Parasympathetic-mediated reflex salivation and vasodilatation in the cat submandibular gland

Role of aquaporin 5 and glandular blood flow in the acetylcholine-induced secretion of saliva in rats

To clarify the role of the aquaporin 5 (AQP5) in salivary secretion, we evaluated acetylcholine (ACh)-induced secretion in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, rats expressing a low level of AQP5 protein (AQP5/low SD) which developed from SD rats, and Wistar/ST rats. The salivary secretion in AQP5/low SD rats in response to infusions of low-dose ACh (60-120 nmol/min) was 27-42% of that in SD rats. By contrast, Wistar/ST rats exhibited comparable secretion to that of SD rats in response to low-doses ACh, despite their low-level expression of AQP5. Experiments using spectrofluorometry and RT-PCR demonstrated no differences in the ACh-induced Ca2+ responses or the mRNA expression of muscarinic receptor, Cl- channel, or cotransporter between these strains. These findings imply that factors other than the function of salivary acinar cells regulates the secretion in response to weak stimuli. Monitoring of the hemodynamics in the submandibular gland revealed that low-doses ACh induced different patterns of the fluctuations in the blood flow in these strains. The blood flow decreased below the resting level in AQP5/low SD rats, but remained mostly above the resting level in Wistar/ST rats. The present study reveals that the contribution of AQP5-dependent transport of water is altered by stimulus intensity and blood flow.

Differences in control of parasympathetic vasodilation between submandibular and sublingual glands in the rat

We examined blood flow in the submandibular gland (SMGBF) and sublingual gland (SLGBF) during electrical stimulation of the central cut end of the lingual nerve (LN) in the urethane-anesthetized rats using a laser speckle imaging flow meter. LN stimulation elicited intensity- and frequency-dependent SMGBF and SLGBF increases, and the magnitude of the SMGBF increase was higher than that of the SLGBF increase. The increase in both glands was significantly inhibited by intravenous administration of the autonomic cholinergic ganglion blocker hexamethonium. The antimuscarinic agent atropine markedly inhibited the SMGBF increase and partly inhibited the SLGBF increase. The atropine-resistant SLGBF increase was significantly inhibited by infusion of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptor antagonist, although administration of VIP receptor antagonist alone had no effect. The recovery time to the basal blood flow level was shorter after LN stimulation than after administration of VIP. However, the recovery time after LN stimulation was significantly delayed by administration of atropine in a dose-dependent manner to the same level as after administration of VIP. Our results indicate that 1) LN stimulation elicits both a parasympathetic SMGBF increase mainly evoked by cholinergic fibers and a parasympathetic SLGBF increase evoked by cholinergic and noncholinergic fibers, and 2) VIP-ergic mechanisms are involved in the noncholinergic SLGBF increase and are activated when muscarinic mechanisms are deactivated.

Roles of lysosomal proteolytic systems in AQP5 degradation in the submandibular gland of rats following chorda tympani parasympathetic denervation

Chorda tympani denervation (CTD) of rats was earlier shown to result in loss of submandibular gland (SMG) weight (at only 1 wk) and in continued reduction in aquaporin 5 (AQP5) protein expression (until 4 wk), without affecting its mRNA synthesis (Li X, Azlina A, Karabasil MR, Purwanti N, Hasegawa T, Yao C, Akamatsu T, Hosoi K. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 295: G112-G123, 2008). The present study indicated that despite elevation of bax, a proapoptosis protein, by CTD, the operation also increased the level of bcl-2, an antiapoptosis protein, in the SMG. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL assay) showed no increase in the number of apoptotic cells in the SMG. CTD, however, induced strongly and transiently (at 1-3 days) the protein expression of LC3B-II, a marker protein of autophagosomes, suggesting that the reduction in the gland weight was due to onset of autophagy by CTD. Upon CTD, Lamp2, a lysosomal marker, gradually increased in amount, reaching a peak at the 14th day. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed an increase in the number of lysosome-like structures positive for both AQP5 and Lamp2 in the acinar cells of the SMG after CTD; similar changes were observed also for AQP5 and LC3Bs. These data suggest that AQP5 in the SMG entered autophagosomes and/or lysosomes for degradation upon CTD. In vitro AQP5-degrading activity was found in the SMG extracts, and such activity was shown to be increased by CTD. Inhibitor experiments implied cathepsins B and L to be candidate enzymes for this degradation under normal and CTD conditions, respectively.

Projections from the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and the nucleus of the solitary tract to prechoroidal neurons in the superior salivatory nucleus: Pathways controlling rodent choroidal blood flow

Using intrachoroidal injection of the transneuronal retrograde tracer pseudorabies virus (PRV) in rats, we previously localized preganglionic neurons in the superior salivatory nucleus (SSN) that regulate choroidal blood flow (ChBF) via projections to the pterygopalatine ganglion (PPG). In the present study, we used higher-order transneuronal retrograde labeling following intrachoroidal PRV injection to identify central neuronal cell groups involved in parasympathetic regulation of ChBF via input to the SSN. These prominently included the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), both of which are responsive to systemic BP and are involved in systemic sympathetic vasoconstriction. Conventional pathway tracing methods were then used to determine if the PVN and/or NTS project directly to the choroidal subdivision of the SSN. Following retrograde tracer injection into SSN (biotinylated dextran amine 3K or Fluorogold), labeled perikarya were found in PVN and NTS. Injection of the anterograde tracer, biotinylated dextran amine 10K (BDA10K), into PVN or NTS resulted in densely packed BDA10K+terminals in prechoroidal SSN (as defined by its enrichment in nitric oxide synthase-containing perikarya). Double-label studies showed these inputs ended directly on prechoroidal nitric oxide synthase-containing neurons of SSN. Our study thus establishes that PVN and NTS project directly to the part of SSN involved in parasympathetic vasodilatory control of the choroid via the PPG. These results suggest that control of ChBF may be linked to systemic blood pressure and central control of the systemic vasculature.

Suppression of carbachol-induced oscillatory Cl- secretion by forskolin in rat parotid and submandibular acinar cells

Sympathetic stimulation induces weak salivation compared with parasympathetic stimulation. To clarify this phenomenon in salivary glands, we investigated cAMP-induced modulation of Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) secretion from rat parotid and submandibular acinar cells because fluid secretion from salivary glands depends on the Cl(-) secretion. Carbachol (Cch), a Ca(2+)-increasing agent, induced hyperpolarization of the cells with oscillatory depolarization in the current clamp mode of the gramicidin-perforated patch recording. In the voltage clamp mode at -80 mV, Cch induced a bumetanide-sensitive oscillatory inward current, which was larger in rat submandibular acinar cells than in parotid acinar cells. Forskolin and IBMX, cAMP-increasing agents, did not induce any marked current, but they evoked a small nonoscillatory inward current in the presence of Cch and suppressed the Cch-induced oscillatory inward current in all parotid acinar cells and half (56%) of submandibular acinar cells. In the current clamp mode, forskolin + IBMX evoked a small nonoscillatory depolarization in the presence of Cch and reduced the amplitude of Cch-induced oscillatory depolarization in both acinar cells. The oscillatory inward current estimated at the depolarized membrane potential was suppressed by forskolin + IBMX. These results indicate that cAMP suppresses Ca(2+)-activated oscillatory Cl(-) secretion of parotid and submandibular acinar cells at -80 mV and possibly at the membrane potential during Cch stimulation. The suppression may result in the weak salivation induced by sympathetic stimulation.

Occurrence of parasympathetic vasodilator fibers in the lower lip of the guinea-pig

The present study was designed to examine whether there are parasympathetic vasodilator fibers in the lower lip of the guinea-pig. Electrical stimulation of the central cut end of the lingual nerve of guinea-pigs evoked intensity- and frequency-dependent decreases in lower lip blood flow and systemic arterial blood pressure (SABP). Pretreatment with guanethidine, a postganglionic sympathetic nerve blocker and antihypertensive drug (30 mg kg(-1), s.c., 24 h prior to experiments), reduced the magnitude of the decrease in SABP while the intensity- and frequency-dependent increases of the lip blood flow occurred by the lingual nerve stimulation only on the side ipsilateral to stimulation. Increases in the lip blood flow evoked by lingual nerve stimulation in guanethidine pretreated guinea-pigs were reduced by hexamethonium (an autonomic ganglion cholinergic blocker) in a dose-dependent manner. When fluoro-gold (a retrograde neural tracer) was injected into the lower lip, labeled neurons were observed in the ipsilateral otic ganglion. The present study indicates the presence of parasympathetic vasodilator fibers originating from the otic parasympathetic ganglion in the guinea-pig lower lip, similar to those reported previously in rats, cats, rabbits and humans.

Effects of isoflurane on parasympathetic vasodilatation in the rat submandibular gland

Volatile anesthetics have been known to suppress parasympathetic reflex vasodilatation in the lower lip and palate. However, in the submandibular gland, little is known about the effects of these anesthetics on the parasympathetic vasodilatation elicited by reflex and direct (i.e., non-reflex) activation of the parasympathetic vasodilator mechanisms. Although both parasympathetic vasodilatations were inhibited by isoflurane in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, the effects of continuous administration of the alpha(1)-adrenoceptor agonist methoxamine were markedly different: The reflex vasodilatation was not affected by methoxamine, while the direct vasodilatation was significantly reduced. Picrotoxin (GABA(A) receptor antagonist) attenuated the inhibitory effect of isoflurane on direct vasodilatation and the systemic arterial blood pressure. These findings suggest that the isoflurane-induced inhibitory effects on direct vasodilatation are produced by a decrease of peripheral vascular tone by GABAergic mechanisms, whereas those on the reflex vasodilatation are produced exclusively by the inhibition of the reflex center.

