Salivary glands and noradrenergic transmission in diabetic rats

MARCELO S. VATTA; SANDRA I. HOPE; MARÍA GABRIELA MARINA PRENDES; LILIANA G. BIANCIOTTI; JUAN C. ELVERDIN; BELISARIO E. FERNANDEZ

Autonomic and Autacoid Pharmacology

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2002 vol. 22 p. 65 - 71

1474-8665

Summary 1 Type 2 diabetes is associated with diverse oral pathologies in which salivary flow reduction is one of the causes of these oral abnormalities. Scarce literature exists regarding noradrenergic transmission and adrenergic-induced salivary flow in submaxillary and parotid glands of type 2 diabetic rats. 2 We studied noradrenergic transmission as well as the secretory response to α1- and β-adrenoceptor stimulation in the parotid and submaxillary glands of type 2 diabetic rats. 3 Diabetic rats exhibited diminished neuronal uptake, release and endogenous content of noradrenaline (NE) in both salivary glands. Further, NE synthesis was also diminished accompanied by decreased tyrosine hydroxylase activity. Salivary flow responses to α1-(methoxamine) and β-(isoprenaline) adrenoceptor stimulation were reduced in the submaxillary as well as the parotid glands of diabetic rats. 4 Our results suggest that the reduction of noradrenergic transmission in the salivary glands of type 2 diabetic rats is in part responsible for the diminished salivary flow evoked by α1- and β-adrenergic stimulation. Reduced noradrenergic activity may contribute to the pathophysiology of oral abnormalities in diabetic patients.