Radiation Damage of the Salivary Gland and Effects of a Radiation Protective

-Part 3: Quantitative Examination of the Parasympathetic Receptor in an Experimental Model in Rats-

Abstract

Radiation damage of the salivary gland was quantitatively investigated by determining the activity of muscarinic cholinergic receptor, which regulates the parasympathetic nerves in the parotid glands of rats. The receptor was measured by the receptor binding assay method using ³H-QNB two weeks after radiation of 2, 000 and 4, 000 rad in rats intraperitoneally injected with a radiation protectant (YM-08310, 200mg/kg) 30 minutes before radiation, and untreated controls. The number of receptors decreased in proportion to radiation doses, which was mild in the parotid glands of the rats treated with YM-08310. Therefore, YM-08310 was considered to have a protective effect on the parotid gland.