title: Characterization of the synthesis and secretion of transforming growth factor-alpha from salivary glands and saliva.
abstract: Whole saliva collected from rat, mouse, and human sources was found to contain high concentrations of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha) when analyzed by RIA. The concentrations of TGF alpha in unstimulated human saliva (age, 30-45 yr; n = 10; 1.5 +/- 3.1 nM) was reduced with age (age, 55-70 yr; n = 10; 0.4 +/- 0.1 nM), but increased in oral pathologies manifested in xerostomia (age, 57-70; n = 6; 0.8 +/- 0.2 nM) and Paget's disease (age, 58-76; n = 8; 2.0 +/- 0.6 nM). Immunohistochemical localization of TGF alpha in the salivary glands of rats and mice revealed specific immunostaining of the granular ductal cells of the parotid and submandibular glands. Reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction amplification of total RNA from the parotid and submandibular glands of rats and mice demonstrated the presence of TGF alpha mRNA, suggesting endogenous synthesis by the salivary glands. Thus, salivary glands appear to be an exocrine source for a second member of the epidermal growth factor-like growth factor family in the oral cavity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Humphreys-Beher
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Macauley
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chegini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Setten
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Purushotham
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010001:Osteitis Deformans / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012016:Reference Values; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012737:Sex Factors; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha