• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.163-169
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• 1999

We investigated the culture condition and effects of various growth factors on the culture of salivary gland acinar cells. Male, Sprague-Dawley rats (about 6 weeks old) were sacrificed and their submandibular, sublingual, and parotid glands were used as specimens. High oxygen level more than 90% and coating of Matrigel on culture dish were important factors to help increase the survival time of acinar cells, Proper concentration of enzymes such as collagenase and hyaluronidase during isolation steps was also important. Addition of various growth factors such as dexamethasone, insulin, transferrin, selenous acid, reduced glutathione, epidermal growth factor, isoproterenol, and putrescine in culture medium helped to increase lifetime of cultured salivary acinar cells.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.331-349
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• 1996

Cytochrome P45O is an oxidase involved in oxidation of alcohol and is known to be an activator of carcinogen. The present study was performed to study the effect of alcohol and cold stress on the expression of Cytochrome P450 IIEl (CYPIIE1) In the liver and salivary glands in rats by an immunoblot analysis. Sixteen rats were divided into 4 groups; 1)rats belonging to group I were allowed to take 15%(v/v) ethyl alcohol as a drink ad libitum: 2)rats of group II were bathed in cold water for 30 sec twice a day (during the one-week experiment); 3)rats comprising group III were received alcohol and cold stress as described above; 4)rats of group IV were selected as a control. The rat were sacrificed at the end of the one-week experiment. The livers and parotid and submandibular salivary glands were removed and stored at -2$0^{\circ}C$ until use. The stored organs were homogenized for 10 sec and the supernatants were obtained by centrifugation. The proteins of the supernatants were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and subjected to Western blotting. The blotted membranes were incubated with polyclonal antibodies to CYPIIEI . The obtained results were as follows : 1. The expression of CYPIIEl was apparently negative in the liver and salivary glands of group IV, wheras its expression was marked in the experiment groups I, II. and III. 2. No difference in the expression of CYPIIEl in the liver and salivary glands was observed between the experiment groups I, II, and III. 3. Among the experiment groups, the expression of CYPIIE1 in the liver was much greater than in the salivary glands. The expression of CYPIIE1 in the submandibular gland was weakly positive but was greater than in the carotid gland.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.141-148
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• 2006

The effects of adenosine triphosphate(ATP) on salivary glands have been recognized since 1982. The presence of purinergic recepetors(P2Rs) that mediate the effects of ATP in various tissues, including parotid and submandibular salivary gland, has been supported by the cloning of receptor cDNAs and the expression of the receptor proteins. P2Rs have many subtypes, and the activation of these receptor subtypes increase intracellular $Ca^{2+}$, a key ion in the regulation of the secretion in the salivary gland. The apical pores of taste buds in circumvallate and foliate papillae are surrounded by the saliva from von Ebner salivary gland(vEG). Thus, it is important how the secretion of vEG is controlled. This study was designed to elucidate the roles of P2Rs on salivary secretion of vEG. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (about 200 g) were used for this experiment. vEG-rich tissues were obtained from dissecting $500-1,000\;{\mu}m$ thick posterior tongue slices under stereomicroscope view. P2Rs mRNA in vEG acinar cells were identified with RT-PCR. To observe the change in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ activity, we employed $Ca^{2+}-ion$ specific fluorescence analysis with fura-2. Single acinar cells and cell clusters were isolated by a sequential trypsin/collagenase treatment and were loaded with $10\;{\mu}M$ fura -2 AM for 60 minutes at room temperature. Several agonists and antagonists were used to test a receptor specificity. RT-PCR revealed that the mRNAs of $P2X_4$, $P2Y_1$, $P2Y_2$ and $P2Y_3$ are expressed in vEG acinar cells. The intracellular calcium activity was increased in response to $10\;{\mu}M$ ATP, a P2Rs agonist, and 2-MeSATP, a $P2Y_1$ and $P2Y_2R$ agonist. However, $300\;{\mu}M\;{\alpha}{\beta}-MeATP$, a $P2X_1$ and $P2X_3R$ agonist, did not elicit the response. The responses elicited by $10\;{\mu}M$ ATP and UTP, a $P2Y_2R$ agonists, were maintained when extracellular calcium was removed. $10\;{\mu}M$ suramin, a P2XR antagonist, and reactive blue 2, a P2YR antagonist, partially blocked ATP-induced response. However, when extracellular calciums were removed, suramin did not abolish the responses elicited by ATP. These results suggest that P2Rs play an important role in salivary secretion of vEG acinar cells and the effects of ATP on vEG salivary secretion may be mediated by $P2X_4$, $P2Y_1$, $P2Y_2$, and/or $P2Y_3$.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.367-375
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• 1998

Purpose : Xerostomia is a complication met by almost all patients who have radiotherapy for cancers of head and neck. Many studies for prevention of xerostomia will be necessary. Radiation-induced acute response of salivary glands has been defined as interphase death or apoptosis. Increased intracellular calcium level have an important role in radiation-induced apoptosis. Calcium channel blocker may prevent radiation-induced apoptosis of salivary glands. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of diltiazem known as calcium channel blocker and pentoxifylline with inhibition of inflammatory response on the apoptosis as an acute response of radiation in rat salivary glands. Materials and Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats with about body weight 200-250 g were divided into 5 study groups : control, radiation alone, diltiazem with radiation, pentoxifylline with radiation, and diltiazem and pentoxifylline with radiation. The diltiazen and pentoxifylline were injected intraperitoneally 20 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg, 30 and 20 mimute before irradiation. respectively. Irradiation was given with a 4 MV linear accelerator. The 1600 cGy of radiation was delivered in a single fraction through a single anterior portal encompassing the entire neck. After 24 h of irradiation, rats were sacrificed and parotid and submandibular glands were removed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The quantification of apoptosis was performed by microscopic examination of stained tissue sections at a magnification of 200X and the percentage of apoptotic cell was calculated. Results : On parotid glands, the percentage of apoptosis by radiation alone, diltiazem with radiation, pentoxifylline with radiation, and diltiazem and pentoxifylline with radiation were 1.72$\%$ (8.35/486), 0.64$\%$ (2.9/453), 0.23$\%$ (1.2/516), and 0.28$\%$ (1.1/399), respectively. The apoptosis was markedly reduced in the groups receiving drugs compared with groups receivinge, radiation alone (p<0.05). In serous cell of submandibular glands, the percentages of apoptosis of radiation alone, diltiazem with radiation, pentoxifylline with radiation, and diltiazem and pentoxifylline with radiation were 1.94$\%$ (l1/567), 0.34$\%$ (1.9/554), 0.28$\%$ (1.8/637), and 0.22$\%$ (1.3/601), respectively. In the mucus cell of submandibular glands, the percentages of apoptosis were 0.92$\%$ (5.1/552), 0.41$\%$ (2.5/612), 0.29$\%$ (1.3/455), and 0.18$\%$ (1.0/562), respectively. The apoptosis was markedly reduced in the serous glands (p<0.05), but there was no difference in development of apoptosis in each group of mucus gland. Conclusion : These results suggest that radiation-induced apoptosis of serous cells of salivary glands may be decreased by diltiazem and pentoxifylline administration.