SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of thyroid function on submaxillary gland sensitivity to autonomic nervous drugs

  • Published:
Journal of Endocrinological Investigation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effect of changes in thyroid function on the action of autonomic drugs upon the secretion of saliva by the submaxillary glands was studied in male Wistar rats. Hyperthyroidism was induced by the sc administration every 12 h of 10/μg/100 g bw of L-triiodothyronine; hypothyroidism was induced by surgical thyroidectomy 2 weeks before the experiments. The dose-response curves to increasing doses of isoprenaline, norepinephrine or methacholine showed in hyperthyroid animals increased salivary secretion, while in hypothyroid animals the dose-response to the drug was reduced. The threshold dose for isoprenaline was reduced in hyperthyroid animals and increased in hypothyroid ones. The threshold dose for norepinephrine did not change in hyperthyroid or hypothyroid animals while that for methacholine was decreased in hyperthyroid ones. When norepinephrine was giyen to α-blocked animals (with phentolamine) the difference in the dose-response curves between hyperthyroid and control animals was increased. But when norepinephrine was given to β-blocked animals (with propranolol) the difference between the dose-response curves of hyperthyroid and control animals disappeared. The results above presented show that the sensitivity of the submaxillary salivary glands of rats to some adrenergic and cholinergic drugs was altered by the thyroid hormone. The effect was greater in the responses mediated by beta receptors. The structural changes in these glands may have some role in these effects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (France)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Waldstein S.S. Thyroid-catecholamine interrelations. Annu. Rev. Med. 17: 123, 1966.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Levey G.S. Catecholamine sensitivity, thyroid hormones and the heart. Am. J. Med. 50: 413, 1971.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. De Groot L.J. Thyroid and the heart. Mayo Clin. Proc. 47: 864, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Spaulding S.W., Noth R.H. Thyroid-catecholamine interactions. Med. Clin. North. Am. 59: 1123, 1975.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Levey G.S. The heart and hyperthyroidism. Use of beta-adrenergic blocking drugs. Med. Clin. North Am. 59: 1193, 1975.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Grad B., Leblond C.P. The necessity of testis and thyroid hormones for the maintenance of the serous tubules of the submaxillary gland in the male rat. Endocrinology 45: 250, 1949.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Arvy L., Gabe M. Action de la thyroidectomie et des injections de thyroxine sur la glande sous-maxillaire de la souris albinos. C.R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 144: 1610, 1950.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Shafer W.G., Muhler J.C. Endocrine influences upon salivary glands. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 85: 115, 1960.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Alberti F.R., Slatopolsky Cantis M., Houssay A.B. Effects of thyroidectomy upon I131 uptake by the submaxillary glands in A2G mice. Acta Physiol. Lat. Am. 14: 5, 1964.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Houssay A.B., Gamper C.H., Curbelo H.M. Effects of triiodothyronine upon the I131 and Tc99m uptake by the submandibular salivary glands in A2G mice. Arch. Oral Biol. 22: 625, 1977.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kofoed J.A., Houssay A.B., Curbelo H.M., Tocci A.A., Gamper C.H., Barcelò A.C. Influence of the thyroid upon the glycosaminoglycans in the salivary glands in the rat. Arch. Oral Biol. 18: 481, 1973.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Raynaud J. The action of thyroid and adrenal glands on the submaxillary glands in mice. In: Sreebny J.M., Meyer J. (Eds.), Saliva ryglandsand their secretions. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1969, p. 47.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Nicolau J., Fava de Moraes F., Zugas S.M. Influencia da tiroparatiroidectomia na cohcentracâo do acido N-acetil neuraminico nas glândulas parotidas e submaxilar do ratas. Ciencia e Cultura, Sao Paulo, 19: 391, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Curbelo H.M. Regulacion nerviosa y hormonal de la biosintesis de acido sialico por las glândulas salivares. Tesis de doctor en odontologia, Universidad de Buenos Aires Ediciones Pascual, Buenos Aires, 1972, p. 62.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Ohlin P. Effect of hypophysectomy or treatment with thyroxine or testosterone on secretory responses and respiratory enzymes of the submaxillary gland of the rat. J. Exp. Physiol. 50: 446, 1965.