Autonomic innervation of the salivary glands in the marmoset (Callithrix penicillata Jordani); with some gross anatomical and histological observations

Autonomic innervation of salivary glands in the armadillo, anteater, and sloth (Edentata)

The intraglandular distribution of adrenergic and cholinergic nerve fibers was studied histochemically in the parotid, mandibular, and sublingual glands of six species of edentates belonging to the three families that comprise the order; namely the Dasypodidae (armadillos), the Myrmecophagidae (anteaters), and the Bradipodidae (sloths). The following histochemical techniques were used: (a) acetylcholinesterase reaction for the demonstration of cholinergic fibers; (b) formaldehyde- and glyoxylic acid-induced fluorescence for the demonstration of adrenergic fibers. In addition, norepinephrine (NE) was assayed fluorimetrically in the mandibular and parotid glands of the armadillo. A network of acetylcholinesterase-positive nerve fibers surrounds the intra- and interlobular ducts and endpieces of all glands; it is of low density in the mandibular and sublingual gland of the sloth, of high density in the sublingual gland of the anteater and of moderate density in the remaining glands. A vascular cholinergic innervation occurs in all salivary glands. Although present around the vessels, adrenergic new fibers were virtually absent from the parenchyma of all glands, even after in vitro incubation of glandular tissue with NE or after administration of NE to armadillos previously treated with a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor. Consistent with this fact, the amount of NE present in the parotid and mandibular gland of the armadillo was extremely low. These findings may indicate that the salivary secretion in the edentates is regulated by the parasympathetic rather than by the sympathetic nervous system.

A histochemical study of catecholamines and cholinesterases in the autonomic nerves of the human minor salivary glands

The cholinergic and adrenergic innervation of human minor sublingual, buccal and labial salivary glands has been studied with histochemical techniques for localizing acetylcholinesterase and catecholamines. A rich cholinergic innervation was observed around the acini, blood vessels and some ducts of the three glands. The adrenergic innervation, however, was virtually absent from the parenchyma although present around the blood vessels, in marked contrast to the dense parenchymal adrenergic innervation observed in the human parotid and submandibular glands. These results suggest that the autonomic nervous mechanism which regulates salivary secretion is more elaborate in the major than in the minor salivary glands.

Histochemical and biochemical properties of the labial and palatine glands and their secretions in the Macaca irus and Cercopithecus aethiops monkeys

The increasing use of non-human primates in experimental studies in dentistry demands detailed knowledge of their basic oral biology. The labial and palatine glands and their secretory products were compared in two commonly used monkey species. The mucous cells of both gland types appeared to elaborate sulphated muco-substances and the serous demilunes of the labial glands neutral mucosubstances. The secretions of these glands, as obtained by in vitro cultivation of glandular tissue were subjected to isoelectric fractionation. The labial and palatine secretions of the C. aethiops contained an acidic component which exhibited the viscous properties of the original secretions, showed incorporation of 35SO4 and had high titres of virus-haemagglutination inhibition activity. A similar component has been found in M. irus labial and palatine secretions. The two monkey species were similar in that the labial gland secretions of both contained small amounts of lysozyme activity, which the palatine gland secretions did not. They differed in that alpha-amylase activity was present in the labial and palatine secretions of the C. aethiops, which corresponds to the human situation. The minor glands of the M. irus did not show traces of alpha-amylase activity. The distribution of several chemical characteristics of the salivary gland secretions of both monkey species indicated that neither of them were identical to man, even though a general similarity was evident.