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- Title
Effects of Chronic Ethanol Administration on the Autonomic Innervation of Salivary Glands, Pancreas and Heart.
- Authors
Perec, Carlos J.; Celener, David; Tiscornia, Oswaldo M.; Baratti, Carlos
- Abstract
Experimental alcoholism was produced in rats by giving them ethanol (30%) as the only source of liquid for 12 weeks. At this time, the pancreas, submaxillary and parotid salivary glands, auricles and ventricles were dissected and weighed. Thereafter, the endogenous norepinephrine (NE) content and the activity of choline ace tylase were determined. The body weight of treated rats was decreased by 25% when compared with littermate controls. A marked atrophy of the submaxillary glands was observed, even when related to the decrease in body weight. On the other hand, the weight of both the parotid and pancreas glands was found significantly increased in terms of body weight changes. In the submaxillary glands, the activity of choline acetylase as well as the endogenous content of NE were markedly increased, both when expressed as total activity (µg A Ch/gl./hr. or ng./gl.) or when calculated as concentration (µg ACh/gm./hr. or µg./gm. Similar results were obtained in the parotid glands. When the secretory, responses to exogenous sialogogue agents (methacholine and NE) were determined, the (lose response curves of the submaxillary and parotid glands were shifted to the right by about 0.8 log unit with their maximal response decreased. The weight of the pancreas of alcoholic rats (total or head of this organ) was slightly increased. A marked enhancement in the total activity of choline acetytase (about 40%) was observed, with no differences found in the endogenous NE content of these rats when compared with normal controls. In the heart, a marked increase in the synthesis of acetylcholine was seen in the auricles of alcoholic rats, while no detectable changes in the synthesizing enzyme activity was observed in the ventricles. On the other band, the endogenous NE content of the ventricles of treated rats showed a statistically significant increase. These results suggest that chronic ethanol treatment enhanced both the cholinergic and noradrenergic...
- Subjects
ALCOHOLISM; RATS; ALCOHOL; DISSECTION; PANCREAS; SUBMANDIBULAR gland; PAROTID glands; HEART; NORADRENALINE; CHOLINE
- Publication
American Journal of Gastroenterology (Springer Nature), 1979, Vol 72, Issue 1, p46
- ISSN
0002-9270
- Publication type
Article