizes current research on the process of branching morphogenesis of salivary glands, which creates gland structure during development. We highlight exciting new advances and opportunities in studies of cell-cell interactions, mechanical forces, growth factors, and gene expression patterns to improve our understanding of this important process.
Animals ; Cell Communication ; physiology ; Embryonic Development ; physiology ; Epithelium ; embryology ; Extracellular Matrix ; physiology ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; physiology ; Morphogenesis ; physiology ; Salivary Glands ; embryology

Mosquitoes secrete saliva that contains biological substances, including anticoagulants that counteract a host's hemostatic response and prevent blood clotting during blood feeding. This study aimed to detect heparin, an anticoagulant in Aedes togoi using an immunohistochemical detection method, in the salivary canal, salivary gland, and midgut of male and female mosquitoes. Comparisons showed that female mosquitoes contained higher concentrations of heparin than male mosquitoes. On average, the level of heparin was higher in blood-fed female mosquitoes than in non-blood-fed female mosquitoes. Heparin concentrations were higher in the midgut than in the salivary gland. This indicates presence of heparin in tissues of A. togoi.
Aedes/*metabolism ; Animals ; Anticoagulants/*isolation & purification ; Blood Coagulation/physiology ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract/*metabolism ; Heparin/*isolation & purification ; Male ; Salivary Ducts/metabolism ; Salivary Glands/*metabolism

AIMTo investigate the localization and quantity of androgen receptor (AR) in the salivary glands of rats with further analysis on the effect of castration.

METHODSSixty male Wistar rats, aged 30-60 days, were randomly divided into three groups (castrated, sham-operated and normal controls) with 20 rats in each group. The rats in the castrated group were castrated and the submaxillary glands were removed after 1 week. The salivary glands of the rats in the sham-operated and the normal control groups were also removed. Parts of the salivary glands were fixed for immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization assays. Other parts were used for Western blot.

RESULTSAR immunoreactivity in the three groups was localized in the glandular epithelial cells of the serous acinus and the glandular duct of the salivary gland, mainly in the nuclei. AR mRNA hybridization signals in the salivary glands of the castrated group were mainly distributed in the epithelial cells of the convoluted and secretary ducts; AR mRNA in the sham-operated and the normal control groups were found in the epithelial cells of the convoluted, the secretary and the excretory ducts. The quantity of AR in the salivary glands was decreased significantly in the castrated rats compared with the sham-operated and the normal controls. Moreover, epidermal growth factor (EGF) secreted by the salivary glands was also decreased in the castrated rats.

CONCLUSIONCastration appears to affect the production of AR in the salivary gland and the distribution of the AR mRNA and could further affect the function of the salivary gland. The changes of AR and the distribution of AR mRNA may play an important role in the interactions between the testes and the salivary gland.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Male ; Orchiectomy ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Androgen ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Salivary Glands ; metabolism

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Dental Research ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (U.S.) ; history ; organization & administration ; Salivary Gland Diseases ; therapy ; Salivary Glands ; cytology ; growth & development ; injuries ; physiology ; United States

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) on the cell cycle of duct epithelial cell cultures of human salivary gland (HSG) in vitro and relative mechanism.

METHODSHSG was cultured in vitro. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and nest-RT-PCR were used respectively to investigate ie1/ie2 transcription in HSG infected by human cytomegalovirus(HCMV). The effects of HCMV on the cell cycle of HSG were studied by flow cytometry in vitro. The expression of cyclin D1 in HSG infected by HCMV was detected by Western blotting.

RESULTSHCMV iel/ie2 transcription could be detected in HSG infected by HCMV. HCMV arrested productively infected cells in G1 stage. And cyclin D1 was down-regulated in HCMV infected HSG.

CONCLUSIONHCMV inhibits proliferation of HSG by affecting G1/S check point and down-regulating cyclin D1 in vitro.

