title: Lipid accumulation in the major salivary glands of streptozotocin-diabetic rats.
abstract: Four-five months after the induction of diabetes, salivary tissues of male Wistar rats were preserved by glutaraldehyde fixation or rapid freezing in dry-ice cooled hexane. Fixed tissues were either processed and embedded for light and electron microscopy, or frozen and, together with unfixed tissues, sectioned and stained with Oil Red 0 or by the calcium-lipase method. All diabetic glands had considerably more intracellular lipid than control ones. Lipid accumulation within parenchymal cells varied with the type of gland, and was more pronounced in animals with the highest serum-glucose levels. Serous cells of parotid and sublingual glands accumulated the greatest amount of lipid; lesser amounts were present in seromucous acinar cells of submandibular glands; little or none in mucous acinar cells of sublingual glands. There was no lipid in striated, granular or excretory ducts. Histochemical staining suggested that the intracellular lipid was mainly triglyceride which may accumulate by increased uptake for use as an energy source, or by decreased use in the synthesis of secretory granule and plasma-membrane material.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Garrett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D013361:Sublingual Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000378:metabolism