title: Free D-aspartic acid in rat salivary glands.
abstract: Free D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) has been reported to occur in a wide variety of tissues and cells, exclusively in central nervous system and endocrine tissues. In this manuscript, we demonstrate that large amounts of D-Asp are present in the exocrine tissue, salivary glands. In adult male rats, D-Asp concentrations in parotid and submandibular gland were 212+/-68 and 233+/-34 nmol/g wet weight, respectively, and were low (38+/-20 nmol/g wet weight) in sublingual gland. This result indicates that substantial level of D-Asp exists not only in central nervous system and endocrine tissues but also in exocrine tissues. Furthermore, D-Asp concentration in parotid gland increased transiently at 3 weeks of age and decreased thereafter. In contrast, the D-Asp level in submandibular gland continued to increase gradually from 1 to 7 weeks of age and remained at an adult level after 7 weeks of age. Using anti-D-Asp antibody, immunohistochemical study was done against these glands and it showed that the predominant localization of D-Asp in acinar cells in parotid gland, while D-Asp is specifically located in striated duct cells in submandibular gland. These results suggest that D-Asp may play different roles between the two glands.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Kyushu Dental College, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka 803-8580, Japan. wmasuda@kyu-dent.ac.jp
authors: Wataru
authors: W
authors: Masuda
authors: Chie
authors: C
authors: Nouso
authors: Chiaki
authors: C
authors: Kitamura
authors: Masamichi
authors: M
authors: Terashita
authors: Tomoo
authors: T
authors: Noguchi
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D026603:D-Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D026603:D-Aspartic Acid