Trigeminal nerve-mediated reflex arterial blood pressure decrease and vasodilatation in lower lip of the rabbit

We measured the effects of electrical stimulation of the central cut end of the lingual nerve on lower lip blood flow (LBF) and on arterial blood pressure in urethane-anesthetized, artificially ventilated, cervically vagosympathectomized rabbits. Different effects were observed depending on the stimulus frequency. Increasing the stimulus frequency above 5 Hz produced progressively larger ipsilateral LBF increases until the optimal frequency was reached at 20 Hz. In contrast, stimulation at above 0.5 Hz evoked progressively larger decreases in both contralateral LBF and arterial blood pressure until the optimal frequency was reached at around 10 and 2 Hz, respectively. Thus, the optimal stimulus frequencies for the ipsilateral LBF increase and the arterial blood pressure decrease were widely different. The lingual nerve-evoked change (i.e., fall) in arterial blood pressure showed a significant correlation with the contralateral LBF decrease, but not with the ipsilateral LBF increase. Prior administration of hexamethonium at 10 mg/kg markedly reduced both the ipsilateral LBF increase and arterial blood pressure decrease, although it was more effective against the former than against the latter. Pretreatment with scopolamine (muscarinic-receptor antagonist, 0.1 mg/kg), phentolamine (alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist, 0.1 mg/kg), or propranolol (beta-adrenoceptor antagonist, 0.1 mg/kg) failed to affect either response. However, 1.0 mg/kg phentolamine significantly reduced both responses (P<0.05). These results indicate that, in the rabbit, the LN-evoked reflex increase in ipsilateral LBF is (a) largely independent of any concomitant arterial blood pressure change and (b) probably due to active vasodilatation mediated via parasympathetic mechanisms. In contrast, the evoked decrease in contralateral LBF was proportional to the decrease in arterial blood pressure, suggesting that the former was secondary to the latter.

Simultaneous measurement of parasympathetic reflex vasodilator and arterial blood pressure responses in the cat

We measured the changes in lower lip blood flow and systemic arterial blood pressure evoked by lingual nerve or trigeminal spinal nucleus (Vsp) stimulation to gain an insight into the brainstem integration of sympathetic and parasympathetic responses to nociceptive stimulation. We used artificially ventilated, cervically vago-sympathectomized cats deeply anesthetized with alpha-chloralose and urethane. A lip blood flow increase occurred in an intensity- and frequency-dependent manner following electrical stimulation of Vsp or lingual nerve regardless of whether systemic arterial blood pressure increased or decreased. In contrast, there was no apparent optimal frequency for the changes in systemic arterial blood pressure elicited by electrical stimulation of Vsp or lingual nerve. No relationship was found between the amplitude of the lip blood flow increase and that of the systemic arterial blood pressure change. Microinjection of lidocaine or kainic acid into the Vsp evoked, respectively, reversible and irreversible inhibition of the lip blood flow increase and systemic arterial blood pressure change evoked by lingual nerve stimulation. When microinjected unilaterally directly into the ipsilateral Vsp, the GABA agonist muscimol abolished both lingual nerve-evoked effects (increase in lip blood flow and changes in systemic arterial blood pressure) without changing basal systemic arterial blood pressure, suggesting the presence in the Vsp of GABA receptors serving to modulate both the parasympathetically mediated lip blood flow increase and the sympathetically mediated systemic arterial blood pressure change. Lidocaine microinjection into the salivatory nucleus caused a significant attenuation of the lingual nerve-induced blood flow increase, but had no effect on the lingual nerve-induced systemic arterial blood pressure change. Thus, the neural pathway mediating the lingual nerve-induced lip blood flow increase seems to be simple, requiring a minimum of four neurons: trigeminal afferent-Vsp-parasympathetic pre-ganglionic neurons with cell body located in the inferior salivatory nucleus-otic postganglionic neuron. On the other hand, the pathway underlying the evoked systemic arterial blood pressure changes, presumably mediated via altered sympathetic activity, seems to be more complicated and could be affected by more numerous factors.