Blotting, Western ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Cycle ; physiology ; Cyclin D1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytomegalovirus ; physiology ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; virology ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Salivary Glands ; cytology ; metabolism

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the anatomic localization of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in naturally infected pigs and to determine whether oral fluid could be used to detect the virus in infected animals. Two sows, seven 2-month-old grower pigs, and 70 6-month-old gilts were included in this study. PRRSV in sera and oral fluid were identified by nested reverse transcription PCR (nRT-PCR) while lung, tonsil, and tissue associated with oral cavity were subjected to nRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization. In sows, PRRSV was identified in oral fluid and tonsils. PRRSV was also detected in oral fluid, tonsils, salivary glands, oral mucosa, and lungs of all seven grower pigs. However, viremia was observed in only two grower pigs. Double staining revealed that PRRSV was distributed in macrophages within and adjacent to the tonsillar crypt epithelium. In gilts, the North American type PRRSV field strain was detected 3 to 8 weeks after introducing these animals onto the farm. These results confirm previous findings that PRRSV primarily replicates in tonsils and is then shed into oral fluid. Therefore, oral fluid sampling may be effective for the surveillance of PRRSV in breeding herds.
Animals ; Female ; In Situ Hybridization/veterinary ; Lung/virology ; Male ; Palatine Tonsil/virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome/*virology ; Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus/*physiology ; Saliva/*virology ; Salivary Glands/virology ; Swine/virology ; Virus Replication/physiology

Salivary function in mammals may be defective for various reasons, such as aging, Sjogren's syndrome or radiation therapy in head and neck cancer patients. Recently, tissue-specific stem cell therapy has attracted public attention as a next-generation therapeutic reagent. In the present study, we isolated tissue-specific stem cells from the human submandibular salivary gland (hSGSCs). To efficiently isolate and amplify hSGSCs in large amounts, we developed a culture system (lasting 4-5 weeks) without any selection. After five passages, we obtained adherent cells that expressed mesenchymal stem cell surface antigen markers, such as CD44, CD49f, CD90 and CD105, but not the hematopoietic stem cell markers, CD34 and CD45, and that were able to undergo adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. In addition, hSGSCs were differentiated into amylase-expressing cells by using a two-step differentiation method. Transplantation of hSGSCs to radiation-damaged rat salivary glands rescued hyposalivation and body weight loss, restored acinar and duct cell structure, and decreased the amount of apoptotic cells. These data suggest that the isolated hSGSCs, which may have characteristics of mesenchymal-like stem cells, could be used as a cell therapy agent for the damaged salivary gland.
Amylases/genetics/metabolism ; Animals ; Antigens, CD/genetics/metabolism ; Apoptosis ; Cell Differentiation ; Humans ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells/*cytology/metabolism ; Radiation Injuries, Experimental ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; *Regeneration ; Salivary Glands/cytology/injuries/physiology/*surgery ; *Salivation ; *Stem Cell Transplantation

This study was conducted to generate and validate a cross-culturally adapted Korean version of the xerostomia inventory (XI), an 11-item questionnaire designed to measure the severity of xerostomia. The original English version of the XI was translated into Korean according to the guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation of health-related quality-of-life measures. Among a prospective cohort of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) in Korea, 194 patients were analyzed. Internal consistency was evaluated by using Cronbach's alpha, and test-retest reliability was obtained by using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis. Construct validity was investigated by performing a correlation analysis between XI total score and salivary flow rate (SFR). Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was 0.868, and the ICC for test-retest reliability ranged from 0.48 to 0.827, with a median value of 0.72. Moderate negative correlations between XI score and stimulated SFR, unstimulated SFR, and differential (stimulated minus unstimulated) SFR were observed (Spearman's rho, ρ = -0.515, -0.447, and -0.482, respectively; P < 0.001). The correlation analysis between the visual analogue scale (VAS) score of overall dryness and SFR indicated a smaller ρ value (-0.235 [P = 0.006], -0.243 [P = 0.002], and -0.252 [P = 0.003], respectively), which supports that XI more accurately reflects the degree of xerostomia in the pSS patients. In conclusion, the Korean version of the XI is a reliable tool to estimate the severity of xerostomia in patients with pSS.
Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Reproducibility of Results ; Republic of Korea ; Salivary Glands/physiology ; Sjogren's Syndrome/*diagnosis/physiopathology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Translating ; Xerostomia/*diagnosis/physiopathology