title: Increased mucin levels in submandibular glands of aged male mice after chronic isoproterenol treatment.
abstract: Mucin levels are reduced in submandibular glands of mice during ageing. Isoproterenol (IPR) was given to mice 27 and 29 months old to assess whether levels of mucin could be restored to levels similar to those in younger mice. When compared with controls, mucin levels per gland were significantly elevated (p less than 0.05) after IPR treatment, and exceeded the peak amounts in young animals. Mucin concentrations were also higher after IPR. These observations support the contention that the gland has the ability to return to or exceed pre-senescent levels of mucin. Mean sialic acid levels were elevated in each experiment after IPR treatment. There was evidence for significant diurnal variation in mucin in the aged control animals, but little evidence for such a relationship in the IPR-treated animals. After administration of pilocarpine there was a modest stimulation of sialic acid and protein levels in 20-month-old animals while mucin levels showed virtually no indication of stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90089-0641.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Denny
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Denny
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Klauser
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009077:Mucins / Q000032:analysis*; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D009929:Organ Size; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000032:analysis*; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009077:Mucins; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D012794:Sialic Acids; D010862:Pilocarpine; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D007545:Isoproterenol