The effect of long term ethanol intake on the parotid gland in rats.

Abstract

To elucidate the effects of long term ethanol intake on the parotid gland, light and electron microscopic observations of the parotid glands from male Wistar rats that had been given 20% ethanol ad lib instead of water were carried out. The findings were compared with the changes in the pancreas previously reported (Kakizaki et al. 1987). The results were as follows : (1) Severe lesions involving lobular units of the parotid gland were found in three rats exposed to ethanol. (2) From the early stages of ethanol ingestion, the lateral interdigitations of acinar cells widened irregularly. In the striated ducts, basal enfoldings became also irregular and short, while the mitochondria (which were a slender rod shape and arranged parallel to the basal enfoldings in control rats) became swollen, developed a dark matrix, a decrease in the cristae, and showed random arrangement. (3) Later, both tortous proliferation of the intercalated ducts and destruction as well as irregular lamination of the basal lamina of the striated ducts were observed frequently. (4) The animals developing severe morphological changes in the pancreas following ethanol ingestion were different from the animals developing severe changes in the parotid gland.-ethanol ; parotid gland ; pathogenesis ; electron microscopy ; alcoholic pancreatitis Since 1971, we have reported a series of experimental and clinical studies concerning the relationship between the pancreas and parotid gland. We have demonstrated experimentally that after a pancreatic lesion was induced, the parotid gland became atrophic, degenerative, and hypofunctional, with accompanying diminution in the total volume, amylase content, and maximal bicarbonate concentration of the parotid saliva. Furthermore, with recovery of the pancreatic lesion, the parotid gland also displayed morphological and functional recovery (Kakizaki et al. 1971(Kakizaki et al. , 1972Ishidate et al. 1974). Conversely, it was demonstrated that after impairment of the parotid gland, the pancreas was also influenced (Kakizaki et al. 1976a). In an experimental study of parabiotic Received August 28, 1989; revision accepted for publication February 17, 1990. 251 252 M. Sasahara et al.rats, we demonstrated that a humoral transmission mechanism participates in the development of an interactive response between the pancreas and the parotid gland (Kakizaki et al. 1978). On the basis of these findings, we developed a parotid saliva test using the intramuscular injection of 1% pilocarpine hydrochloride as a screening test for the diagnosis of pancreatic disorders, and found that the test was sufficiently reliable and informative to merit an extensive clinical trial (Kakizaki et al. 1973(Kakizaki et al. , 1976b(Kakizaki et al. , 1983. The results of our parotid saliva test have been confirmed by some other authors (Grimmel et al. 1976;Nacchiero et al. 1978;Noronha et al. 1978; Mc Coll et a].. 1979a;Dudar and Gusak 1981;Medizova and Ivanov 1981) and disputed by some (Minaire et al. 1975;Dobrilla et al. 1979 ; Lankish et...

Histological effect of ovariectomy and estrogen replacement on parotid gland of adult albino rat

“…They explained the presence of cytoplasmic vesicles by the great penetration of fluids in the cytoplasm of the acinar cells. Dilatation of rough endoplasmic reticulum was found in the acinar cells due to alterations in the cytoplasm of the striated ducts [39].…”