Involvement of trigeminal spinal nucleus in parasympathetic reflex vasodilatation in cat lower lip

We examined whether the trigeminal spinal nucleus (Vsp) forms part of the central mechanism by which electrical stimulation of the central cut end of the lingual nerve (LN) evokes parasympathetic reflex vasodilatation in the lower lip in artificially ventilated, cervically vagosympathectomized cats deeply anesthetized with alpha-chloralose and urethane. For this purpose, we made microinjections within the brain stem to produce nonselective, reversible local anesthesia (lidocaine) or soma-selective, irreversible neurotoxic damage (kainic acid). Local anesthesia of Vsp by microinjection of lidocaine (2%; 1 microl/site) reversibly and significantly reduced the ipsilateral-LN-evoked parasympathetic reflex vasodilatation. Unilateral microinjection of kainic acid (10 mM/site; 1 microl) into Vsp ipsilateral to the stimulated LN led to an irreversible reduction in the reflex vasodilatation but had no effect on the vasodilatation elicited by stimulation of the contralateral LN. Such microinjection of kainic acid into Vsp had no effect on the vasodilatation evoked by electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral inferior salivatory nucleus. Electrical stimulation of Vsp elicited a blood flow increase in the lower lip in an intensity- and frequency-dependent manner, regardless of whether systemic arterial blood pressure rose or fell. Hexamethonium (1.0 mg/kg iv) significantly reduced the vasodilator responses elicited by electrical stimulation of the central cut end of LN or of Vsp, each to a similar degree. After hexamethonium, both vasodilator responses showed time-dependent recovery. These results strongly suggest that Vsp is an important bulbar relay for LN-evoked parasympathetic reflex vasodilatation in the cat lower lip.

Parasympathetic reflex vasodilatation in rat submandibular gland

The present study was designed to investigate 1) whether parasympathetic reflex vasodilatation occurs in the submandibular gland (SMG) in deeply urethan-anesthetized, cervically vagotomized, and sympathectomized rats when the central cut end of the lingual nerve (LN) is electrically stimulated and 2) to what extent the neural mechanisms underlying such responses are the same as those involved in the response to direct stimulation of the chorda-LN (CLN). Stimulation of each nerve separately elicited a marked blood flow increase in SMG. Section of the chorda tympani abolished the SMG blood flow response but had no effect on the lip blood flow increase evoked by LN stimulation. Section of the CLN abolished the SMG blood flow increases evoked by stimulation of either nerve. The SMG blood flow increases (regardless of whether they were evoked by LN or CLN stimulation) were markedly reduced by the autonomic cholinergic ganglion blocker hexamethonium. The present study demonstrates that a parasympathetic reflex vasodilator mechanism is present in the rat SMG and that it can express its effects under deep general anesthesia.

Nifedipine-induced inhibition of parasympathetic-mediated vasodilation in the orofacial areas of the cat

In anesthetized cats, we 1) compared the effects of antihypertensive agents (nifedipine, clonidine, phentolamine, propranolol, and nitroprusside) on the parasympathetic vasodilations elicited by lingual nerve (LN) stimulation in the lower lip and tongue and 2) investigated the mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effect of nifedipine on parasympathetic lower lip vasodilation. At the doses used, each antihypertensive agent reduced systemic arterial blood pressure by approximately 20 mmHg; however, the parasympathetic vasodilation elicited by LN stimulation was significantly reduced only by nifedipine. This inhibitory effect of nifedipine was not seen when LN was stimulated during ongoing repetitive stimulation of the superior cervical sympathetic trunk at 1-Hz frequency. This suggests that the ability of lip and tongue blood vessels to relax to parasympathetic stimulation is not directly impaired by this calcium channel blocker and that the inhibitory effects of nifedipine seen here probably resulted from an action on postsynaptic sites in vascular smooth muscle that caused a reduction in preexisting sympathetic vasoconstrictor tone (by inhibiting calcium influx into the vascular smooth muscle cell).

Blood flow increases in common carotid artery, lower lip and palate elicited by lingual nerve stimulation in anesthetized cats

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether changes in blood flow in the common carotid artery (CCA) reflect those in individual extracranial tissues (lower lip and palate). Changes were evoked at the three sites simultaneously using a somato-parasympathetic reflex activation method in urethane-alpha-chloralose anesthetized, vago-sympathectomized cats. Somato-parasympathetic reflex activation was induced by electrical stimulation of the central cut end of the ipsilateral lingual nerve. The blood flow changes evoked in CCA, lower lip and palate changed in parallel when the stimulus to the blood vessels was changed (by changing the stimulus applied to the afferents or by blocking the efferent pathway). However, when drugs were given intravenously which would act directly on receptors in the blood vessels (including the endothelium) or alter the systemic blood pressure level, the evoked responses in CCA reacted in a quantitatively different manner from those evoked in lower lip and palate. These results suggest that evoked changes in CCA blood flow cannot be regarded as an accurate reflection of changes occurring simultaneously in individual extracranial tissues, at least when examining the effect of such drugs on parasympathetic mediated vasodilation.