title: Immunohistochemical expression and distribution of orexin, orphanin and leptin in the major salivary glands of some mammals.
abstract: The aim of the study was to determine by immunochemistry the expression of leptin, orexin A and orphanin FQ in the major salivary glands (parotid, submandibular and sublingual) of rat, sheep and cow. These peptides, originally synthesized in central nervous system, adipose tissue and peripheral tissues including gastrointestinal tract, play an orexigenic (orphanin and orexin) or anorexigenic (leptin) roles in the intricate neuronal network appointed to the control of nutritional homeostasis. Peptide-specific immunoreactivity was present in the studied salivary glands with various intensities in different species, in the ductal epithelium, sometimes in the acinar epithelium, and in nervous trunks spread in connective tissue stroma. The obtained data show that salivary glands present an unexpected source of orexigenic and anorexigenic peptides which with their autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine mechanisms of action may participate in the control of salivary gland function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine and Clinical Neuroscience- BioNec, School of Medicine, Univeristy of Palermo, Italy. angelo.leone@unipa.it
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Giovanni Francesco
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Spatola
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cucco
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tessitore
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonaventura
authors.forename: Maria Laura
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Uzzo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008322:Mammals / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068797:Orexins; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012756:Sheep; D013361:Sublingual Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D000097629:Nociceptin
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020738:Leptin; D009479:Neuropeptides; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D000068797:Orexins; D000097629:Nociceptin