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Bray G.A. Effect of thyroid status and adrenergic blocking drugs on isoproterenol induced enlargement of the salivary glands. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 124: 1073, 1967.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Wanderley M.I. Influencias hormonais sobre o trofismo e secrecâo da glândula submaxilar do rato. Tese para a obtencâo do Gran Mestre em Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brasil, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Ohlin P. Secretory responses of innervated and denervated submaxillary glands of rats. Acta Univ. Lund 2: 1, 1965.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Schneyer C.A., Schneyer L.H. Electrolyte levels of rat salivary secretion in relation to fluid-flow rate. Am. J. Physiol. 199: 55, 1960.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Stefano F.J.E., Perec C.J., Tumilasci O.R. Changes in neuronal uptake and metabolism of, and sensitivity to norepinephrine during the degeneration secretion in the rat submaxillary gland. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 191: 403, 1974.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Wiswell J.G., Hurwitz G.E., Coronho V., Bing O.H.L., Child D.L Urinary catecholamines and their metabolites in hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 23: 1102, 1963.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Christensen N.J. Increased levels of plasma noradrenaline in hypothyroidism. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 35: 359, 1973.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Stoffer S.S., Jiang N.S., Gorman C.A., Pikler G.M. Plasma catecholamines in hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 36: 587, 1973.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Bray G.A. Studies on the sensitivity to catecholamines after thyroidectomy. Endocrinology 79: 554, 1966.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Fregly M.J., Nelson E.L, Resh G.M., Lutherer L.O. Reduced β-adrenergic responsiveness in hypothyroid rats. Am. J. Physiol. 222: 916, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Goswami A., Rosenberg I.N. Thyroid hormone modulation of epinephrine-induced lipolysis in rat adipocytes. A possible role of calcium. Endocrinology 103: 2223, 1978.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Schumann H.J., Borowski E., Gross G. Changes of adrenoreceptor-mediated responses in the pithed-rats during propylthiouracil-induced hypothyroidism. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 56: 145, 1979.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Nakashima M., Hagino Y. Stimulant action of methoxamine in the isolated atria of normal and 6-propyl-2-thiouracil-fed rat. Jpn J. Pharmacol. 23: 207, 1973.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Williams L.T., Lefkowitz R.J., Watanabe A.M., Hathaway D.R., Besch H.R. Jr. Thyroid hormone/egulation of beta-adrenergic receptor number. J. Biol. Chem. 252: 2787, 1977.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Ciaraldi T., Marinetti G.V. Thyroxine and propylthiouracil effects in vivo on alpha and beta adrenergic receptors in rat heart. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 74: 984, 1977.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Giudicelli Y. Thyroid-hormone modulation of the number of beta-adrenergic receptors in rat fat cell membranes. Biochem. J. 176: 1007, 1978.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Tse J., Wrenn R.W., Kuo J.F. Thyroxine-induced changes in characteristics and activities of β-adrenergic receptors and adenosine 3′, 5′,-monophosphate and guanosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate systems in the heart may be related to reputed catecholamine supersensitivity in hyperthyroidism. Endocrinology 107: 6, 1980.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Pointon S.E., Banerjee S.P. β-adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors in rat submaxillary glands. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 583: 129, 1979.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Segunda Catedra de Fisiologìa, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1121, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    O. R. Tumilasci, J. H. Medina, C. H. Gamper &  Alberto B. Houssay

Authors
  1. O. R. Tumilasci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. H. Medina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C. H. Gamper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alberto B. Houssay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Members of the Carrera del Investigador Cientifico del Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tumilasci, O.R., Medina, J.H., Gamper, C.H. et al. Effects of thyroid function on submaxillary gland sensitivity to autonomic nervous drugs. J Endocrinol Invest 5, 5–11 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350475

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350475

Key-words

Search

Navigation