Salivary glands and noradrenergic transmission in diabetic rats

VATTA MS; HOPE S; MARINA PRENDES G; BIANCIOTTI LG; ELVERDIN J; FERNADEZ BE

Autonomic & Autacoid Pharmacology

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Año: 2002 vol. 22 p. 65 - 71

1474-8673

1 Type 2 diabetes is associated with diverse oral pathologies in which salivary flow reductionis one of the causes of these oral abnormalities. Scarce literature exists regarding noradrenergictransmission and adrenergic-induced salivary flow in submaxillary and parotid glands of type 2diabetic rats.2 We studied noradrenergic transmission as well as the secretory response to a1- andb-adrenoceptor stimulation in the parotid and submaxillary glands of type 2 diabetic rats.3 Diabetic rats exhibited diminished neuronal uptake, release and endogenous content ofnoradrenaline (NE) in both salivary glands. Further, NE synthesis was also diminishedaccompanied by decreased tyrosine hydroxylase activity. Salivary flow responses toa1-(methoxamine) and b-(isoprenaline) adrenoceptor stimulation were reduced in thesubmaxillary as well as the parotid glands of diabetic rats.4 Our results suggest that the reduction of noradrenergic transmission in the salivary glandsof type 2 diabetic rats is in part responsible for the diminished salivary flow evoked by a1- andb-adrenergic stimulation. Reduced noradrenergic activity may contribute to the pathophysiologyof oral abnormalities in diabetic patients.