title: Multi-photon microscopic imaging of rat parotid ducts demonstrates cellular heterogeneity in Ca2+ responsiveness.
abstract: The heterogeneity of salivary ductal cells, with regard to their sensitivity to Ca(2+)-mobilizing agonists, was visualized by multi-photon microscopy. Stimulation of isolated parotid ducts with 0.1 and 1 microM epinephrine (Epi) elevated the intracellular Ca(2+) levels ([Ca(2+)](i)) in approximately 30% and >90% of the ductal cells, respectively. Of the 0.1 microM Epi-responsive cells, 80% responded rapidly to subsequent stimulation with 1 microM Epi. Similarly, threshold concentrations (0.5 or 1 microM) of phenylephrine (PhL), carbachol (CCh) or ATP, induced responses in approximately 20% of the ductal cells, and subsequent stimulations with 10 microM of the same agonist activated approximately 80% of ductal cells. These observations indicate that parotid ducts contain a certain subpopulation of cells, which exhibits particularly high sensitivity to these Ca(2+)-mobilizing agonists, compared to the remaining ductal cells. Sequential stimulation with threshold concentrations of PhL, CCh, and ATP induced Ca(2+) responses in approximately 33% of ductal cells. Of these responsive cells, the majority (69%) could only respond to one of the three agonists; while a small minority (9%) were capable of responding to all three agonists. These results indicate that low concentrations of PhL, CCh, and ATP activate different subpopulations of parotid ductal cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Hokkaido 061-0293, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shitara
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanimura
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nezu
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tojyo
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002217:Carbachol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D016257:Fura-2; D015759:Ionomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D036641:Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton; D010306:Parotid Gland; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018987:Salivary Ducts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
chemical_list: D007476:Ionophores; D010656:Phenylephrine; D015759:Ionomycin; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D002217:Carbachol; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2; D004837:Epinephrine